Maine’s Uphill Enigma: You Won’t Believe Which Road is the Steepest

I wish Maine had the peaks and valleys other places do.

There are a few decent sized mountains in Maine. Of course there's Katahdin, but there's also all the ski mountains. But even then, we don't have the kind of height that you'll find out in the Rockies or whatnot. Even our neighbors to the west in New Hampshire, Mt. Washington still doesn't reach the height of some of the western peaks.

On the other hand, I was driving in San Francisco a while back, and was thinking how some of the hills in the city rival spots in Maine that we'd go climb, like maybe Bradbury Mountain in Pownal or Chick Hill in Clifton. But where's the steepest place you can drive in Maine? the answer kind of surprised me.

Chances are you've already driven up this hill 100 times.

I suppose you could find what initially feels like a steeper hill in Maine, but it ultimately won't bring you to the elevation this road does. By the time you get to the top of this spot, you're nearly 500ft above sea level. Other hills may have a steeper grade, but none will take you higher than this one does.

Of course, we're talking about the road up to the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. Once you're done the 3.5 mile drive to the top, you're officially at the top of the tallest spot in Maine that you can drive a car up. Sure, it doesn't hold a candle to the height of Mt Washington, but the views are the pure beauty of Maine's coast.

Now, as cool as it is to drive up Mt. Washington, I hope no one ever does anything like to our beloved Katahdin. While it really would be a fun trip, I'd hate to displace the beautiful peace and quiet that area has to offer. So yeah, I'll just keep going up Cadillac for now. Sounds like the more fun thing to do...

Now you know the steepest road in Maine, what's the longest?