Mt. Desert Island is home to a truly unique scenic and recreational feature - its carriage roads. The 51-mile system of one-lane gravel roads and granite bridges combines the best in natural and manmade beauty, as the paths rise to spectacular ocean overlooks, traverse spruce- and hemlock-covered mountains, skirt glacier-formed lakes, and cross babbling brooks.
The carriage roads, planned for horse-drawn carriages, are today enjoyed by
joggers, hikers, bicyclists, cross-country skiers, horseback riders, and even
an occasional horse-drawn carriage.
Responsible for the concept and the creation of the carriage roads was John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Rockefeller knew that the newly popular automobile could only distract from the grandeur and quietude of Mt. Desert Island's forest, mountains, and ponds. In 1913 he embarked on a 27-year project that would eventually include construction of 51 miles of roads, 17 bridges, and two gatehouses.