ABANDONED BASS HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE TRAIL

I stumbled upon the Bass Harbor Lighthouse Path one day, it may of been a hand drawn map, in a book at the College of the Atlantic, it showed a path running from the Bass Harbor Lighthouse to the mouth of Ship Harbor, on the side where there is no official path.  Not far away the path continued on, for the most part following the edge of the harbor, but running through sections of woods in a few places.  The trail crossed one brook, then a second, following that brook a short ways before making its way to the current Ship Harbor Nature Trail.  It took me some time to find all the sections of the trail, but I will begin at the Bass Harbor Parking lot.

BASS HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE - BASS HARBOR MAINE - Acadia National Park

At the parking lot there are two trails, many visitors to the lighthouse either see one or the other, few see both because they begin at either end of the parking lot.  The one to the far right leads down a paved path, with a wooden fence along it.  Half way along that path is a small gate with a small field, on the other end of the field, in the woods is one access point of the Lighthouse Keepers Trail, see that blog for more on that path.
To the far left of the parking lot is a restroom, with a dirt path running past the restroom that turns hard right and leads to a long steep wooden stairway which leads to a path below the lighthouse, close to the waters edge.  From there you can look up and see the lighthouse perched on the edge of a cliff, it makes for a great photo.
About six feet before the wooden steps there is a well worn path just inside the woods, that is the start of the Bass Harbor Lighthouse Trail, and the beginning of the trail is usually has tree branches tossed over it to conceal it, this is an abandoned trail and not marked or maintained.

95% of this trail keeps the ocean in sight from the trail, and the trail is fairly easy to follow.  It makes its way to a small hill, on the other side of the hill the path continues along the ocean, with many places where you can step out onto cliffs and get spectacular photos of the ocean and passing vessels.  The path continues onward until you reach a very high cliff with a stone beach below, this beach is known as Whistlers Beach. The beach got its name because a local man constructed his own private path from his back door to the beach.  Maybe it is because that activity in itself is illegal, or he just wanted people to scatter as he walked his private path, but he would whistle as he walked his path to the beach, then whistle as he left and made his way back home, thus his name, Whistler.
Whistlers Path is at the very top of that high cliff, but others who live on a dirt road outside the park also travel along Whistlers path, some walking their dogs or taking their kids to the beach.  People in Bass Harbor also walk, some with dogs or kids, along the Bass Harbor Trail from the Lighthouse end, the path is well known among the locals.

From the beach the path continues on toward the mouth of Ship Harbor, passing along an area where nice pieces of drift wood often washes up along the shore, in one area sections of an enitre dock lie in ruins, ripped from where it was during a storm and tossed up along the side of the Lighthouse Trail.  The trail finally comes out at the mouth of Ship Harbor, on the opposite side and directly across from the Ship Harbor Nature Trail.  I would often set here on the rocks and visitors on the other side would look across and wonder how I got to where I was.  Moving back the way you came, but not too far, there is a hidden section of the trail that runs through a section of woods before once again coming out near the shore of Ship Harbor.  It makes its way along the edge until it crosses a brook, from here you have two choices, simply follow the open edge of the woods to the second brook, or look for the path just inside the trees, it stays within the tree line but within view of the harbor and leads to the second brook.  At the second broon follow the side of the brook to route 102 A, go right and the Ship Harbor Nature Trail is right there around the corner.

BASS HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

This is an abandoned trail which over the years has had a lot of Trail Phantom activity, thus it should be obvious it is paroled by Ridge Runners and MONITORED  by the Park Service.  Always assume the woods have eyes...