Have You Attempted the Most Dangerous Hike in Maine?

The Precipice Trail is notorious for being Acadia’s most dangerous hike. Several people have fallen from the cliffs and died, so this trail is not to be underestimated. If you have a fear of heights or are traveling with children, skip this hike. And under no circumstances, do not hike the Precipice Trail in the rain. The granite cliffs and iron rungs get dangerously slippery when it is wet. - earthtrekkers.com

So obviously after reading that, you don't go hike Precipice Trail in Acadia, and certainly not on Labor Day after being told repeatedly to avoid Acadia National Park until AFTER the unofficial end of summer weekend due to all of the out of state visitors.

Did we listen?

Of Course We Hiked Precipice Trail on Labor Day in Maine

Why does being told 'no' or that 'you can't' make doing something even more enticing? My wife and I hiked Precipice Trail on Labor Day 2024, and we couldn't have asked for better weather. We were going to try and accomplish the trail on Sunday, but there was rain in the forecast, and not attempting Precipice while the trail is wet was advice that we did take very seriously. Now that we have completed the trail, we reverberate that advice. This is not something to attempt when it is wet out!

Is Precipice Trail in Maine Really That Dangerous?

Several publications have Precipice Trail as one of the most, if not the most dangerous trail in Maine. IF you would have asked me my thoughts on the safety of Precipice within the first 45 minutes into the hike, I would have responded and did say in fact, 'well, this isn't bad at all.'

BUT then you make the turn to ascend the peak of Champlain Mountain, and I quickly bit my tongue (literally, I bit it to try and calm my anxiety).

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The warnings you have read everywhere else will not only be repeated here but also confirmed here as well thanks to my experience. If you have a fear of heights, you will NOT enjoy this experience. If you have panic attacks or bad anxiety, this will be an extremely challenging hike. I witnessed one person on the trail become paralyzed with fear and had to be coached to turn around and abandon proceeding any further.

With that being said, it is an enjoyable experience that I strongly recommend doing, but the adventure deserves to be respected. For us, the total loop took roughly 2 hours and 50 minutes while making multiple stops to enjoy the scenery and for time spent waiting for a few people to climb areas with iron rungs or to make their way carefully along steep cliffs. It is a full body workout as you use a lot of your upper body to lift yourself over rocks and cliffs.

There were two sections of climbing where I refused to look down and needed to control my breathing, but overall, the value of the views and value of the thrills of accomplishing this trail are beyond the price paid with anxiety. You can see all the photos from our experience below.

Parking and Getting to Precipice Trail in Acadia National Park in Maine

We went in the late morning on Labor Day, and even then, we were able to park legally along the street less than 100 feet away from the parking lot (that was full). The best way to find the parking lot and beginning of trail is to use the AllTrails app. Have fun on this trail and be safe!