The new Schooner Head Path

The new Schooner Head Path looks to be about 80% complete now. We didn%26#39;t go into the Old Farm/Compass Harbor area to see what has happened there, but the path along Schooner Head Road is well along toward completion. There now is a new trail head sign just past the junction of Rt 3 (Main St.) and Schooner Head road. The path begins on east side of the road, then crosses Schooner Head Road a couple of times before staying on the west side.

The unfinished section is at the southern end, i.e., the section closest to Schooner Head overlook. Some of that has had the base stone installed; other parts have been brushed out or had the route flagged.

In addition, they have redone and re-marked Murphy%26#39;s Lane, which runs for about 0.3 miles between Schooner Head Road and the Loop Road just south of the Precipice parking lot. (This is what we did--park near the closed gate of the Loop Road, walk north to the Precipice end of Murphy%26#39;s Lane, then through to the Path and back.)

In answer to an earlier question, the Schooner Head Rd. section will be approximately 2 miles upon completion; add another 0.5 or so for the Old Farm/Compass Harbor section.

And for those of you wondering what the park looks like in November, see:

…google.com/cwvoigt/WitchHolePondWalk

The new Schooner Head Path

That URL got garbled; a shorter version is:

http://tinyurl.com/6jdndt

The new Schooner Head Path

The photos are great...it makes me want to be there. I was expecting to see snow. Here in the Chicago area we got about 5 inches Sunday just as everyone was going home from Thanksgiving travels and dropping kids back at college, and we are expecting to get another 3 inches tonight. I am still wishing and hoping to cross country ski Acadia.

Thank you. November and December are great times to be in the park. Today for example, we found an old path made by George Dorr that goes around the back side of Beaver Dam Pond. I doubt that one could find it in the summer.

Most years, we really don%26#39;t get much snow until January---and the greatest snowfalls occur in February and March. Last year was (I hope) an anomaly---it started snowing about now, and never quit until late March.

The new path sounds wonderful...can%26#39;t wait to try it out next July! It%26#39;s been a long time coming, thanks for the update!

Beautiful pictures. Very different without the leaves. I%26#39;ve never seen that much water flowing in Duck Brook. Every time we%26#39;ve gone it%26#39;s been really low. Our goal is to spend a week up there in the winter; one of these years we%26#39;ll actually do it!

From what you have written in the past, you must have seen the park and island in the other seasons, so yes, you need to see it in the winter.

November and December are probably best for getting out into the park. Once the big snows come, it gets more difficult to get around on some of the carriage roads unless you are adept with snowshoes or cross-country skis.

I can%26#39;t wait to return and to check out the new path, thanks so much for the update, and for your pictures of the park in November. I%26#39;ve been up in August, Sept, and October, so a November visit may be the next logical step! I love Acadia, always ';homesick'; for it when I%26#39;m not there.