If you want to experience the true Acadia - not from behind a windshield, but up close and in person - steer a two-wheeler onto the Park Loop Road or the historic carriage roads, built in the early 1900s by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Another pleasant option is biking around Schoodic Peninsula.
Bicycling in Acadia National Park is not about setting new speed records, as there is much natural beauty one would miss. We ask that you use common sense and common courtesy.
Resource Sensitive
Rules of the Road
LEAVE YOUR CAR BEHIND. Ride your bicycle to the carriage roads, trailheads and other park destinations to relieve traffic congestion and reduce pollution. Parking is limited in Acadia. Carriage roads are only a 15-minute ride from Bar Harbor via the West Street Extension and Duck Brook Road.
RIDE ON THE RIGHT on carriage roads, no more than two abreast. When passing, ride single file on the left. When being passed, ride single file on the right.
RIDE IN DESIGNATED AREAS ONLY. All hiking trails in Acadia are closed to bikes. Some privately owned sections of the carriage roads are also off limits. Please respect closure signs, as failure to do so may further jeopardize biking access.
CONTROL BICYCLE SPEED. The carriage roads are heavily used during the summer, and inattention for even a second can spell disaster.
Anticipate that other users may be around corners. Children, horses and dogs can be unpredictable, and horses are easily spooked.
ALWAYS YIELD TO HIKERS, EQUESTRIANS AND HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES. When passing, slow down, make your approach known well in advance, and allow adequate space. Be prepared to stop for horses and carriages, and use your voice instead of a bell - the noise can frighten animals. When uncertain how to proceed around an equestrian, ask for directions.
LEAVE NO TRACE. Carry out at least as much trash as you carried into the park.
PRACTICE MINIMUM IMPACT CYCLING. Avoid soft or muddy sections of the carriage roads and don't ride on the shoulder. Deep tire tracks and skid marks contribute to erosion.
RESPECT OTHERS' SOLITUDE by keeping a low profile. Limit group size and refrain from making loud noises.
KEEP ALL MEMBERS OF YOUR PARTY IN SIGHT when biking on the carriage roads. It is easy to become separated in the extensive road network. An easy rule to follow is to wait for each other at all intersections. Pull off to the side when you stop so you're not blocking the road.
PLAN AHEAD. Bring water, a map, and extra clothing. Carriage roads are in the backcountry - the nearest restrooms are at the Visitor Center, Bear Brook Picnic Area, the Eagle Lake parking lot and the Jordan Pond House. Cyclists who opt for the Park Loop Road must obey its one-way flow of traffic. The road around Schoodic Peninsula is also one-way.
Acadia's carriage roads offer a slower pace away
from traffic. Please respect the solitude of others.
Standing at the top of
Cadillac Mountain in the heart
of Acadia National Park,
it's hard to imagine the rugged peaks and coastline stretching out before you could ever be in serious jeopardy, so eternal does the spectacle seem.
Hawks circle the wind-swept granite summit, which offers a grand view of the sapphire blue Atlantic Ocean and many tiny islands which hug the shores of Mount Desert.
This incredible scenery draws approximately three million visitors to the park each summer. Like some of the country's other crown jewels, Acadia is in danger of being "loved to death." A recent study by the National Park Service estimates the destructive behavior of some visitors - such as littering, hiking off marked trails and collecting wild flowers or rocks as souvenirs - is costing the Park Service nearly 20 million dollars annually in repairs. If this kind of damage continues, parks will not be able to sustain themselves.
To lessen the impact of visitation and to preserve Acadia National Park for the enjoyment of future generations, the nonprofit group Friends of Acadia initiated a program called Resource Sensitive Tourism. Guidelines provided in this brochure are designed to protect the resources unique to this area. Bicycling in Acadia is a special experience. A little respect for the environment, other cyclists, and other park visitors will go a long way to ensure continued access to the area and enjoyment of it.
