Hiking To Bubble Rock In Acadia National Park

Bubble Rock Info:
Location: Acadia National Park
Miles: 1.13
Height: 766 feet
Elevation Gain: 315 feet
Type: Out & Back, Loop, Connector
Dog Friendly: Yes

Where To Park

Parking for Bubble Rock Trail is located along the Park Loop Road at Bubbles Parking Lot, around 1.5 miles north of Jordan Pond House and a mile South of Bubble Pond. You will see signs for it. It is located on the two way traffic section of Park Loop Road. The lot fills up quickly because like all good things in life, this one too has its limitations when it comes to availability so make sure you get your spot early!

Where Did Bubble Rock Come From

The origin of famous Bubble Rock has been speculated by geologists. Some say it arrived from it’s original location 20 miles away around Dedham Maine and some say it came from 40 miles away near Lucerne. Either way this glacial erratics came to its’ current location when the glaciers receded the area around 16,000 years ago. Estimates put the weight of the rock between 8 and 14 tons!

Can You Move This Behemoth?

This rock is a mystery! Try as you may to move it, but it just wont budge. An entire football team has tried to move this monster of a rock but to no avail. It seems that this rock with forever remained perched on it’s ledge high above the ground. 

The Trail To Bubble Rock

Bubble Rock is located on the trail to South Bubble. Perched on the Eastern edge of the summit to South Bubble located on a side trail. The trail to it is well marked so you won’t need to worry about missing it. 

To get there you will start at the Bubbles Divide Trail Head which cuts between North & South Bubble to the north end of Jordan Pond. After just over a quarter mile you will come to the trail junction of the Bubbles Trail and Bubble Divide. If you continue ahead the trail will lead you the summit of North Bubble. Making a left and hiking just a short distance you will come to another trail junctions. Heading straight will take you out to Jordan Pond Trail. Taking a left will out you on the South Bubble Trail and bring you to Bubble Rock. From the South Bubble summit you will take the short side trail to reach Bubble Rock. 

This is a well-maintained trail for an easy hike for the whole family. 

Bubble Rock Elevation

The elevation gain on the trail up to Bubble Rock will be fairly gradual. Remember to look out for the trail markers! The views of the surrounding area are impressive. Once you are finished staring in aw of Bubble Rock be sure to take in the surrounding views overlooking Jordan Pond. To your left you will see Pemetic Mountain peak at 1,247 feet and on your right will be Penobscot Mountain at 1,181 feet. 

The time it will take to hike to Bubble Rock will depend on which way you decide to go. We went the quickest way which took us about a hour. It can take upwards of two hours if you take the loop trail. We just did an out and back trip as we had to rush.

An Extra Adventure

For an extra adventure you can make this a loop trail and hit three mountain summits in route. At the first trail junction head right onto Jordan Pond Carry and then take your second left onto Eagle Lake Trail. After you follow most of the west side of the lake you will come to a trail junction that will lead you on a list less than a half mile hike up to the summit of Conners Nubble. Continue on for 0.8 miles to reach the top of North Bubble. Continue on down the trail to the junction for South Bubble and Bubble Rock. After you have conquered all three mountain tops and tried with all your might to get the large boulder called Bubble Rock to move, you can continue down South Bubble and take the Jordan Pond Carry Trail back to the Bubbles Divide Parking Lot. 

Bubble Rock is one of the most popular hikes in Acadia National Park so I suggest going first thing in the morning and if you can go on a weekday. We went mid morning on a weekend and had to wait for a parking spot. 

This trail was pet friendly. We hike with our older yellow lab and she did just fine. While this hike is beautiful I would highly recommend doing it in the fall during foliage season. Just be sure to use caution as the granite rocks can be slippery when they are wet. 

Check out Gorham Mountain for another pet and family friend hike.