Park
Jordan Pond Carriage Road Trailhead
1 local recommends,
Location
Mount Desert, ME
Seal Harbor
Tips from locals
The Carriage Roads and stone bridges in Acadia National Park were financed and directed by philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., between 1913 and 1940, for hikers, bikers, horseback riders and carriages. The network includes 57 miles of woodland roads free of motor vehicles, of which 45 miles are within Acadia National Park . These allow seasonal cross-country skiing and limited snowmobiling. Twelve miles are on private land. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., was an experienced horseman who wanted to travel by horse and carriage on Mount Desert Island roadways without encountering motor driven vehicles. His father, John D. Rockefeller, Sr., had previously built carriage roads on his private estates in Ohio and New York. John, Jr., acquired a love for this same type of road building practice which enabled him to envision the construction of similar roads on Mount Desert Island. His family’s great wealth allowed him to do something about it. Throughout, John Jr. showed an excellent sense of landscape design by making sure that the roads flowed with the natural setting rather than re-shaping the land to accommodate. ohn D. Rockefeller, Jr., paid close attention to the smallest of details in the road’s construction as well as the landscaping. Native vegetation such as fern and wild blueberries was tastefully used throughout to landscape the roadside. By the time the project was finished, he not only had financed and supervised the roads, but 16 of the 17 stone faced bridges on the island that can be seen crossing streams, roads, waterfalls, and even a cliff side. There are many different access points on Mount Desert Island including Jordan Pond, the North side of Eagle Lake, Bubble Pond, the Hulls Cove Visitor Center, and more. Select Carriage Roads Map to see the network of roads on Mount Desert Island. acadiamagic.com/carriage-roads
The Carriage Roads and stone bridges in Acadia National Park were financed and directed by philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., between 1913 and 1940, for hikers, bikers, horseback riders and carriages. The network includes 57 miles of woodland roads free of motor vehicles, of which 45 miles are…