Carroll Farmhouse in Acadia National Park
The Carroll Homestead is a typical Maine mountain farm that was first settled by John Carroll and his family in 1825. They raised cows, sheep, and chickens on their 45 acres. Four generations of Carrolls lived on the farm, with the last full-time residents moving to Southwest Harbor in 1917 for more modern conveniences. However, the property remained in the family until it was acquired by the National Park Service in 1982 for Acadia National Park. Between 1917 and the park’s involvement, the Carroll family still grew hay on the fields and rented the house to summer tourists. Today, only the house remains standing.
The homestead is located at the end of a side road off of Highway 102 on the west side of Mount Desert Island. A gate keeps vehicles from driving all the way to the homestead except for when the house is open, and even then only disabled and elderly visitors can park at the house. Everyone else must use the parking lot at the gate and walk from there. The trail, which starts near the gate, is only a quarter mile long and is flat and easy. A box with brochures about the homestead is located at the start of the trail. The brochure is 50¢ if you want to keep it (honor system), or free if you return it when done.
Trail from the parking area to the Carroll Homestead at Acadia National Park
Visitors are welcome to visit the Carroll Homestead on their own at any time during daylight hours, but the house itself is only open on select days of the week starting in late June and continuing through the end of August, plus a few Saturdays in September. For the latest schedule, see the National Park Service’s Calendar web page for Acadia National Park. Type “Carroll” into the Keyword search area to narrow down the results.
Grounds of the Carroll Homestead at Acadia National Park
I visited when the house was closed, and in truth, it’s pretty much a waste of time if you can’t get into the house, so be sure to visit when it is open. All I could do was walk around a few acres of the farm—the rest of the acres are forested—and see the house from the outside. The only other remnant of the former farm buildings is the site of the barn.
Barn site of the Carroll Homestead in Acadia National Park
I spent twenty minutes at the Carroll Homestead, including the half-mile, round-trip walk to and from the site. If the house is open, give yourself anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour for your visit.
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Last updated on August 15, 2023
