It's news to no one that Acadia National Park is a premier destination for hikers looking to add some memorable treks to their logbooks. However, it might be news to some that the rest of Maine is brimming with trails that are just as impressive. The state's wilderness is vast; dense forests, towering mountains, rushing rivers, star-studded skies, and so much more are waiting to greet adventurers who'd like a more intimate experience with nature. These memorable hikes in the Pine Tree State will have wanderers loading their packs and hitting the trails as soon as possible.

9 Tumbledown Mountain Trail - Four Ponds Public Reserved Land

  • Distance: 5.3-mile loop, 1,952 feet elevation gain
  • Difficulty: hard

Hearts will be pumping and sweat will be dripping on the Tumbledown Mountain Trail. The strenuous trek challenges hikers to navigate atop, over, and through rock formations. Hikers will shimmy their way through and up a narrow cave known as Fat Man's Misery with the help of some iron rungs. All the hard work will be worth it once adventurers reach the summit of Tumbledown Mountain. Lush alpine forest rises in all directions, and an azure blue pond sparkles in the distance.

8 Ledges Trail - Pleasant Mountain Preserve

  • Distance: 3.3 miles out and back, 1,512 feet elevation gain
  • Difficulty: moderate

The weekends bring tons of people (and dogs) out for a jaunt on the Ledges Trail. Go during the week to avoid crowds or on the weekend for the opportunity to pat the happy heads of nature-loving canines. The trail takes hikers through a magical forest that's richly saturated in green during the summertime and glowing with the colors of autumn in the fall. As if the leaf-peeping wasn't enough, guests will enjoy picturesque views from the summit of Pleasant Mountain. With views like these, it's quite pleasant, indeed.

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7 Old Speck Mountain Trail - Grafton Notch State Park

  • Distance: 7.4 miles out and back, 2,870 feet elevation gain
  • Difficulty: hard

This hike is no walk in the park, but the stunning views from start to finish make it well worth the physical exertion and pending Epsom salt soak. It's considered one of the most challenging portions of the Appalachian Trail and is only recommended for experienced hikers.

Those who accept the challenge will need to be ready for mud, slippery rocks, and iron-runged ladders as they ascend to the summit over 4,000 feet above sea level. The moss-dotted trees and lush ferns give the trail an almost prehistoric ambiance, a feeling that the solitude will only amplify.

6 Borestone Mountain Trail - Guilford

  • Distance: 3.5-mile loop, 1,223 feet elevation gain
  • Difficulty: on the harder side of moderate

Although this trail features over a thousand feet of elevation gain, it's spread over almost four miles and made more accessible in several spots with stone stairs. Towards the summit, hikers will face several scrambling challenges, which only make the finish line all the more glorious to cross. The trophy is a 360-degree view from the summit of Borestone Mountain, an expanse of spectacular wilderness that will have visitors as weak in the knees as the ascent did.

5 Morse Mountain To Seawall Beach - Popham Beach State Park

  • Distance: 4 miles out and back, 192 feet elevation gain
  • Difficulty: easy

The trail to Seawall Beach from Morse Mountain is ideal for those seeking a more leisurely journey into nature. The easy hike is great for all ages and skill levels. Those who make the trek through the scenic woods are likely to extend the adventure once they reach the spectacular beach. Grasses sway in the breeze, and dunes softly roll along the shore. During low tide, the sand stretches on for quite a bit, leaving behind plenty of colorful rocks and seashells to comb through.

4 Puzzle Mountain Trail - Grafton Notch State Park

  • Distance: 77.3 miles out and back, 2,575 feet elevation gain
  • Difficulty: moderate

The Puzzle Mountain Trail is ideal for hikers looking for a half-day trip that won't leave them completely drained. The sun shines in little slices through the forested canopies, giving way to viewpoints from rocky ledges. Peaceful streams dot the trail and add another layer of nature to enjoy. There are a couple of technical switchbacks and some scrambling to tackle, but the views of Grafton Notch scattered along the path will be motivation enough to make it to the top.

3 Cutler Coast Trail - Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land

  • Distance: 11.1-mile loop, 1,092 feet elevation gain
  • Difficulty: moderate

The Cutler Coast Trail is the right choice for anyone who craves the coastal pleasures of Acadia but wants to leave the crowds behind. The trail is a little more rugged and wildly beautiful, too. Hikers will make their way through a temperate rainforest blanketed in moss and surrounded by pine and birch trees. Roots and rocks rise from the ground and demand that visitors be aware of their surroundings. A portion of the path follows the rugged coastline, filling guests' eyes and ears with the sensory delights of the ocean.

2 Moxie Falls Trail - West Forks

  • Distance: 1.7 miles out and back, 226 feet elevation gain
  • Difficulty: easy

The trail leading to one of Maine's tallest waterfalls, Moxie Falls, is well maintained, equipped with stairs, and brimming with gorgeous scenery from start to finish. All ages and skill levels will enjoy the short walk through the woods to the 90-foot falls cascading over the rugged rock. There's a swimming hole at the base, so those who are filled with moxie can make their way down a muddy slope for a refreshing dip and feel the mist on their skin.

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1 Mount Katahdin & Hamlin Peak Loop - Baxter State Park

  • Distance: 10.9-mile loop, 4,475 feet elevation gain
  • Difficulty: hard

Trekkers will have to work for the accomplishment of summiting the tallest mountain in Maine, Katahdin. This strenuous hike deserves a spot alongside the most sought-after day hikes for experienced adventurers. It's also the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, so thru-hikers are guaranteed an epic end to their months-long journey.

Hikers will feel like characters in a fantasy novel as they make their way through enchanting, dense woods and shimmy along Knife's Edge, a narrow arete ridge that looks over the expansive wilderness. Those who make it to the summit will feel on top of the world, hugged by fog when it's cloudy and blessed with the views of a lifetime on a clear day.

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