"This rugged climb, once known as the Steep Trail, can be treacherous, especially when wet, because it doesn’t have the man-made handholds and footholds that distinguish other Acadia cliff side routes. It’s the shortest but steepest route up Cadillac and begins by rising swiftly from Bubble Pond.

The loop described here provides a gentler descent, down Cadillac’s south ridge, to a little-used part of the Canon Brook Trail and back to Bubble Pond on a carriage road."

--Dolores Kong & Dan Ring, Hiking Acadia National Park (Falcon Guides).

"The highest point on America’s Atlantic coastline, Cadillac Mountain is a must-visit destination. While there are many options to consider, this one combines the best of what the mountain offers, including: a long, exposed scenic ridgeline; a deep, glacier-carved gorge; small cascades; and an occasional scramble up Acadia National Park’s famous granite slopes. While not easy, together these features can be enjoyed along a 5-mile loop appropriate for healthy hikers of all ages."

--Jeffrey Romano, 100 Classic Hikes in New England (The Mountaineers Books).

"Located at the top of Acadia’s highest mountain, this short and easy trail offers maybe the best views in the park and plaques that identify more than forty islands, peaks, and other key points that lie off its slopes.

On a sunny day this loop is the best place for any hiker to get some bearings before exploring the rest of Acadia. The trail is often busy during peak summer months, since cars and buses can drive up the mountain’s access road."

--Dolores Kong & Dan Ring, Best Easy Day Hikes: Acadia National Park (Falcon Guides).

"Located at the top of Acadia’s highest mountain, this short and easy trail offers maybe the best views in the park and plaques that identify more than forty islands, peaks, and other key points off its slopes.

On a sunny day this loop is the best place for any hiker to get some bearings before exploring the rest of Acadia. The trail is often busy during peak summer months, since cars and buses can drive up the summit road."

--Dolores Kong & Dan Ring, Hiking Acadia National Park (Falcon Guides).

"A relatively long hike over open ledges to the summit of Mount Desert Island’s highest mountain. There are great views during most of this hike. Although this hike is not a loop, the south ridge of Cadillac Mountain, with its open forest of pitch and jack pine, is worth experiencing twice in the same day.

This hike starts on Maine Route 3 near the entrance to Blackwoods Campground and makes a moderate, enjoyable climb to Cadillac’s busy summit over a leisurely 3.5 miles. While the summit may not be the wildest spot in the park, with its gift shop and parking lot full of tourists, the south ridge of Cadillac is relatively quiet and full of excellent views."

--Ty Wivell, Discover Maine (Appalachian Mountain Club Books).

"Start this view-heavy hike at historic Sieur de Monts Spring. Visit the Abbe Museum of American Antiquities, then hike century-old paths to Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park’s high point.

En route, pass The Tarn, then climb the Ladder Trail. Surmount the open slopes of Dorr Mountain, named for the man who helped the park come to be. Make a final push for Cadillac Mountain, where vistas of the adjacent hills, Atlantic Ocean, and the isles of Maine make this a classic New England hike."

--Johnny Molloy, Hiking through History New England (Falcon Guides).

"The open north ridge of Cadillac Mountain provides expansive views of Frenchman Bay, Bar Harbor, and the Porcupine Islands. In season, naturalists and volunteers help spot migrating raptors at perhaps the prettiest hawk-watching site in North America. Cadillac North Ridge Trail follows old Native American footpaths and nears the route of a former buckboard road up spectacular 1,530-foot Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the Atlantic coast.

Like many of the ridge trails in Acadia, this one traverses exposed granite ledges much of the way, offering grand scenery. Here the views include Bar Harbor, Frenchman Bay, Schoodic Peninsula, and a series of distinctive rocky islands, beginning with Bar Island and extending into the bay with the Porcupines."

--Dolores Kong & Dan Ring, Hiking Acadia National Park (Falcon Guides).

"Cadillac Mountain is the highest on Mount Desert Island. This hike climbs the South Ridge past several waterfalls. The summit of Cadillac Mountain can be reached by car, so expect crowds in the summer. This route avoids the crowded trails and takes in a lot of the mountain’s highights."

--Greg Westrich, Hiking Maine: A Guide to the State's Greatest Hiking Adventures (Falcon Guides).