The Jordan Pond Road Bridge in Acadia National Park

Operating out of Wildwood Stables at the southern end of the Park Loop Road on Mount Desert Island, Acadia by Carriage conducts two tours of the Acadia National Park carriage roads from mid-May through mid-October. I took the Rockefeller’s Bridges Tour, a two-hour horse-drawn carriage ride that passes three stone bridges built by John D. Rockefeller Jr. between 1913 and 1940. The other tour is a carriage ride around the base of Day Mountain. For a current schedule and prices, see the Acadia by Carriage website.

Getting ready for a carriage ride at Acadia National Park

The carriage rides are very leisurely paced, passing through the forest while the guide talks about Acadia National Park. This is great for people who want to relax and learn something while doing so, or who just want to experience what it was like to ride around Mount Desert Island just like people did a hundred years ago when carriages were a mode of transportation, not a tourist attraction. The only thing missing was a bottle of wine and some cheese and crackers. If you have kids, realize that they are basically sitting for two hours and listening to somebody talk about stuff kids aren’t interested in. While they may love horses, this isn’t a horseback ride. There was a kid on my tour, and sometimes he looked like he was sleeping.

Stanley Brook Bridge built in 1933, Acadia National Park

The ride passes three bridges: the Jordan Pond Road Bridge, the Stanley Brook Bridge, and the Cobblestone Bridge.

Cobblestone Bridge built between 1913 and 1917, Acadia National Park

If you would like to see more bridges, the carriage roads at Acadia National Park are open to hikers, bikers, and horseback riders (you must have your own horse). A map is available at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center. I covered thirteen miles of the roads on bike and provide a detailed report on the Carriage Road Bike Ride web page here on National Park Planner.

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