Acadia National Park guide · 2 min read
Rockefeller's Carriage Roads and Stone Bridges
Forty-five miles of car-free, broken-stone roads curve through the interior of Mount Desert Island.
John D. Rockefeller Jr., a skilled horseman, wanted a way to reach the island's interior by horse-drawn carriage, free of motor traffic, and he and his family gave these roads to the park. Construction ran from 1913 to 1940. Of all the broken-stone carriage roads that were once common in the United States, this is considered the finest and most extensive network.
The roads are about 16 feet wide. They were laid out to follow the contours of the land, spare trees and keep hillsides intact while opening up long views. Granite coping stones line the edges as guardrails, earning the nickname "Rockefeller's teeth." Gate lodges mark entrances to the system, and historic wooden directional posts at intersections carry numbers that match the carriage road map.
Seventeen historic stone-faced bridges lift the roads across cliff sides, waterfalls, streams and motor roads, and Rockefeller paid for sixteen of them. No two share a design. Beneath the native stone facing is steel-reinforced concrete. As the stone cutters gained skill, Rockefeller frequently urged them to leave the facing a little rough so the bridges kept their rustic character. Deer Brook Bridge is one of the historic spans along the network.
The crushed rock surfaces make for long, steady bike rides, on your own bicycle or one rented from a local outfitter. Horses have the right of way over all other users, and cyclists give way to walkers and riders alike. Class 1 electric bikes are allowed, but classes 2 and 3 are not, and the speed limit for any bicycle is 20 miles per hour.
Hikers and walkers use the roads too, and most of the network is open to horses. You can take a carriage ride with Wildwood Stables or bring a horse of your own. A carriage road map shows where horses are allowed.
