Schoodic Mountain is 1060 feet tall and it can be hiked from the west or east. The trail network on eastern side is more
defined, while the trails on the west side aren't marked as well. On top of Schoodic, you will have great views in all directions.
On a clear day, you can see Mount Katahdin to the north. It is easy to see Katahdin when it is covered in snow and other mountains
are not.
Schoodic Mountain - Western Trail
The western trail can be found off route 200 (or the Hog Bay road) between Sullivan and Franklin. If you are driving
from Ellsworth to Franklin (west to east), take a right turn from route 182 onto route 200 and head south. Drive about 2-3
miles, and at the bottom of a big hill is a bridge. A river is on your left and the ocean is on your right. Just past this
bridge on the left is the Glen Cobb road. Take this turn and drive straight up the hill. The road turns to the right as it
reaches a blueberry field. Keep the blueberry field on your left as you drive. After you pass a gravel pit on your right,
you should park in the wide area next to the field. The next section of the road can be passed by a truck or 4WD vehicle.
Walk along the dirt road for a while. You'll pass a small camp on your right and then cross a small brook, where a heavy
metal culvert channels some of the water. The road climbs a steep hill, drops for a bit, and then reaches railroad tracks.
Cross the tracks and turn east (right). The trail follows the tracks for a bit, and then heads into the woods. On your left,
you should see some cliffs, forming the early parts of Schoodic Mountain. These cliffs provide some interesting rock climbing,
if you are interested.
Eventually, the dirt road reaches a junction at a somewhat open area. Take a sharp left here. The road climbs for a bit
and then drops. After you pass a couple of large mud puddles (Which may be dry depending on the time of year), look for a
trail on your left that climbs away from the road. If you miss this trail, you should have an opportunity to take a left turn
(north) and join this trail. Follow the trail until reaches a "T". Take a left here and begin your steep ascent up.
The trail is wide and full of loose rock from 4 wheeler traffic. After a while, you should see views of a swamp behind
you to the south. The trail continues north and then clearly turns to the east as it reaches the ridge of Schoodic Mountain.
As you climb above treeline and approach the peak, make a mental note of this trail. This trail is not marked very well, and
you may have problems finding this part of the trail on your return trip.
Schoodic Mountain - Eastern Trail from Donnell Pond
Donnell Pond has a recreation area at the south end of the pond. To reach this recreation area, take route 1 north from
Ellsworth. In Sullivan, take a left onto route 183 (Tunk Lake road). Drive about 5 miles or so. After you cross the train
tracks, take a left turn onto a dirt road. A brown sign for Donnell Pond is located here. As the road climbs a small hill
stay to the left. If you go strain (or to the right), the road will take you to the eastern side of Black Mountain. Instead,
stay left and drive to the end of this road and park your vehicle.
At the northern (far) end of the parking area, a wide trail starts and begins a half mile descent to Donnell Pond. When
you reach an outhouse on your left, the trail splits. You can take a left and head towards the mountain, or you can head towards
the Donnell Pond beach. If you hike to the beach, follow the beach to the west (left) to the end and pick up the trail a bit
later. The wide trail soon narrows after you distance yourself from the pond. The trail climbs steeply, switches back to the
left and levels out for a bit. Then the trail starts another climb up. At the 1.1 mile mark, you'll run into a trail junction.
Continue your climb up for another 0.4 miles and reach the summit at the 1.5 mile mark. Before reaching the summit, the trail
winds its way around the southern part of the mountain and offers great views of the ocean and Acadia.
Schoodic Mountain - Eastern Trail from the Parking Area
Follow the directions to the parking area described above. But, instead of leaving the north (far) end of the parking
lot and following the trail towards the pond, look for a trailhead near the outhouse at the southern end of the parking area.
The trail here drops immediately, and then begins a steady climb up to a nice set of cliffs. These cliffs offer a nice view
of Black Mountain to the east. After the trail levels out on these cliffs, continue hiking up the mountain until you reach
a trail junction at the 0.9 mile mark. This is the junction with the Eastern Trail from Donnell Pond. Continue for another
0.4 miles up to the top of Schoodic Mountain. You can make a nice hiking loop with this trail and the Eastern Trail from Donnell
Pond.
