Hiker use of selected summits, trails, and trail intersections in Acadia National Park, 2014

Jacobi, Charles

From summary: "In 2014 volunteers counted hiker traffic on four less used summits and ridge runners counted at three intersections surrounding Sargent Mountain. Counts were made for three hours between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. between July and October. Trail counters were operated at two long-term monitoring sites on the Gorham Mountain and Triad Trails, with a third on the Otter Cove Trail for the month of October. The Parkman-Bald and Grandgent-Maple Spring intersections were modestly busy with 23.5 and 18.0 hikers per hour respectively. Many of these hikers are likely the same individuals as this is a common route to and from Sargent Mountain. At Parkman-Bald, the high rate may be the result of same hikers passing through the intersection a second time after climbing Parkman Mountain. The Birch Spring intersection is less used, having only 10 hikers per hour. The hiker traffic at the St. Sauveur Summit was 23 hikers per hour. It seems likely that many of these hikers are making the short loop out to Valley Peak for the views and are counted a second time passing by the summit, from which there is no view. North Bubble had about 20 hikers per hour, far less than its neighbor South Bubble. Connors Nubble had a surprising number of hikers – 12 per hour – for a peak that is accessed via a carriage road walk of a mile (or bike ride) from either direction, or via the Bubbles Trail or the less used Eagle Lake Trail. Kebo Mountain had a little over three hikers per hour. Ridgerunners observed 0.46 dogs off leash per hour of observation. This is very high compared to our previous data. Fifty-eight percent of dogs were observed on leash. Volunteers found better compliance with the leash law than ridgerunners, with 0.23 dogs off leash per hour and 67% of dogs on leash. At the Parkman Mountain – Bald Peak intersection, most hikers were coming from the Hadlock Brook Trail (nearly 50%) and going to the Parkman Mountain summit (nearly 57%). Fewer hikers were coming from or going to Bald Peak. At Birch Spring, most hikers were using the Sargent Mountain South Ridge Trail going north and south to Sargent Mountain and Cedar Swamp Mountain respectively, and the fewest were using the Amphitheatre Trail towards the Amphitheatre Bridge. At the Grandgent – Maple Spring Trail intersection, most hikers (more than 50%), came from Parkman Mountain and were going to Sargent Mountain. Most traffic over Connors Nubble is south to north and most traffic to and from North Bubble is from the south and the Bubble Divide Trail. Kebo Mountain traffic is slightly more from north to south and St. Sauveur Mountain traffic is slightly more from south to north. Between May 1 and October 31, 2014, the Gorham Mountain Trail counter recorded a traffic count of 57,933, which is similar to the previous four years but substantially above 2008 and 2009. August 2014 was the busiest August by a considerable amount for the second year in a row, with mean traffic of 698 +/- 56 and a total traffic count of 21,647. The busiest days were August 12, August 11, and July 29 with traffic counts of 1,082, 1,012, and 1,005 respectively. In contrast to the heavily used Gorham Mountain Trail, the Triad Trail counter recorded a count of 2,219 from May 21 – October 31, 2014, which was similar to previous years even with the late May start. Mean daily traffic in July and August was the same, 21 +/- 4, which is also similar to previous years. July 11, 2014 was the busiest day on the Triad Trail with traffic of 57. Based on the seven years of data, peak traffic volume is about 50 – 60 in July or August and the highest monthly mean daily use is about 20 - 25. The trail counter data suggests increasing use in most months for Gorham Mountain and some months for the Triad."

Hiker use of selected summits, trails, and trail intersections in Acadia National Park, 2014

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