Orange & Black Path
Elevation
Ascent:
218'
66 m
Descent: -487' -148 m
High: 449' 137 m
Low: 67' 20 m
Grade
Avg Grade: 15% (9°)
Max Grade: 42% (23°)
Weather
Popular runs nearby
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1.4 mi 2.3 km • Loop • 64 ft Ascent 19.36 m Ascent
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“A unique and historic 'rockslide' trail with great views of Frenchman Bay and the Schoodic Peninsula”
— David Onkst
Features
Fall Colors · Views
Runner Notes
Description
This path is the best way to get to the second half of the Precipice Trail, and one of the few ways to connect to the northern portion of the Champlain Ridge trails. The full run starts where the trail meets the western side of the Schooner Head Path. There is no parking close to the trailhead. Your best bet is to park in the Precipice Trail parking lot located next to the Park Loop Road. From there, run eastward on Murphy Lane for 0.3 miles, and then take the Schooner Head Path north along a low-lying marshy area for roughly another 0.7 miles.
The trail starts out very gradually for the first 0.25 miles until it crosses over the Park Loop Road. From there you’ll start ascending rather quickly, including a series of rock stairs that crosses one of the rockslide areas of the trail. At about 0.5 miles you’ll reach a trail junction. To continue on the Orange and Black Path, turn to the south (if you head to the north you’ll reach the Champlain Ridge North Trail in roughly 0.1 miles). Running southward on the Orange and Black Path, you’ll run into the Precipice Trail in another 0.5 miles. That’s where this trail technically ends and you should double back and retrace your steps to the beginning. One could go down the first half of the Precipice Trail, although it is not recommended due to that fact that the Precipice Trail can get quite crowded and it’s difficult to negotiate the steep climb down in the opposite direction of most hikers.
In sum, this trail is very rocky, but provides some great views of Frenchman Bay and Schoodic Peninsula to the east. Treading up the path not only gives you great views, but also a connection to the past, to a time when the park’s first trails started to come into existence.
Flora & Fauna
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Contacts
Land Manager: NPS - Acadia National Park
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