Acadia's Ocean Path Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour

Directly ahead is Sand Beach. This small spit of sand isn’t even 300 yards long, but it’s still one of the best swimming spots in Acadia. The cliffs on either side shelter the cove and make for some great scenery for beachgoers. If you’re in the mood for some beachy fun, this is the only sandy beach along the trail, so don’t be afraid to check it out! Just be prepared for some awfully cold water!

Note: The tour is over 2 miles long, with more than 34 audio stories, and takes about 1-2 hours to complete.

Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

Up ahead is one of the most dramatic spots on Acadia’s coastline: Thunder Hole! And if you’re here a couple of hours before high tide, you may have already figured out where it gets that name.

On our left is Monument Cove. To see it, turn left and follow the short walking path through the trees. In just a hundred feet, it opens out into a breathtaking vista from atop a flat rocky cliff.

Coming up on our left is Sand Beach Overlook, offering great views of the beach we left behind at the beginning of our tour. Keep an eye out for the small trail to the overlook on the left.

Need a break? How about a souvenir to commemorate your visit to Acadia? The Thunder Hole Gift Shop is coming up on our right. The shop also has restrooms available for customers.

The cliff just ahead is known as “Otter Cliff.” It stands 110 feet above the sea and features some of the best views you’ll find on the Ocean Path! You might think the cliff gets its name from sea otters that swim off the shore, but that’s not quite right. In fact, there are no sea otters here at all! So what’s the deal?

You’re walking now toward the southernmost tip of this part of Mount Desert Island: Otter Point Overlook. You can stay on the path and take pictures from there, or you can walk down onto the rocks nearer the water. But be careful if you go off the walking path. The rocks can be wet and slippery.

On our right, just across the Park Loop Road, is the Gorham Mountain Trail. This moderately challenging 3.5-mile hike climbs almost 700 feet and features some truly stunning views along the way. Feel free to check it out if you’ve got about 90 minutes to spare!

We’re passing Boulder Beach on our left. True to its name, this 400-foot stretch of beach is entirely covered in big boulders! But how does that happen? What leads to a beach being made up of boulders instead of sand?