Acadia National Park offers something you won’t find in many national parks: 45 miles of historic, car-free carriage roads made for exploring at a slower pace. Winding through forests, around glassy ponds, beneath granite bridges, and along mountain slopes, Acadia’s carriage roads present a quieter side of Mount Desert Island. Explore by bike, on foot, or even by horse-drawn carriage, using this guide to choose your route, navigate the carriage road system, and plan your adventure from a stay nearby at Under Canvas Acadia.
About Acadia’s Carriage Roads
Acadia’s carriage roads were the vision of philanthropist and horseman John D. Rockefeller Jr., who wanted to travel across Mount Desert Island without automobiles. Built between 1913 and 1940, the 45-mile network was designed to work with the natural landscape to showcase Acadia’s forests, lakes, mountains, and coastline. Today, walkers, runners, cyclists, equestrians, and horse-drawn carriages share the car-free roads for a scenic, historic way to experience the park.
Ways to Enjoy Acadia’s Carriage Roads
Choose a scenic stretch for a leisurely morning walk, spend a few hours cycling between lakes, or take a step back in time on a horse-drawn carriage ride. Along the way, keep an eye out for birds and see how many of Acadia’s 17 historic stone bridges you can spot.
Bike the Carriage Roads
For biking in Acadia National Park, the carriage roads are hard to beat. Their crushed-stone surface and interconnected network make it easy to choose anything from a relaxed ride to a longer route with more elevation gain. Don’t have your own wheels? Acadia bike rentals are available around Bar Harbor, and Under Canvas guests can also explore guided biking experiences through the camp’s Adventure Concierge.
Hike the Carriage Roads
If you’d rather explore on foot, Acadia’s carriage roads offer spacious, relatively even routes through scenery that might otherwise require more challenging hiking. Many segments intersect with Acadia’s popular hiking trails, including Jordan Pond, Eagle Lake, Bubble Pond, and Sargent Mountain, making it easy to combine a carriage road walk with an off-road hike.
Take a Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride
Experience the roads as Rockefeller originally envisioned them. Seasonal horse-drawn carriage tours depart from Wildwood Stables near Jordan Pond inside the park for a relaxed way to experience Acadia’s forests and historic roads without the effort of pedaling or hiking.
Go Birding on the Carriage Roads
Bring binoculars along with your bike helmet or hiking shoes. The carriage roads pass through wetlands, mixed forests, ponds, and other bird habitats. Witch Hole Pond and Aunt Betty Pond are particularly rewarding areas for spotting and listening for warblers, sparrows, flycatchers, and other bird species inside the park.
Scenic Routes on Acadia’s Carriage Roads
There’s no single “best” route through Acadia’s carriage roads. Your perfect ride or walk depends on how far you want to go, how much climbing you’re up for, and what you want to see. The park has eight named carriage road loops, ranging from just over four miles to more than 11 miles.
Jordan Pond Loop
The 8.6-mile Jordan Pond Loop is a classic starting point, passing the storybook Jordan Pond Gatehouse, built in 1932 as an entrance to the carriage road system. From there, the route traces Jordan Pond and connects with Day Mountain, Bubble Pond, and the southern edge of Eagle Lake, with four historic bridges and easy access to the Jordan Pond House for delicious popovers.
Hadlock Loop
The 4.2-mile Hadlock Loop is the shortest, but don’t let the distance fool you since it includes a significant climb and descent. The route crosses Hadlock Brook, Hemlock, and Waterfall bridges, making it a scenic choice for a shorter outing.
Amphitheater Loop
The 4.4-mile Amphitheater Loop packs plenty of scenery into a relatively short route, with rolling terrain and four historic bridges, including Amphitheater, Cliffside, and Little Harbor Brook bridges. Expect several climbs and descents along the way.
Witch Hole Pond Loop
For a gentler adventure, try the 4.7-mile Witch Hole Pond Loop, which winds past several ponds, wetlands, and Duck Brook Bridge with its small cascading waterfall. The wetland habitat also makes this one of Acadia’s best carriage road routes for birdwatching.
Day Mountain Loop
The 5.3-mile Day Mountain Loop begins near Wildwood Stables and is a popular place to see horse-drawn carriages. Look for the Triad-Day Mountain Bridge along the route, or add another three miles round trip to climb the carriage road to Day Mountain.
Eagle Lake Loop
The 5.9-mile Eagle Lake Loop circles one of Acadia’s largest lakes, pairing beautiful water and mountain views with a mix of easy stretches and climbing. Along the way, the route passes beneath Eagle Lake Bridge and connects with other carriage roads for those who want to extend the adventure.
Tri-Lakes Loop
Want to see three of Acadia’s lakes in one route? The 10.9-mile Tri-Lakes Loop connects Eagle Lake, Bubble Pond, and Jordan Pond, crossing five historic carriage road bridges along the way.
Around Mountain Loop
At 11.3 miles, the Around Mountain Loop is the longest of the eight carriage road loops and one of the more challenging, winding around several of Acadia’s mountains with significant climbs and descents. It also crosses seven historic bridges, including Waterfall, Hemlock, Chasm Brook, and Amphitheater bridges.
Maps of Acadia’s Carriage Roads
With dozens of connecting routes, an Acadia carriage road map comes in handy. The National Park Service’s official Carriage Road User’s Map marks numbered intersections, distances, bridges, parking areas, restrooms, bus stops, and connections to hiking trails. Download a copy before heading out, and consider carrying an offline or paper version, too. The numbered wooden signposts along the roads correspond with the map. You can always talk through your plans at the information desk inside Acadia’s Hulls Cove Visitor Center, chat with the on-site Guest Experience Coordinator at Under Canvas Acadia, or book a guided adventure.
Tips for Exploring Acadia’s Carriage Roads
- Park entry: You need an Acadia National Park entrance pass to use the carriage roads. If you plan to visit multiple national parks within a year, consider an America the Beautiful pass.
- When to go: Carriage roads are open year-round but may close during spring thaw. Late spring through fall is great for biking and walking, with autumn adding brilliant fall colors, and winter brings opportunities for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
- Reserve equipment: Book bike rentals early for busy summer and fall weekends. If renting an e-bike, make sure it’s Class 1 and permitted on the carriage roads.
- Follow carriage road etiquette: Stay right, announce yourself before passing, and remember that cyclists yield to all other users while pedestrians yield to horses.
- What to bring: Pack water, snacks, sun protection, layers, and a map. Maine law requires helmets for cyclists under age 16. See our seasonal Acadia packing list for more.
- Know before you go: Weather, maintenance, and seasonal conditions can affect access, so check current National Park Service alerts before heading out.
Where to Stay Near Acadia National Park
After a day spent biking beneath stone bridges and wandering beside serene ponds, return to the comforts of Under Canvas Acadia. Set on 100 acres of waterfront property near Acadia National Park, this camp pairs immersive outdoor adventure with upscale, safari-inspired accommodations and more than 1,200 feet of Maine coastline. Spend your days exploring Acadia’s carriage roads, Cadillac Mountain, and charming coastal towns, then return for dinner, waterfront views, and nightly s’mores around the campfire. When the stars come out, settle into your tent and rest up for whatever Maine adventure comes next.
For more inspiration, check out the best photo spots in Acadia National Park.