Although many of our adventures revolve around hiking or fishing, we also enjoy taking the bikes our for a spin too. The sunny summer weather during our recent trip to Acadia National inspired us to get out and explore the park in different way. And with 45 miles of carriage roads, we had a unique was to revel in nature up close.
What are the carriage roads?
Between 1913 and 1940, John D. Rockfeller, Jr., financed the construction of a system of rustic roads in Acadia National Park. His goal was to create a network of granite broke-stone roads for horseback riders and horse-drawn carriages on the island. This would provide them with a tranquil place away from the noise and pollution of early 20th century cars.
Today the carriage roads are mostly used for walking, biking, and horses in the summer, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. The roads are still closed to motorized vehicle traffic, so they provide a safe place away from all the distracted drivers focused on the nearby ocean views.
From late June through Columbus Day, you can take the free Island Explorer shuttle from the Visitor Center to the carriage roads to get out and explore them. Or you might get lucky, and find a spot in one of the small parking areas in the park. Either way, the carriage roads are a great way to see the lakes in the center of Mount Desert Island.
Exploring the trails
We started our biking excursion on the north end of Eagle Lake. From our entrance point, we were immediately treated us to a view of one of the 17 hand crafted stone bridges constructed on the carriage roads. Each bridge is a unique work of art that blends seamlessly into the surrounding landscape with blocks of native stone.
Stone bridge
Riding the 5.8 mile loop circling around the Eagle Lake isn’t hard, but I was surprised a little by the topography. I’d read that Mr. Rockefeller carefully designed the roads so they weren’t too steep or sharply curved and could to accommodate the horse-drawn carriages. However, this doesn’t mean the roads are completely flat.
My expectations that this would be a leisurely afternoon ride around a lake were quickly dashed. The southern part of the loop steadily climbed up for a solid mile over the terrain. My legs were still a little tired from the previous day’s hike in Acadia, so I really had to work those smaller gears to get up this section of our route.
After completing the Eagle Lake loop, we rode north around the Witch Hole pond. This 5.5 mile loop took us past ponds covered with lily pads and lotus flowers. While a little bit flatter than the Eagle Lake loop, there’s still at least one good hill along the route. And you’ll get to see another one of the stone-faces bridges.
Lilypads
Finding your way
We planned ahead to design a route that made loops around these two lakes. But there’s so many combinations and different routes you can take. It all just depends on how far you want to ride and what part of the island you want to explore.
We only explored a small fraction of the possible routes out there. More adventurous cyclists could probably stay out there all day wandering and exploring. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure method to seeing Mt. Desert Island.
If you don’t want to carry a map with you, don’t worry. It’s pretty hard to get lost out there on the carriage roads. Each intersection we came to was clearly marked with one of the historic cedar signposts developed to direct the carriage drivers to their destinations. There were also enough fellow cyclists on the roads to help you out, so you’re bound to find your way to wherever you’re headed.
So easy to follow it’s ridiculous
The verdict
So how do the carriage roads rate in my book?
Honestly, I love hiking far more than riding a bike. And Acacia has more than enough hikes to keep me occupied for weeks. But, there definitely is some benefit to being able to see more than 10 miles of lake views in a mere hour outdoors. So, for those who aren’t as into hiking as me, this is definitely a great way to see Acadia’s beauty.