Acadia National Park

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ACADIA NATIONAL PARK CRUISE

The Best Bike Rides in New England

Paul Thomas – Edited by Paul Angiolillo

Local bike club members look forward eagerly to each year’s first tour of the carriage paths lacing Acadia National Park, on Maine’s famous Mount Desert Island. These dirt roads, winding through the island’s interior forests and skirting its lakes and mountains, afford spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean and are one of Acadia’s unique features. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., financed and directed their construction between 1917 and 1933. The roads are superbly built, with gentle grades, stone culverts, and retaining walls. They cross sixteen stone bridges, each one individually and gracefully designed. Altogether the park boasts 170 miles of trails and bridle and carriage paths (some just for hiking).

This is as beautiful and unusual a tour on a sunny afternoon in August as it is on a dark and dripping early morning in April, when Acadia’s forests and mountains take on an isolated magnificence most tourists miss. Highlights include spruce-framed views of Somes Sound and a dramatic passage along a ridge between Jordan Pond and the Penobscot Mountain.

The Acadia National Park Cruise covers nearly 30 miles of trails that are navigable by a bike with wide tires—either a mountain or a hybrid bike is highly preferable. Although these broad paths are even and packed, there are some loose spots. So take it easy, especially on downhill runs, and share the roads amicably with walkers and horseback riders. The maze of carriage roads can be confusing at some junctions; you may want to request a map at the visitor center to supplement the one included here. If you want more exercise—and a great view—try climbing Cadillac Mountain.

The Basics

Start: There are several parking areas in the park. One is at the north end of the lot at the Acadia National Park Visitor Center, on Route 3 just north of Bar Harbor. (The center itself is open from mid-June through August.

Length: 26 miles, in three interconnecting shorter loops.

Terrain: Hard-packed gravel and dirt roads, graded for bicycles. Several long but gradual climbs and descents.

Food: Be sure to pack a picnic lunch to enjoy at any of the numerous scenic spots. This is an energetic ride, and you should plan on devoting four to six hours to the tour. The ride passes Jordan Pond House, a sit-down restaurant operated by the National Park Service, at about 17 miles.

Traffic / Safety: You will share these carriage roads with many walkers and occasional horseback riders. A bell is useful. A few places in the roads have soft, sandy shoulders. Stay in control of your bike at all times.

Miles and Directions:

0.0	Note: The numbers in parentheses in these directions correspond to the numbers on signposts at the actual intersections in the park. Follow the path away from the parking lot for half a mile to the end. This is uphill, with some steep pitches. But don’t get discouraged; this is the worse hill on the ride.
0.5	Left for nine-tenths of a mile to the first left. There is a nice view from the top of the hill, with Frenchman Bay in the distance. (1)
1.4	Left, following the sign for Bar Harbor, Eagle Lake, and Duck Brook. Go 1 mile to the next road on the left, which crosses a stone bridge high above a brook. (3)
2.4	Bear right and continue for 1 mile to a fork. (5)
3.4	Bear left, following the sign for Eagle Lake and Seal Harbor, and continue to a stone bridge underpass. (4)
4.5	After passing beneath the stone bridge, continue straight to a small road on the right. (9)
6.8	Turn right and ride to T intersection. (8)
7.0	Turn right at T and stay straight, following the sign for around mt., and ride 3 miles to the next turn. This path climbs steadily for about 2 miles. There are many beautiful views along the way, including one of Somes Sound. Enjoy the long descent. (10)
10.7	Turn right and continue to the next fork. (12)
11.0	Bear left toward Haddock Pond. (13)
12.5	Turn left for just a short distance, (18) then take the next right. (19)
13.6	Turn right and go to an intersection with signs indicating the road to right is off limits to bikes. (20)
14.9	Turn left and go sharply uphill for six-tenths of a mile. (22)
15.5	Take a sharp right, following the sign for Jordan Pond House, and continue to the next intersection. (21)
16.8	Turn left, riding to the crossroads at Eagle Lake. This road passes high above Jordan Pond to the right and beneath the cliffs of Penobscot Mt. on the left. You may want to visit the Jordan Pond House, a short distance to the right, before making this turn. (14)
19.3	Turn right. (10)
19.5	Turn right and follow the broad road around Eagle Lake, returning to the stone bridge underpass you passed through earlier. (8)
21.3	Bear left. (7)
23.3	Pass beneath the bridge and continue to a T. (6)
24.4	Turn left, following the sign for Witch Hole Pond on Paradise Hill. (4)
25.4	Keep left, following signs for Paradise Hill and Hulls Cove, until you reach a narrow path on the left. (2)
25.6	Turn left for the final descent to the visitor center parking lot. (1)
26.1	Return to visitor center.

TAKEN FROM

The Best Bike Rides in New England, written by Paul Thomas

Published by

The Globe Pequot Press
P.O. Box 833
Old Saybrook, Connecticut 06475

This company has published a number of other biking books. Check out your local bookstore or contact them for availability.