Kebo Mountain Trail (ANP #21a) - Bar Harbor
one of the Trails and Memorial Paths of Mount Desert Island,
a part of the Mount Desert Island Cultural History Project
of
V. F. Thomas Co. - P. O. Box 400 - Southwest Harbor, ME 04679
info@vfthomas.com - 207-266-5748

(updated 7 September 2009)


Route. A north-south traverse of Kebo Mountain, between the Park Loop Road and the north end of Dorr Mountain North Ridge Trail (ANP #21b), and crossing the summit of Kebo Mountain.

Directions to trail head. Travel on the one-way section of the Park Loop Road to the trailhead, marked (2009) by a signpost on the south side of the road. The trail formerly began at the Kebo Valey Club, and stone steps remain at the edge of the north side of the Park Loop Road.

Trail details. The trail immediately ascends steeply over stone steps and ledge, ...

... quickly yielding views of the golf course to the north and, in the photograph below, Long Porcupine Island (barely visible at left) and Bald Porcupine Island (center) to the northeast.

As you continue to climb, all four Porcupine Islands eventually come into view. Left to right: Sheep Porcupine, Burnt Porcupine, Long Porcupine, and Bald Porcupine. (Remember: "If your sheep gets burnt too long, it becomes bald.")

The trail continues to ascend, less steeply but with more roots.

Just before you reach the summit, you will be able to see in front of you (left to right) Dorr Mountain, the Gorge, and Cadillac Mountain.

The view from the summit is not the panorama you see on many other of Acadia National Park's peaks, but Kebo is only 407 feet (126 meters) high.

The descent is uneventful—roots, rocks, ledge, and gravel—but there are a few surprise ascents before reaching the end of the trail in the saddle between Kebo and Dorr, and a four-way intersection with the Hemlock Trail.

Where to go from here. You have four options: (1) turn around and go back (north) over the summit of Kebo, (2) turn left (east) toward the Sieur de Monts area, (3) turn right (west), that is, follow the .7-mile-route marked "Loop Road", a little misleading because you come first to a T-intersection with the Gorge Path (ANP #28) and a choice there to turn left (south) to hike the gorge to the saddle between Dorr and Cadillac or to turn right (north) toward the Loop Road, or (4) continue straight ahead (south) toward the summit of Dorr on the Dorr Mountain North Ridge Trail (ANP #21b).



To contribute to this web page: All information (including images) should be e-mailed to info@vfthomas.com or sent by traditional mail to MDI Trails and Memorial Paths, c/o V. F. Thomas Co.; P. O. Box 400; Southwest Harbor, ME 04679.