At the foot of the stone steps leading to Precipice Trail, a wayside exhibit entitled "Acadia's Enticing Trails" features an informational panel angled atop a stone pedestal.
The exhibit's title appears over an aerial view of Cadillac Mountain. The Cadillac South Ridge Trail winds along the ridge, past leafy trees and patches of bare ground.
Text invites visitors to "follow the footsteps of early trailblazers and European settlers on Acadia's extensive trail system. In the mid-1800s 'rusticators' came to the island and followed these routes through the woods, along the rocky coastline, and up the rugged mountains. Later wealthy summer residents built new trails and sponsored memorial paths - some with stone steps and iron-rung ladders up steep cliffs. In the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps enhanced the system leaving Acadia with 270 miles of trails. Today the park staff and volunteers maintain over 120 miles of trails."
Three inset photographs feature different paths:
The first photograph shows Kurt Diederich's Climb, 1915. "This steep, historic trail up Dorr Mountain features much of its original construction. One stone staircase includes 230 continuous steps!"
The second photograph shows Emery Path, 1916. This path "routes hikers through interesting rock formations and features. Evenly cut, steep, granite steps crisscross exposed ledges up the east face of Dorr Mountain.
The third photograph shows Perpendicular Trail, 1934. "Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps ... this trail boasts over 300 cut granite steps, allowing experienced hikers to ascend the steep slope of Mansell Mountain."
A quote: "The combination of exceptional craftsmanship and spectacular natural scenery make these trails some of the finest and most heavily used in the country." - Pathmakers Cultural Landscape Report, 2006.
