CADILLAC MOUNTAIN IS THE TALLEST MOUNTAIN ON MOUNT DESERT ISLAND AND THE HIGHEST POINT ALONG THE NORTH ATLANTIC SEABOARD.

Name: Cadillac Mountain
Height: 470 m (1,528 feet)
Location: in Mount Desert Island, Maine, USA
First Climbed: unknown
Climb Time: 2-4 hours
Best Time to Climb: Spring-Autumn (it is climbed all year round)

Introduction to Cadillac Mountain.

Cadillac Mountain is located on Mount Desert Island, within Acadia National Park. It is the highest point in Hancock County and the highest within 40 km (25 mi) of the shore of the continent of North America between the Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia and Mexican peaks that are located 290 km (180 mi) south of the Texas border.

The composition of the mountain is majorly pink granite, which is covered with all sorts of vegetation, such as spruce and pitch pine forests, short gnarled trees, wild blueberries, and boulders. It is an interesting fact that millions of years ago, the mountains on the island appeared due to earth's tectonic and volcanic forces pushing the land upward. Then, during ice ages, huge and slow moving glaciers sheared off the top leaving chunks of rocks in such form that it appears to be flowing.

The name honors the French explorer and adventurer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac, who received a parcel of land, including the Mount Desert Island from the Governor of New France, in 1688. Although it should be mentioned, that the mountain was named Mount Cadillac only in 1918 and until then had been known as the Green Mountain.

The Cadillac Mountain’s popularity is quite easy to explain. It attracts the ones who wish to witness the nation's first sunrise. However, it is worth mentioning that Cadillac only sees the first sunrise in the fall and winter, while during most of the spring and summer, the sun rises first on Mars Hill. For a few weeks, the sun rises first at West Quoddy Head in Lubec.

CLIMBING CADILLAC MOUNTAIN.

There are various routes that lead to the summit, different in length and difficulty. There is also a paved road leading to the same place.

First one forth mentioning is the Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail - an 11,4 km (7,1 mi) long roundtrip hike that starts from ME Route 3 next to the village of Otter Creek. South Ridge Trail is quite challenging and is rated as hard. In the beginning, you will find yourself hiking through the forest while the trail steepens gradually. Soon after you will approach the ridge where the forest becomes more open and after a brief walk down the hill, you will reach a small pond called the Featherbed, where many tend to stop for a short break. From here there is the steepest and the roughest section of the trail as it goes uphill the exposed granite. Most of the hike remaining is a moderate ascend above treeline along the ridge with brilliant views of the ocean and surrounding islands. The trail becomes rough again as it goes down the hill, crossing an old road, and then ascends to the summit. The hike returns to the trailhead via the same route.

The summit can be also reached by following the North Ridge Trail. It is a 7 km (4,4 mi) lightly trafficked out and back trail, starting on the south side of Park Loop Road near Bar Harbor. The North Ridge Trail heads south and is blazed blue. If you follow the blazes across paths and granite trail and keep on climbing, you cannot get lost. While following the route you will be given an opportunity to observe the national park from above, same as such natural sights as the Bar Island and Katahdin – Maine’s highest mountain.

TREKKING AROUND CADILLAC MOUNTAIN.

Acadia National Park is a great place for outdoor activities; it has a variety of hiking trails, varied from easy to hard.

One of the most popular hiking routes is Acadia Mountain Trail that is rated as hard. It is only a 6,1 km (3,8 mi) hike that offers stunning views of Somes Sound and the surrounding mountains as well as surrounding islands and the Atlantic ocean. Mostly it is hiked as the loop joined together with St. Sauveur Mountain Trail.

Another highlight of Acadia National Park is a Bubble Rock, that can be visited by following a 1,6 km (1 mi) round trip trail with the same name. Bubble Rock is probably the most well-known rock in the entire state of Maine and one of the most visited spots in Acadia National Park.

For more information on trails in Acadia National Park, visit the website at: http://www.acadiamagic.com/acadia-hiking-trails.html.