Giant Slide Trailhead

Gorgeous and very dynamic! One of a kind hike up a rocky creek (looks like a fairytale), a small cave halfway through, and panoramic ocean/lake/mountain views from the top. So worth it!

It was nice that it worked into increasingly difficult areas. We ended up having to turn back about halfway because the scrabble got to be too much for us to keep our dog on leash safely. But, she enjoyed the cool drinks along the way!

This is one of my absolute favorite trails on the island. It’s a little precarious in some spots, but the beauty definitely makes up for it. The long boardwalks at the beginning lead you to a mountain stream with massive boulders and sky-high pines on either side. The trail takes you alongside and across this stream, over, under, and around the boulders, and up to the top of the mountain. It’s a bit of a spelunking adventure. There are some beautiful rock caves that the boulders have formed, big enough for you to stand or crouch in, and a great place to take silhouette photos with the light coming in from the other side.

I wouldn’t recommend for very small children, those with certain physical limitations, and small (or old) dogs. I tried hiking with a friend and his slightly overweight pit bull once. The pup wasn’t able to make it up or down some of the rocks and got her foot caught a couple times. A big healthy doggo might do just fine!

It’s especially magical on a sunny day. You might be tired, but you won’t be disappointed :)

A somewhat challenging hike, with just enough rocks to climb around. You'll feel like you've really taken a hike without needing to worry about having real rock climbing gear or experience. Easy access to Sergeant Mountain as well. Just remember the bug spray for the parts near sea level.

Challenging. The scramble is doable, but watch your step. I would say this is a classic in Acadia and a must do.

A true hidden gem, amazing hike, must park on the side of the road however

A beautiful little hike!

good access to a myriad of wonderful hikes. Well-marked trails (though the Alltrails app helps significantly with navigation). Roadside parking though, and this is fairly limited, so this trailhead would likely fill up quickly on high-traffic days.

Parking is available but in short supply. Giant slide is a great trail through interesting terrain.

While this was an fun and interesting hike for sure, I found it to be unnecessarily challenging and devoid of any real views or attractions. In other words, if your goal us to reach sergeant peak, this is, in my experience, the most inefficient route to take. And if you’re just looking for a good stand-alone hiking experience, great slide trail itself has no good views are attractions besides a small stone cave a little ways up. You have to take each step with care and precision on landslide of steep, sometimes slippery boulders lest you break an ankle, and frankly I didn’t feel that it was worth the effort when there are so many more beautiful trails on the island.