Hiking and Biking

In addition to the walk out to the bar, the ocean path to Otter Cliffs, and the Carriage Roads, the park has many more strenuous hikes. One of the more popular is the Bubble Rock Trail, a moderate, mile-long ascent to the tippy boulder.

More harrowing is the aptly named Precipice Trail, the park’s most challenging trail, which climbs iron rungs and ladders to the top of Champlain Mountain. Plan for a whole day to hike up to the summit of Mount Cadillac. The four-mile North Ridge Trail climbs gradually with spectacular views of Frenchman Bay. The more difficult South Ridge Trail climbs for almost eight miles up the granite cliff-face.

The Bar Harbor Ferry (207/288-2984, www.barharborferry.com [1]) makes the trip to the tiny town of Winter Harbor in the Schoodic Peninsula section of the park (late Jun.–Aug.), where a 12-mile bike loop provides spectacular views of scenery and surf. You can rent a bike in Bar Harbor [2], or call the ferry to arrange a rental.

Acadia’s Carriage Roads

Worried that Mount Desert Island [3] would get destroyed by the introduction of automobiles, starting in 1913 John D. Rockefeller Jr. oversaw the building of a vast network of roads that would be closed to motorized traffic.

Today, the 57 miles of crushed-stone and paved roads are perfect for walking and biking. The roads curve gently through a forest of birch, beech, and maple trees, over hand-carved granite bridges and through tunnels and arches. A Carriage Road User’s Map is available from the Park Service, and bicycles can be rented in Bar Harbor [2] from Acadia Bike (48 Cottage St., 800/526-8615, www.acadiabike.com [4]).

If you’d rather see the roads the way they were meant to be seen, Carriages in the Park (Wildwood Stables, Park Loop Rd., 207/276-3622, $6–22) offers a range of tours in horse-drawn carriages, including tours of stone bridges, trips to Jordan Pond for popovers, and a sunset climb of Cadillac Mountain.