How to Get there from Here

Biking Guide to Acadia

Prepare in advance for your Acadia E-Biking Adventure

Acadia's Historic Legacy

Experience one of Acadia National Park’s greatest treasures in a way that honors its past while embracing modern comfort. Built in the early 1900s by John D. Rockefeller Jr., the park’s 45 miles of carriage roads were carefully designed for horse-drawn travel, with graceful curves, hand-cut granite bridges, and views meant to unfold slowly and beautifully. Today, they remain a defining feature of Acadia.

E-bikes are the perfect way to explore this living history. Electric assist makes the rolling hills and long distances approachable, allowing riders to follow these historic routes with ease while still enjoying the act of pedaling. As you ride, you’ll pass quiet forests, iconic stonework, and classic vistas overlooking Eagle Lake and Jordan Pond.

With no cars and timeless scenery, e-biking the carriage roads is more than a ride, it’s a highlight of any Acadia visit.

Click on the map for a more detailed view of common routes and milage.

Pavement at its Finest

The 27 mile Park Loop Road is one of Acadia National Park’s most iconic routes, originally constructed in the 1930s with support from the Civilian Conservation Corps and John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s vision of thoughtful park access. Designed to showcase Acadia’s dramatic coastline, forests, and granite peaks, the road blends seamlessly into the landscape, with stone bridges and sweeping curves that feel timeless.

For cyclists, the Park Loop Road is pure magic: smooth pavement, steady grades, and jaw-dropping views around every bend. Biking the loop offers a front-row seat to Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Otter Cliffs, Jordan Pond, and numerous scenic overlooks at a pace that lets you truly soak it all in..

Getting to the Carriage Roads from Downtown Bar Harbor

Our Shop is a short 1.4 mile ride to the Duck Brook Road car free access point to the carriage roads and 2.1 miles to Duck Brook Bridge. The ride is easy on an e-bike and well traveled by thousands of cyclists every year.

Head from our shop at 113 Main down Main St to West street (towards the water)
Take a left and follow the water until you get to the main Route 3 intersection (Eden St).
At this sign, get on the shared use path to the right and following blue signs for “Bike route to Acadia” and take it to the lighted cross walk at Highbrook Rd.
Go up the hill on Highbrook Rd and at the triangle bear left onto Cleftstone Rd.
Take Cleftstone Rd to West Street Extension and take a right.
Head up the hill on West Street Extension until you see a brown sign that says “Carriage Road Access, Duck Brook Rd)
Turn Right onto Duck Brook Rd and maneuver around the concrete barrier. You are now car free!
Follow Duck Brook Rd for another half mile to the next barrier. You have arrived at Duck Brook Bridge and Sign Post #5 of the Carriage Road system!

Know Before You Go!

Bicyclists must yield to all users. Everyone yields to horses which can be startled by sudden movments
No motorized traffic is allowed and only Class 1 (pedal assist) E-Bikes are permitted
Slow Down! Carriage Road speed limit is 20mph
Be prepared to stop. Sudden stops are dangerous on loose gravel
Stay on the right. Give a clear Warning before passing on the left and move to the side when stopped.
Wear a helmet and carry plenty of fluids
A park pass is required for entry into Acadia. [Click for more information]