Sam
What are the Carriage Roads?
A lot of people visiting Acadia have never heard of these ‘carriage roads’ before. But they are actually one of the parks best features.
Time for a little history lesson! Much of Acadia as we have it today was designed by a man named John D. Rockefeller Jr. His family had gained their wealth from Standard Oil. But Rockefeller Jr. decided to use his inheritance to be a philanthropist, rather than continuing the family business. When he first came to Mount Desert Island, he fell in love with the landscape and subsequently never left.
His own hobby was horse and carriage, and so he began building carriage roads in the 1910s for his own personal use. As the park was established and he started contributing more to Acadia, the mission of the carriage roads started to shift over time. His goal was to allow people to access nature and beautiful scenery whom elsewise wouldn’t be able to. Prior to the carriage roads, hiking was the only option for getting deep into nature, and that was very inaccessible for a lot of people. It quickly became a mission of making nature more accessible, and that is still the purpose it serves to this day.
We now have a total of 48 miles of carriage roads throughout the entire park that are accompanied by 16 beautifully crafted stone bridges, each one incredibly unique. The carriage roads are only open to bikers, hikers, and horses. To this day they still remain free of motor vehicles!
Exploring the Carriage Roads
The carriage roads can be a daunting task to take on. Especially with there being so many miles to explore and a wide range of difficulties throughout the trails. This guide is here to help you feel confident in your ability to tackle the carriage roads, and knowing which trails will suit you best. It is very easy to get in over your head when exploring the carriage roads, but I will make sure you feel well prepared for your adventure!
While bikers and hikers are allowed, this guide is mostly targeted towards those looking to bike the trails, as that is a majority of visitors. And more specifically targeted towards those on standard bikes, rather than electric bikes. However, these route suggestions are still applicable for hikers, e-bikers, and those on horseback as well.
Before we get started on which trails I recommend, here are some safety rules that you should definitely abide by on the carriage roads to keep yourself and every one else safe.
Rules of the Road:
- Stick to the right side. These roads are two way. If you venture into the left lane, there is no guarantee you won’t run someone over (or they won’t run over you). Keep everyone safe by staying in your lane.
- There is a 20 mph speed limit for all users. Especially for those on e-bikes, please don’t speed on the carriage roads. It can be dangerous for you and everyone else on the roads.
- Bicyclists must yield to all other users, and everyone yields to horses.
- Some of the carriage roads are on the Land & Garden Preserve, and area outside of the park that is technically private property. There is no biking allowed in this area, but there will be signs marking where you need to stop. Feel free to leave you bike behind and explore on foot though!
- For updated information regarding the carriage roads, make sure to check the NPS website where they will post any closures or maintenance plans in effect.
Biking Options:
- bring your own bike
- rent a bike
- rent an electric bike
Tips:
Most bike rental shops are in downtown Bar Harbor and do not deliver the bikes to the carriage roads in Acadia for you, so factor that into your biking plan.
Before you set out to the carriage roads, I highly suggest you have a paper copy of the carriage road map with you. It is very unlikely you will have service throughout your ride, and with so many interconnecting trails, it can get confusing very quickly. It is very common for people to get lost or take a wrong turn.
At each intersection sign post, you will see they are actually each numbered. It is significantly more helpful to follow the numbers at each intersection than the verbiage on the sign itself. This will help prevent you from taking wrong turns or feeling lost.
Be sure to bring plenty of water and snacks along on the ride with you. So many people end up dehydrated and hungry because they underestimated the carriage roads. It’s always better to be over-prepared.
There are 48 miles of carriage roads to explore, which can make planning the experience very daunting. But don’t stress, this guide is here to help you know which trails in the park are best suited for you and most worth your time.
Disclaimer: None of these trails are flat, so please do not expect an easy ride if you are not accustomed to riding in the mountains. Every trail will certainly require you to exert energy, rather than a casual ride.
Witch Hole Pond Loop
Estimated Time: 30 minutes – 1 hour
This loop is the perfect beginners loop, or even an easy warm-up! If you are one of the people that wants to enjoy the carriage roads, but is nervous at the idea since you aren’t an avid biker, then this trail is for you. Witch Hole Pond is 3.1 miles around, and if you have a car, you can actually park just across Duck brook bridge and access the carriage roads from there, adding nearly zero miles onto your journey. This trail is incredibly beautiful. And at intersection 2, you will get a stunning overlook of Witch Hole Pond with Cadillac Mountain in the background.
This is also a great loop to use as a warm-up, or simply to add a little bit of extra milage to your journey. With it being close to downtown Bar Harbor and the Hulls Cove Visitor Center, it makes it very accessible.
Eagle Lake Loop
Estimated Time: 1-2 Hrs
This loop is very family friendly. Much like Witch Hole Pond, it is one of the easier routes in the carriage road system. But with it being 5.8 miles around the entire lake, it takes a little while longer to complete. Eagle Lake has a few larger hills, so definitely get comfortable with your breaks and gears. And if at any point the hills become too much, don’t be afraid to get off and walk! There’s nothing wrong with that.
Eagle Lake is one of the most accessible trails for people as there is lots of parking at the entrance, as well as the shuttle drop-off. So regardless of where you are coming from, Eagle Lake is a stress-free place to access in the park.
I always suggest doing this trail in the counterclockwise direction. Based on the way the hills lay, it will make for the easiest and most enjoyable experience. Once you get a long hill out of the way in the first half, you can mostly coast for the remainder of your ride.
The Lakes Loop
Estimated Time: 2-3 hours
This loop is where is starts to get more difficult. The rolling hills are amped up and you’ll be putting in a lot more work going up hills. This is a really scenic trail and hits a lot of landmarks within the park. The trail goes by Eagle Lake, Jordan Pond, and Bubble Pond, all of which are stunningly beautiful and offer unique views.
This is a longer trail that allows you to explore more of the park without having to venture west towards the more mountainous areas, which is out of a lot of people’s comfort zones.
It is very common for people to combine this loop with the Eagle Lake Loop, which turns it into a larger loop around 12 miles in length. A great slow paced adventure, and still great for the whole family!
This is also a trail you will want to do counterclockwise to make the hills the easiest to manage. Going from Eagle Lake down to Jordan Pond in a large downhill section, and it would not be enjoyable to pedal up it.
Around the Mountain
Estimated Time: 2-4 Hours
The most difficult of all our trails, Around the Mountain is well worth the hard labor. Whether you are starting this trail from the north end or the south end, expect to climb a good amount of elevation. In either direction you will be pedaling around 800 ft up the mountains. But the fun part is you get to coast down the other side! If you are a proficient biker, this is a great challenge trail. This is the perfect trail for those on e-bikes as well, as it is very manageable with the assistance.
Personally I recommend doing this trail counterclockwise. While you will have to climb the shorter and steeper side of the mountain, you will be done with the hard parts sooner. And then you just enjoy the coast down the mountain.
When you are coasting make sure to keep in mind the 20 MPH speed limit as you come down the mountain. It is particularly windy, so you wanna be extra cautious to not swerve and potentially run into someone coming in the opposite direction or around the upcoming corner.
This trail is great to combine with the Lakes Loop or Eagle Lake Loop for an all day adventure that covers a ton of milage on the carriage roads.
These loops are each amazing on their own, but you can combine them in any manner that you please to get almost any milage possible.
Notable Bridges To Visit
Duck Brook Bridge:
This is one of the primary entrances to the carriage roads, especially if you are riding in from town. But it is also the largest of all the bridges that Rockefeller built throughout the National Park. And with Duck Brook running underneath the bridge, it is so serene and the perfect place to take in the true essence of the carriage roads in acadia!
Cobblestone bridge:
This bridge is technically on that privately owned land I had mentioned previously. No bikes are allowed on the trails, but you are welcome to leave your bike behind and walk on the trails. And fortunately, it’s not a far walk to this bridge either.
The Land & Garden Preserve is actually home to the first carriage roads ever built. This also includes the first bridge ever built, the cobblestone bridge. This is the only bridge of its kind in the park, as the rest are intricately carved granite stones.
Fun Fact: Rockefeller actually hated this bridge. He felt the cobblestones were unappealing and messy. Now its one of the most well loved bridges!
Waterfall bridge:
While the bridge itself has a beautiful arch, the center of attention here is the stunning waterfall right behind it. There are a lot of tiny waterfalls along the carriage roads in acadia, but this one is well worth the visit.
It is one of my favorite stops along all of the carriage roads, and well worth the hard work to get to! It is along the Around The Mountain Loop, but it can be accessed from the nearby Hadlock Ponds as well.
Learn More
If you are interested in learning more about the history of the carriage roads in Acadia, there is tons of information online, and more specifically on the NPS website.
