Perpendicular Trail to Mansell Mountain

The Perpendicular Trail on the Quietside of Acadia -- the western, less-visited portion of Mount Desert Island -- is a masterwork of stone step construction built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The trail climbs the sheer west face of Mansell Mountain via several hundred hand-crafted stone steps cut into the steep granite, ascending what would otherwise be impassable terrain through sheer craftsmanship. The ascent is direct and strenuous, gaining nearly 1,000 feet in under two miles on steps that require active engagement of hands and feet in the steeper sections.

The summit of Mansell Mountain at 949 feet commands views across Long Pond below, the Blue Hill Bay, and on clear days the distant Camden Hills on the mainland. The western shore of Mount Desert Island visible from the summit is forested and roadless -- a quieter, more remote face of the park than the eastern side. The descent follows the Razorback Trail along the mountain's narrow spine ridge before looping back through spruce forest to the Long Pond trailhead. The Quietside sees a fraction of the Bar Harbor visitor traffic, making this combination one of the most rewarding ridge walks in the park system with genuine solitude even in peak summer.