Carriage Trails
The carriage roads which lace through the mountains and valleys of Acadia National Park are an engineering feet. Not, perhaps, in the same line as the pyramids of Egypt, but these roads had to be designed to hold up in the wet weather of Maine – not an easy task. Originally designed by John D. Rockefeller so that he could travel to the interior of Mount Desert Island via horse and carriage, these roads today provide an excellent avenue on which to explore Acadia by auto, horseback, bicycle or on foot - hiking.
Construction on the carriage roads of Acadia National Park was a continual process lasting from 1913 until 1940. The construction took place under the direction of and personal supervision of John D. Rockefeller. Still, to this day, the carriage roads provide a historic avenue to picturesque views and vast vistas of the surrounding landscape. Although built as broken-stone roads, the road building technique most popular at the beginning of the 20th century, they are 16 feet wide, have three layers of rock and compliment the terrain over which they travel.
Broken-stone roads were constructed primarily with hand labor. The workers used Mount Desert Island granite for road material and in some of the bridges that were required. The sides of the roads were planted with blueberries and fern. The use of these native materials, both in the construction and final landscaping help the carriage roads blend into the surrounding area.
As the carriage roads approach their century mark, maintaining this extensive road system has become a priority. An ambitious undertaking from 1992 to 1995 resulted in the restoration of much of the system. Collaboration between a nonprofit organization, Friends of Acadia, and the Park Service, has resulted in the ongoing repair of the stone roads themselves, repair of the retaining walls along the carriage trails and the clearing of once overgrown vistas. These carriage roads are used today by automobiles, horseback riders, cyclists, and hikers. They are a useful pathway on which to tour Acadia.
Today, nearly 100 years later, this integrated road system of broken-stone remains a testament to John D. Rockefeller's vision and his attention to even the most minute detail.
