Around Mountain

The carriage trails in Acadia National Park make for some of the sweetest running terrain you'll ever find anywhere. Got sore knees? Body feeling pummeled by pavement? Like gentle grades, soft surfaces, natural scenery, incredible stone bridges, and impressively crafted wooden trail signs? If yes, a run in Acadia's the thing for you.

I love the whole network, but the Around Mountain Trail is particularly special. The upper route traces a 12-mile loop around a bunch of the island's interior mountains. Much of it passes through forest, though there are frequent views out over lakes. The really neat part, I think, is the section that pokes partially above treeline on the north side of Sargent Mountain. The climb is exhausting, but the scenery is always sweeping and dramatic, and the smell of spruce, fir, birch, blueberries, and granite... so fine.  

This curve is where the trail swoops towards Sargent around the north side of Parkman Mountain, 

just past a long, scenic stretch overlooking Somes Sound.

the view to the west

on the side of Parkman Mountain

over on the Jordan Pond side