Challenge Overview:
Move Free's Summit Showdown is an opportunity from June through September to embrace your inner mountain goat and get some vert on some iconic climbs around Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park!
Each month will feature a Strava segment of a summit climb on Mount Desert Island that participants are challenged to complete for some fun prizes!
The top five men and women for each segment during its corresponding month will be awarded prizes from local businesses, as well as the male and female "local legends" (the individuals who have completed the segment the most during that month regardless of pace or speed). We want to acknowledge that Strava does not currently have nonbinary leaderboards, but we welcome and encourage our nonbinary friends to participate, and will have prizes for any nonbinary participants (please reach out if you're participating)!
We will also have prizes for those that complete all four segments across all four months. Stay tuned for an update.
Our hope is we can inspire everyone to get out there and enjoy the mountains, and to find some inspiration to challenge themselves in whatever way that looks like to them! Who knows, you might just surprise yourself!
Tag us on Instagram (@movefreedesigns) and share your summit attempts and adventures!
The four segments (details and links below) are as follows:
June Segment: Dorr Mountain
July Segment: Champlain Mountain
August Segment: Beech Mountain
September Segment: Cadillac Mountain
Each month will feature a Strava segment of a summit climb on Mount Desert Island that participants are challenged to complete for some fun prizes!
The top five men and women for each segment during its corresponding month will be awarded prizes from local businesses, as well as the male and female "local legends" (the individuals who have completed the segment the most during that month regardless of pace or speed). We want to acknowledge that Strava does not currently have nonbinary leaderboards, but we welcome and encourage our nonbinary friends to participate, and will have prizes for any nonbinary participants (please reach out if you're participating)!
We will also have prizes for those that complete all four segments across all four months. Stay tuned for an update.
Our hope is we can inspire everyone to get out there and enjoy the mountains, and to find some inspiration to challenge themselves in whatever way that looks like to them! Who knows, you might just surprise yourself!
Tag us on Instagram (@movefreedesigns) and share your summit attempts and adventures!
The four segments (details and links below) are as follows:
June Segment: Dorr Mountain
July Segment: Champlain Mountain
August Segment: Beech Mountain
September Segment: Cadillac Mountain
Challenge Partners:
We are grateful for the support of several local businesses who are providing prizes for top participants! Please check out their sites below and pay them a visit! And please reach out if you represent a business that would like to get involved in the challenge!
June Segment:
Dorr Mountain
Distance: 1.71 miles
Vertical: 1,168 feet
June's Summit Showdown Strava segment takes participants up the east side of Dorr Mountain via the Emery and Schiff Path. Dorr Mountain, once know as Dry Mountain, reaches 1,270 feet in elevation, and was renamed after George Dorr, an American preservationist known as the "father of Acadia National Park." The Emery Path ascends the eastern face of Dorr Mountain and is said to be one of George Dorr's favorite trails.
The Emery Path starts just behind the Wild Garden of Acadia and the Sieur de Monts Nature Center. Its granite steps add to the uniqueness of the climb, and the views make the trail's steepness worth it. The Emery Path ascends for 0.5 miles and then connects with the Schiff Path for the next 0.9 mile climb to the summit of Dorr Mountain. The views just keep getting better the higher you climb, with the Tarn and Frenchman Bay boasting their beauty down below. Turn right where the Schiff Path intersects with the Ladder Trail on its way up to Dorr's summit. At the summit junction, be sue to turn left for 0.1 miles to reach the official summit marker.
Parking is available at the Wild Gardens of Acadia off of Main Street (Route 3) or the Park Loop Road. Make sure to stay on trail by following the blue blazes!
The Emery Path starts just behind the Wild Garden of Acadia and the Sieur de Monts Nature Center. Its granite steps add to the uniqueness of the climb, and the views make the trail's steepness worth it. The Emery Path ascends for 0.5 miles and then connects with the Schiff Path for the next 0.9 mile climb to the summit of Dorr Mountain. The views just keep getting better the higher you climb, with the Tarn and Frenchman Bay boasting their beauty down below. Turn right where the Schiff Path intersects with the Ladder Trail on its way up to Dorr's summit. At the summit junction, be sue to turn left for 0.1 miles to reach the official summit marker.
Parking is available at the Wild Gardens of Acadia off of Main Street (Route 3) or the Park Loop Road. Make sure to stay on trail by following the blue blazes!
Prizes: The top five men and women will receive gift cards to MDI Ice Cream (the gift cards are good for one ice cream!), and the male and female local legends of the Dorr segement will get their very own Move Free cap!
July Segment:
Champlain Mountain
Distance: 1.11 miles
Vertical: 990 feet
July's Summit Showdown Strava segment takes participants up the west side of Champlain Mountain via the Beachcroft Trail. Champlain Mountain reaches 1,058 feet of elevation, and is one of the most accessible trails from Bar Harbor, with several options for ascents, including the infamous Precipice Trail.
The Beachcroft Trail ascends the west face of Champlain Mountain and offers incredible views of Dorr Mountain and Cadillac Mountain in the distance. Its cut stone steps and exposed overlooks make this climb special. Huguenot Head marks the roughly halfway mark of your journey, and the steepest climbs are just around the bend, as you briefly descend into the trees before emerging on the granite ledges of the final ascent.
Parking is available right across the street from the segment start at the Tarn parking lot off of Main Street (Route 3). Make sure to stay on trail by following the blue blazes!
The Beachcroft Trail ascends the west face of Champlain Mountain and offers incredible views of Dorr Mountain and Cadillac Mountain in the distance. Its cut stone steps and exposed overlooks make this climb special. Huguenot Head marks the roughly halfway mark of your journey, and the steepest climbs are just around the bend, as you briefly descend into the trees before emerging on the granite ledges of the final ascent.
Parking is available right across the street from the segment start at the Tarn parking lot off of Main Street (Route 3). Make sure to stay on trail by following the blue blazes!
Prizes: TBD
August Segment:
Beech Mountain
Distance: 1.51 miles
Vertical: 866 feet
August's Summit Showdown Strava segment takes participants up the south ridge of Beech Mountain via the Valley Trail. Beech Mountain reaches 839 feet in elevation, and has stunning views of Echo Lake, well know for it's great swimming, and also features the iconic Beech Mountain fire lookout that was flown in and placed at the summit in 1962 as part of the "Operation Beech" project.
The Valley Trail begins at the southern end of the Beech Hill Road parking area, and weaves through the forest and past the Canada Cliff Trail junction. The trail continues through the "Grotto" section that is known for its steep cliff face on the right and numerous boulders, before turning right at the next junction on the Beech Mountain South Ridge Trail. Get ready for the views as the trail climbs its way to the summit and fire tower from here!
Parking is available at the end of Beech Hill Road. Make sure to stay on trail by following the blue blazes!
The Valley Trail begins at the southern end of the Beech Hill Road parking area, and weaves through the forest and past the Canada Cliff Trail junction. The trail continues through the "Grotto" section that is known for its steep cliff face on the right and numerous boulders, before turning right at the next junction on the Beech Mountain South Ridge Trail. Get ready for the views as the trail climbs its way to the summit and fire tower from here!
Parking is available at the end of Beech Hill Road. Make sure to stay on trail by following the blue blazes!
Prizes: Beech Hill Farm will be providing
September Segment:
Cadillac Mountain
Distance: 3.21 miles
Vertical: 1,503 feet
September's Summit Showdown Strava segment takes participants up the south ridge of Cadillac Mountain via the Cadillac South Ridge Trail. We saved the island's tallest peak as the final summit to culminate the challenge. Cadillac Mountain reaches 1,530 feet in elevation, and on many days of the year, features the first sunrise in the country, earning the mountain its Indigenous name "Wapuwoc" or "white mountain of the first light."
This climb starts relatively gradual, as the trail weaves through the forest, and then starts to find its steepness as you emerge onto the granite slabs and approach the final rocky ascent. The official summit marker is fairly well hidden and often missed by visitors of the peak, but lies in the rock right when the singletrack opens up in front of the Cadillac Mountain Gift Shop.
Parking is available alongside of Route 3, directly across the road from the entrance to the Blackwoods Campground right across the street from the segment start at the Tarn parking lot off of Main Street (Route 3). Make sure to stay on trail by following the blue blazes!
This climb starts relatively gradual, as the trail weaves through the forest, and then starts to find its steepness as you emerge onto the granite slabs and approach the final rocky ascent. The official summit marker is fairly well hidden and often missed by visitors of the peak, but lies in the rock right when the singletrack opens up in front of the Cadillac Mountain Gift Shop.
Parking is available alongside of Route 3, directly across the road from the entrance to the Blackwoods Campground right across the street from the segment start at the Tarn parking lot off of Main Street (Route 3). Make sure to stay on trail by following the blue blazes!
Prizes: TBD
Transportation and Parking Tips:
All of the segments have parking right near where they start. Participants should be sure to display there park pass in their car when they are driving to the trailheads. The morning and evening tend to be the quieter times of the day with less parking congestion. The fare free Island Explorer also features bus routes linking hotels, inns, and campgrounds with destinations in Acadia National Park and neighboring village centers around Mount Desert Island. The routes can be found here. Please be courteous of other trail users!
Nearby Resources:
In need of last minute gear? These local businesses have your back!
Cadillac Mountain Sports (Bar Harbor)
Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop (Bar Harbor)
Alpenglow Adventure Sports (Bar Harbor)
Acadia Outdoor Center (Seal Harbor)
Cadillac Mountain Sports (Bar Harbor)
Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop (Bar Harbor)
Alpenglow Adventure Sports (Bar Harbor)
Acadia Outdoor Center (Seal Harbor)
Any Questions?
Land Acknowledgment:
"You’re giving a piece of yourself to the land by engaging with it, by running on it and giving it your energy, giving it your time, giving it that space and acknowledgement.” Dinée Dorame, citizen of the Navajo Nation
Running on Native lands gives us all the opportunity to connect with and reflect on the history of the land and the communities who have lived here for centuries. The Wabanaki are a confederacy of tribes that include the Abenaki, Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Nations. The Wabanaki have been here, in their homeland, for thousands of generations. This includes Pesamkuk, this place we now call Mount Desert Island and Frenchman Bay.
We recognize and honor the current Tribes who comprise the Wabanaki Confederacy (the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Micmac peoples) as distinct, sovereign, legal and political entities with their own powers of self governance and self determination, who have stewarded this land throughout the generations. We respect the traditional values of these Tribes and affirm their inherent sovereignty in this territory. We support their efforts for land and water protection and restoration, and for cultural healing and recovery. We pause in remembrance of the Tribes of the Wabanaki Confederacy whose lives and land were taken through genocidal strategies of colonial settlement of this land. We pay respect to elders both past and present, and we commit to the ongoing work of decolonization in Maine and beyond. This land acknowledgement is just the start of the conversation and our work at Move Free. We are continuing to educate ourselves and learn about the ways we can help decolonize the outdoors.
Running on Native lands gives us all the opportunity to connect with and reflect on the history of the land and the communities who have lived here for centuries. The Wabanaki are a confederacy of tribes that include the Abenaki, Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Nations. The Wabanaki have been here, in their homeland, for thousands of generations. This includes Pesamkuk, this place we now call Mount Desert Island and Frenchman Bay.
We recognize and honor the current Tribes who comprise the Wabanaki Confederacy (the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Micmac peoples) as distinct, sovereign, legal and political entities with their own powers of self governance and self determination, who have stewarded this land throughout the generations. We respect the traditional values of these Tribes and affirm their inherent sovereignty in this territory. We support their efforts for land and water protection and restoration, and for cultural healing and recovery. We pause in remembrance of the Tribes of the Wabanaki Confederacy whose lives and land were taken through genocidal strategies of colonial settlement of this land. We pay respect to elders both past and present, and we commit to the ongoing work of decolonization in Maine and beyond. This land acknowledgement is just the start of the conversation and our work at Move Free. We are continuing to educate ourselves and learn about the ways we can help decolonize the outdoors.
Connection Through Community.
Move Free Run Club
Discover and Explore.
Move Free Running Retreats
In addition to Move Free Run Club's social group runs offered every week, we host multiple running retreats throughout the year for those looking for that extra adventure and immersive experience in Acadia National Park. All retreats are designed to accommodate various paces and abilities with multiple distance and elevation options offered. Engage in educational workshops, unwind with relaxing yoga sessions, and create lasting memories around evening campfires. Our retreats are about more than just running; they're about building community and finding inspiration in every step.
