To start this loop trail, I used the southern access point which is the Schoodic/Beach Mountain Parking lot. (There are other options but I will explain why I would park here in the future later on. From Route 1 in Sullivan, you turn onto Route 183 and between 4-5 miles later you will see a road on the left called Schoodic Beach Road. There will be a nice Donnell Public Lands sign at the end of the road. Follow this road until you get to the 'Y" and the signs will have you veer left. The road will end at the spacious parking lot that also has a bathroom available.
I’d be lying if I said this was one of my favorites. However, shame on me for not researching this hike more before we hit the road. It was a semi last minute decision. We were not ready for this hike this early in the season but I am so proud of Brock for being the rock star that he is. I am so beyond proud of this guy. He even had a small splinter in his pad and hiked like a damn champ. If you use All Trails, this loop shows up at around 8.5 miles but you should plan on 11-12.
I added some mileage when we saw the Redman's beach turn off. The day had gotten a little hot and I wanted a nice spot to let Brock cool off. Luckily, I found a nice section for him to swim in about halfway to the beach area so we didn't add the extra mileage on. With the small turn off that we did, we still added about an additional mile to our trip.
If I were to venture this way again, I would do an out and back to the Black Mountain Cliffs and call it a day. This section had all of the views and would have been more enjoyable weather-wise earlier in the day. Temps reached close to 80 the day we went so by the time we got to the cliffs, I was annoyed, both of us were hot and I we were ready to just be back at the truck and done for the day.
If you’re interested in a long one with a ton of ups and downs and just a few views then this one is for you! One volunteer was out with the chainsaw taking care of blowdowns while we were out hiking so these trail systems are very well loved! You could also check out the nearby Tunk Mountain or leave from the same parking lot and just check out Schoodic Mountain and the Beach area.
Happy hiking!
-Amanda & Brock