Hike – St. Sauveur Mountain, Valley Peak (St. Sauveur Trail, Valley Peak Trail, East Face Trail, Man O’War Brook Fire Road)

Somes Sound as seen from St. Sauveur Mountain

How would you like to get away from some of the crowds in Acadia National Park, but still do a hike that gives you great views?  The “quiet side” (west side) of Mount Desert Island features several hikes like this.  Today’s post is about hiking the trails on St. Sauveur Mountain.  It can be done from two different starting points and I will describe both.  Each is a loop hike, so only one vehicle is needed.

Directions for northwest (Acadia Mountain) trailhead – When first coming onto the island, bear right onto Route 102 instead of staying on Route 3 to go to Bar Harbor.  Stay on this road for several miles, passing through Somesville.  Echo Lake will appear on your right.  Approximately two thirds of the way down the length of the lake you will see a sign for Acadia Mountain parking.  It will be on the right, between the highway and the lake.  There is room for several cars here.  There is a bathroom, but no drinking water.  [Note: if you wish to do the shorter, but steeper loop hike from the southeast (Flying Mountain) trailhead please see that section lower in this post.]

The trailhead is across the highway from the parking area, so make sure to cross with care.  In only a tenth of a mile of moderate rise you will come to a split in the trail.  Heading left would take you up Acadia Mountain.  (You can read my post on hiking that here.)  Bear right for St. Sauveur Mountain. 

The trail rises gradually and easily for about a half a mile as you reach a minor hump.  Look behind you for a view of Echo Lake.  There are also a couple of interesting boulders here, as if some giant’s child had left his toy shapes behind.

Echo Lake as seen from the St. Sauveur Trail

Boulders on the St. Sauveur Trail

Continuing from here, the trail has a series of small ups and downs for a couple of tenths of a mile as you make your way towards St. Sauveur.  The trail starts to rise and you will come to a trail junction with the no-longer-maintained Ledges Trail.  Although closed, it is not physically blocked off and people apparently still use the trail as an alternate route up St. Sauveur.  In fact, there is still a parking area for the Ledges trailhead about a half a mile past where you parked for this hike.

Continue up past this trail junction the final few tenths of a mile, rising easily until you reach the signpost for the summit.  There are no views of the water from here, so continue over the summit for a tenth of a mile to a trail junction.  This junction is the northern end of the .8 mile loop trail to Valley Peak and back.  (Valley Peak is not a separate mountain, but a lower summit on St. Sauveur.)  This loop is the Valley Peak Trail.  You can take either side of the loop.  I chose the left.

In about a tenth of a mile you come to another trail junction.  Heading to the left will take you down the northeast side of St. Sauveur.  This was also named the Valley Peak Trail on the signpost, but I have seen it called the East Face Trail on some maps.  Save this for later and bear right on Valley Peak Trail.  The trail drops gently.  You will have periodic views of Somes Sound (the only fjord in eastern North America) and the Cranberry Islands.

The Cranberry Islands as seen from just south of the St. Sauveur peak

In only a few tenths of a mile you will come to the wide open views from Valley Peak.  There are some steep dropoffs here, so be careful when you approach the edge.

Looking south from Valley Peak

Looking southeast at the Cranberry Islands and Northeast Harbor from Valley Peak

Looking down over Flying Mountain from Valley Peak

Looking down over the edge of Valley Peak

When you are done taking in the views, continue along the trail to another junction.  This is where the trail (also named Valley Peak Trail on the signposts) from the Flying Mountain trailhead comes in.  More on that lower in this post.  For now bear right to head back up four tenths of a mile and 150 feet of elevation to the trail junction you started the Valley Peak loop at.

Once again continue around the loop to the next very close trail junction.  (You originally bore left coming down off St. Sauveur to get to it.  Since you are now coming up St. Sauveur you need to bear right to reach it.)  At this trail junction you should now bear left onto Valley Peak Trail (East Face Trail on some maps) to head down the northeast side of St. Sauveur.

This trail is steeper than any of the others you have been on so far.  I had to watch my footing on some tilting ledge and use my hands in a couple of places to help myself down over a slightly bigger drop than usual.  There are still some views of Somes Sound from this trail as you descend.

Looking over Somes Sound from St. Sauveur's east face

The Cranberry Islands as seen from the east face of St. Sauveur

Flying Mountain as seen from the east face of St. Sauveur

I met a young couple from Switzerland coming up this trail – the first people I had seen to that point.  I offered some tips on the trails they were going to and then we all went our separate ways.  This part of Valley Peak Trail (aka East Face Trail) comes to an end at a large trail junction.

Four trails meet here: behind you is the one you just came down; to the right is the Valley Cove Trail, which was closed at this time of year because of nesting peregrine falcons; straight across is the Acadia Mountain Trail, which traverses Acadia Mountain; and to the left is the Man O’War Brook fire road.  For a full description of traversing Acadia Mountain, as well as hiking the Valley Cove trail, you can read my post here.  In addition, the waterfall at the end of Man O’War Brook is close by and that other post also has descriptions on how to get to it and a photo of it.

For now take the leftmost trail for the Man O’War Brook fire road and walk about one mile back to near where you parked.  This is a wide dirt road that rises gently away from the water for several tenths of a mile, and then descends slightly for the final tenth until you come to where the Acadia Mountain Trail crosses it.  Turn left onto this trail.  In two tenths of a mile you will come to the very first trail junction you encountered on this hike.  Turn right and head down a short distance to the highway, and then carefully cross over it back to your vehicle.

Directions for southeast (Flying Mountain) trailhead – When first coming onto the island, bear right onto Route 102 instead of staying on Route 3 to go to Bar Harbor.  Stay on this road for several miles, passing through Somesville.  You will pass by Echo Lake on the right.  After you pass by the Southwest Harbor grocery store on the left look for Fernald Point Road on the left.  There will be a sign for the Causeway Club golf course also at the end of this road.  Turn left onto it and drive all the way to the end.  There will be a parking area on the left.  There is room for a dozen or so cars here.  There is no bathroom or drinking water.  [Note: if you wish to do the longer, but easier loop hike from the northwest (Acadia Mountain) trailhead please see that section higher in this post.]

From where you entered this parking area the trail to head up Flying Mountain is to the right.  You can read about hiking that in my post here.  For now walk to the back of the parking area onto Valley Cove fire road.  In about a tenth of a mile you will come to the Valley Peak trailhead for St. Sauveur on the left. 

There are lots of rocks and roots on this trail, which means plenty of opportunities to turn an ankle, especially on the way down.  The bottom section looks like a dry stream bed.  This ascent up Valley Peak rises moderately and steadily.  It was not quite as steep as I had thought it would be from another person’s description.  There are no views until you get near the top of Valley Peak.

View from just south of Valley Peak

In four tenths of a mile you will come to a trail junction for the .8 mile long loop trail from Valley Peak to the summit of St. Sauveur Mountain and back.  You can hike it either way.  If you want views now then bear right and in a short distance you will come to the open ledge of Valley Peak.

View from Valley Peak looking towards the southeast



When you are done taking in the views, continue up this trail until you reach a junction. (Note: for photos from this part of the hike please see the corresponding section in the hike above.)   Bear left to continue counterclockwise around this loop.  In about a tenth of a mile you will come to another junction.  If you want to summit St. Sauveur then bear right, and hike one tenth of a mile to the summit marker.  There are no views here.  Turn around and come back to this junction.  After completing the side hike to the summit, or if you choose to skip it, bear left to continue counterclockwise on the loop. 

The trail descends through trees on this section and there are no real views.  You will complete the loop when you come back to the first trail junction you came up at.  If you want one more look from Valley Peak then head the same couple hundred feet you did before.  If not then head back down the trail you came up.  Watch those roots and rocks coming down.  When you reach the fire road bear right and walk back out to where you parked.

Loop hike from Acadia Mountain parking:

Cumulative distance:             4.0 miles round trip

Cumulative elevation gain:   650 feet

Cumulative duration:            2.5 – 3 hours (including time for photos)

Loop hike from Flying Mountain parking:

Cumulative distance:             1.8 miles round trip

Cumulative elevation gain:   700 feet

Cumulative duration:            1.5 hours (including time for photos)