The Jordan Pond Road Bridge in Acadia National Park

Operating out of Wildwood Stables at the south end of the Park Loop Road on Mount Desert Island, Carriages of Acadia conducts three tours of the Acadia National Park carriage roads from May through October. I took the Mr. 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. Other tours include a carriage ride around the base of Day Mountain and a ride to the summit of Day Mountain, plus you can book a private tour to go wherever you’d like. For a current schedule and prices, see the Carriages of Acadia website.

Horses at Wildwood Stables in Acadia National Park

My guide said that the Day Mountain summit ride is the best, followed by the Mr. Rockefeller’s Bridges tour. Both are longer and more expensive than the ride around the base of Day Mountain, which is only a one-hour tour. I could not get a spot on the summit tour, and many people are turned away each day, so make your reservations as early as possible.

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, and 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.

The guide I had was a lady who grew up in Maine and has been riding her own horses at Acadia National Park for many years, so she knew just about everything and had many stories to tell. There is no standard spiel that the guides are required to give. The conversation just develops naturally. On my tour we talked about the history of the park, the carriage roads and bridges and how they came about, and horses and how they have to be trained to pull carriages, among other things.

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. There is an actual stop at the Cobblestone Bridge that allows participants to get out and walk down to Jordan Stream, the small creek the bridge passes over.

Cobblestone Bridge built between 1913 and 1917, Acadia National Park

Cobblestone Bridge in Acadia National Park

Jordan Stream in 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 and Thompson Island visitor centers. 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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