KNOWLES SELECTS: Biking Trails
Looking for activities around the Island? Enjoy the beautiful views of the park in style (on a bike). Biking with a group, especially with kiddos, can be a hassle. We have broken down our favorite biking spots from The Knowles Company into kid-friendly, moderate, and accessible-for-all options!
Kid-Friendly Biking First on our list is the Eagle Lake Carriage Road. This is a great place to ride with kids, as it’s mostly flat with one big hill about halfway through. This 5.9-mile loop is accessible from Rt 233 (Eagle Lake Road) with parking at the
Carriage Road parking area or at the Eagle Lake boat ramp. Leaving from downtown Bar Harbor? There is also a Bicycle Express run offered by the Island Explorer free bus service that runs from downtown Bar Harbor to Eagle Lake every half hour. On this ride, you will explore the perimeter of Eagle Lake, surrounded by the island's greenery and Mountains. Eagle Lake is the perfect spot to enjoy your island leisure, immersed in nature. This body of water was dubbed “Eagle Lake” in the mid-19th century when well-known landscape painter Frederic Edwin Church spotted the majestic bird soaring above during one of his visits. Keep your eyes out, and you may spot a bald eagle as well! Looking for another spot nearby? Add the Witch Hole Pond loop for a longer ride. We recommend avoiding the bustling Eagle Lake Road with your group and gear, but fear not! The Eagle Lake Carriage Road connects to the Witch Hole Loop. Simply find your way to the northern end of the Eagle Lake Carriage Road and look for post #6 marking the intersection. This connector trail travels under the stone bridge. Upon passage, you will find post #9, placing you right on the Witch Hole Pond Trail. This trail is a 3.3-mile loop around Witch Hole, a pond carved out by glaciers retreating over the Cadillac granite 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. Keep your eyes peeled for beavers swimming in the pond. If you’re really feeling ambitious, add on the Around the Mountain loop. This loop is quite the challenge, traveling 11.3 miles and reaching 469 feet in elevation. This winding trail will take you over seven stunning stone bridges, and per the name, you will find yourself viewing quite a few of Acadia’s peaks as you loop Bald Peak, Parkman Mountain, Gilmore Peak, Sargent Mountain, and Penobscot Mountain. Down for another Adventure? The daily ferry from Bar Harbor to Schoodic Peninsula, operated in conjunction with the Island Explorer will take you on an adventure to a different part of Acadia National Park. Schoodic Peninsula, the only piece of Acadia located on the mainland, offers another beautiful place to ride bikes and enjoy coastal views. Along the six-mile peninsula loop, you will be immersed in the scenery of lighthouses, granite coastline, seabirds, and green islands. We highly recommend this trip if you would like to enjoy Acadia with far fewer visitors around. If you’d like to get off your bikes, a variety of science and nature talks are offered at the Schoodic Institute.
Learn the history of Acadia’s Carriage Roads and find bike routes on the Acadia National Park website.
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