Leaves, snow and mountains: The best bike rides in Maine
by: Jennifer Vose
Posted on: Friday, January 4th, 2008 at 2:13 pm by: Jennifer Vose
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The crisp smell of autumn leaves fills the air, and the cool Maine breeze sings against your skin as you peddle along the Carriage Roads of Acadia National Park. Situated in Northeast Maine, also known as Downeast Maine, Acadia is a stunning area with scenic mountain vistas, cool ocean breezes and beautiful fall foliage. The spring bubbles with snowmelt and rushing brooks, while summers are cool and sunny and perfect for mountain bike rides in the park. The season continues into the fall, as the forest displays its splendor in the array of vivid leaves.
If you have never visited Acadia National Park, it is one of the most beautiful National Parks in the United States. Enjoyed by many generations, it has been a favorite retreat by the Rockefellers and Roosevelts, and was an escape in the summer for wealthy visitors known as the “rusticators.” Today, you don’t have to be rich to enjoy the richness of the park. With over 45 miles of Carriage Roads, the park is a paradise for mountain bikers.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. was the motivating force for the creation of these automobile-free roads. He financed the undertaking, and ensured that the road system was created to his specifications. These wooded roadways pass by brooks and streams, over the tops of mountains, and by clear blue lakes. They are easy to access from the towns on Mount Desert Island, where the park is situated, and there are even bicycle rental shops within riding distance to the beginning of carriage road system.
A mountain bike ride along these roads is truly an experience you cannot forget. The scenery is beautiful, the terrain is mild to moderate, depending on the mountain bike ride you choose, and even the smells of the sun-warmed wild blueberries and autumn leaves evoke feelings of peace, serenity and exhilaration. Having lived in the vicinity of the park for years, I have enjoyed many rides along these carriage roads. My favorites include the Duck Book to Eagle Lake loop, the loop that goes by Jordan Pond House, and the lesser-known but just as beautiful Triad Carriage Road on Pemetic Mountain.
For a truly memorable mountain bike ride, you should definitely check out Acadia National Park’s Carriage Road System. Rockefeller knew what he was doing, and “paved the way” for everyone to enjoy the place that he loved so dearly. It is a biker’s paradise in Acadia, and from early spring through late fall, remains a popular destination for locals and visitors.
