Beech Mountain Trail in Acadia is the shortest hike on the WW25 list. You can do it as a 1.0 mile out and back or as a 2.0 miles loop. The trail starts at the far end of the parking lot above the south shore of Echo Lake. The parking lot is mostly for access to the beach. In the summer the lot fills up. On those days, you can reach the top of the trail from the Beech Mountain parking area (it’s less than 0.5 miles from the parking area at the end of Beech Mountain Road to the top of the ladders).
Beech Cliffs from the beach. The trail ascends in the saddle between Beech Cliffs (R) and Canada Cliffs (L)
The trail switchbacks up through the woods to the base of the cliffs. Along the way, you pass a short side trail that leads to an overlook. The first ladder transitions the hike from the woods to the cliffs.
The first ladder
You then hike next to a high vertical face among towering pines.
The trail goes around the rock, but Henry couldn’t help himself
The second ladder—the highest of the four—gets you above the vertical face you’ve just walked along.
Above the second ladder, you climb up into a narrowing chimney. There are iron railings and two ladders. Then you pop out atop an open granite expanse where Canada Cliffs transitions into Beech Cliffs.
Looking down the third ladder to the top of the second ladder
Henry looking down into the chimney we just hiked out of
What Henry sees: The fourth and third ladders from above
Once at the top, you have to decide how you want to get back to the trailhead. The shortest way is to go back the way you came. But what fun is that? If you turn left and follow Canada Cliffs Trail, you can make a loop back to the parking area. Either way, first turn right had hike the 0.4 miles loop atop Beech Cliffs. You get fine views in every direction.
Looking southeast from Beech Cliffs (I can see my car)
Looking northeast from Beech Cliffs across Echo Lake with Eagle Lake in the middle distance and the mountains around Donnell Pond on the horizon