Wonderland is probably one of the most accessible and easy to navigate trails in Acadia National Park. Located on the quiet side of Mount Desert Island, this short hike offers great value in terms of scenery as it gently slopes down along a beautiful forest path toward the ocean shore. If interested in a more peaceful time, and if you feel like leaving the crowds from the Loop Road behind, then this might be the trail for you. Neighboring the similarly picturesque Ship Harbor Trail, the Wonderland Trail parking lot has room for maybe a dozen cars, though in the unlikely event that you get there and it is full, there is room to park along the road.
The trailhead starts out wandering through some typical Maine coastal woodland, though as you emerge from the early forested part of the trail, you quickly get a glimpse of the rugged granite rocks and deep blue ocean. Meandering along the circular loop, there are many opportunities to leave the trail and explore the classically Maine rocky shoreline. Low tide opens a whole new world, with views of the mountains of Acadia to the east and tide pools galore exposed – a true wonderland of nature to enjoy.
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