Cycling Acadia

Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island
and the Schoodic Peninsula

Some of our favorite bicycle rides are in Acadia, which is a national park on Mount Desert Island, a beautiful area attached to mainland Maine by a short bridge. You'll find several days of wonderful cycling here.  Map

Inn: Bar Harbor The nearest large airport is Bangor International, about an hour away, taking Rt. 3 the entire way. Bar harbor is a popular tourist destination in the summer, with a bounty of inns and great restaurants. Bicycles can be rented from several shops in town that serve the cycling tourists.

Ride 1: Park Loop The primary paved road hrough Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island is the 27 mile Park Loop Road, beginning at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center on the northern side of the island) and continuing through the Park's lakes, mountains, forests, and rocky coast . There are several scenic stops, including the Thunderhole and Jordan Pond Video Map loop map

Ride 3: Carriage Roads. If you didn't bring your mountain bikes, no problem The bike shops in Bar Harbor have a great selection to pick from for up to 45 miles of nicely groomed gravel Carriage Roads, built with the inspiration of John D. Rockefeller. Video Map

Ride 4: Southwest Harbor. Known as "the other side" of Mount Desert Island, the Southwest Harbor area has scenic fishing communities and long stretches of quiet cycling roads. map

Ride 5: Schoodic Peninsula Schoodic Peninsula is an hours drive from the Visitor Center on Mount Desert Island, also connected by a ferrry service from Bar Harbor to Winter Harbor.  map

Ride 6: Century Ride. This hundred mile ride takes all of the most beautiful paved roads on Mount Desert Island. map

Ride 7: Penobscot Peninsula About an hour away from Mount Desert Island is Blue Hill on the Penobscot Peninsula. The roads are well paved with nice isolated stretches between the small towns. cue sheet   map