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Acadia National Park: The Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast

Acadia National Park is an absolute New England gem located on the coast of Maine featuring some of the most epic coastline views on the east coast. Maine boasts the highest rocky headlands on the Atlantic coast, protected habitat, and an old rich culture surrounding the park. Acadia National Park is in the top ten most visited National Parks in the United States. Most importantly to us, it is hands down one of the most dog friendly National Parks in the country and it is truly great that they are and that our pup children have the opportunity to experience that park like we can.

5 Epic Carriage Roads at Acadia National Park

Acadia features 45 miles of carriage roads that are prime to take your mountain bike out and do some adventuring. Designed to support horse and carriage passes through the valleys and mountains of Acadia, the carriage roads of Acadia are truly special. During our visit to Acadia we were fortunate enough to be able to spend a lot of time on the parks carriage roads. The carriage roads are filled with scenic views, stunning bridges, great foliage and tree lines.

During the spring and summer months, Acadia’s carriage roads are popular for hiking and mountain biking. During the winter, the carriage trails are incredibly popular for cross-country skiers.

Eagle Lake Carriage Road Trail

Eagle Lake Carriage Road is a 6 mile trail that is rated as an easy ride for most riders. The trail is a loop that surrounds Eagle Lake and offers great views of the lake as well as the mountains in the distance. This is a fairly busy trail that is used for both biking and walking so you may encounter park goers out and about either biking or walking their dogs.

The trail starts just off of the Eagle Lake parking lot and heads right into the start of the trail. The trail has an average grade of 2% but does rise to 4% in some areas. It is easily the most popular carriage trail in the park but is never crowded or too busy. Eagle lake Carriage Road Trail is a must when visiting Acadia National Park.

Witch Hole and Pond Carriage Trail

Witch Hole and Pond Carriage Trail is a 7.8 mile trail that is. considered moderate and is popular for mountain bikers who love a great endurance workout and scenic ride. The trail features a 446 foot elevation gain during the hike with windy turns and steep downhill grades during the ride. This a popular hiking trail but is primarily used as a mountain biking route in the park. You won’t have to worry about dogs roaming the road on this trail as they are not permitted on the trail. This is a pretty cool ride and one of the best in the park.

Hadlock Loop

Hadlock Loop is a 4 mile loop that can accessed from there park’s main carriage road entrance. This moderately rated trail features long stretches of road before boasting some windy turns and scenic views and offers riders a 285 foot elevation gain during the duration of the ride. The trail runs parallel in most parts to the Upper Hadlock Pond and is located right off Route 3 that runs just outside of the park. This is a popular trail for mountain bikers and is not as very flooded with foot traffic. Definitely check this trail out and give it a whirl.

Day Mountain Carriage Trail

Day Mountain Carriage Trail is a 8.7 mile moderate trail located right near the popular Jordan Pond House. This trail is incredibly popular with hikers and bikers but offers stretches of uninterrupted riding where you can take in all the views without others joining you. The trail features some of the best viewpoints in the park and overlooks of Seal harbor. Day Mountain trail is a great trail to take to Day Mountain and take in some of the best bird watching in the North Atlantic region.

Bubble Pond Carriage Trail

Bubble Pond Carriage Trail is a 5.4 mile out and back located near the Bar Harbor side of Acadia National Park. The trail features a relatively smooth and easy ride and boasts a 314 foot elevation gain. This trail is rated as an easy route and is popular with hikers, bikers, and horse back riding. The trail starts near the Bubble Pond parking area and runs parallel to the pond for the better half of the trail. The trail offers many viewpoints of the pond, little detour hikes to the pond and shore, and viewpoints of the park beyond. Definitely give this a shot when visiting Acadia National Park.

Here is some gear we found helpful on the trails:

Smith Bike Helmet– I use this helmet and it fits absolutely perfect to my head.

I always have my Crankbrothers M19 Multi-tool

Personally I’ma huge fan of Aesics shoes for outdoor activities but in particular mountain biking as the soles hold on to and catch my pedals comfortably and efficiently.

We always have our Northface Venture Raincoat especially in New England. Mens and Women’s

Be sure to check out the 5 Ultimate Hiking Trails at Acadia National Park here: