Acadia by Land and by Sea

Percheron Team

The Carriage Roads and stone bridges in Acadia National Park were financed and directed by philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., between 1913 and 1940, for hikers, bikers, horseback riders and carriages. The network includes 57 miles of woodland roads free of motor vehicles, of which 45 miles are within Acadia National Park .

A team of Percheron draft horses pulled us through the park. One trip even goes to the top of the mountain on strictly horsepower. They stand 16 hands or over, and weight about 1,900 pounds each.  If the two horses that are pulling together have trained with one another and have worked together before, they can’t just pull three times as much working together as they can by themselves.  The two trained horses in tandem can actually pull 32,000 pounds, which is a load four times as heavy as either of the horses could pull by themselves. Teamwork counts!

Percherons can be black, gray, chestnut, bay, roan, and sorrel. French-bred Percherons are born black and then turn gray as they mature; no other color is allowed in the registry. They were originally bred to carry knights into battle in that heavy armor. Our driver said these horses were 8 years old (I think) and would not change to a lighter color, although they had some grey ones back at the barn.

Carriage Road Foundation

You may notice that many of the roads are built on a steep slope, yet the road surface is flat. A “hands on” type of project manager, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., paid close attention to the smallest of details in the road’s construction as well as the landscaping. Granite from Hall Quarry on Mount Desert Island was quarried and transported by the construction crews for road material and bridge facing. Native vegetation such as fern and wild blueberries was tastefully used throughout to landscape the roadside, and shade trees were planted at good places to rest the horses. During this whole process, he even knew, and kept track of, the names of the laborers, running his own private CCC in the 1930s. By the time the project was finished, he not only had financed and supervised the roads, but 16 of the 17 stone faced bridges on the island that can be seen crossing streams, roads, waterfalls, and even a cliff side. The foundation is built without any mortar between the stones, so water can percolate through them and run safely down the hill when it rains.

Thunder Hole

While making the round trip on the Park Road, we didn't stop often for any serious hiking, but there were attractions along the road itself that caught our eyes, especially one called Thunder Hole. I took lots and lots of photos trying to catch the biggest amount of spray and the waves broke over the rocks on the shoreline.

Thunder Hole is a small inlet, naturally carved out of the rocks, where the waves roll into. At the end of this inlet, down low, is a small cavern where, when the rush of the wave arrives, air and water is forced out like a clap of distant thunder. Water may spout as high as 40 feet with a thunderous roar! Hence the name: Thunder Hole.  There are guard rails to keep people from being swept away (which has happened) during rough weather. And everyone squeals when they get wet. Watch out for the algae and other slippery things growing on the sidewalks and steps.

Friendship Schooner Alice E

After flying in an old airplane, we wanted to going sailing. The Alice E was built in 1899 and is the oldest Friendship Sloop sailing today, carrying up to six passengers. Her builder and exact location are a mystery but they know that she was built somewhere near Friendship, Maine. Alice E. was first used as a working lobster boat. It does have a motor now, for maneuvering around the harbor...

...but as soon as we left the harbor, we raised sail and Dick got some lessons on steering a sailboat. People still live on Great Cranberry Island, and the kids have to be ferried to bigger MDI to catch a school bus each day.

Bear Island Lighthouse

All the lighthouses we saw on MDI were short. I always think of them as tall, like those in North Carolina. The difference, I heard, is that these lighthouses are built on cliffs to begin with, so they are naturally elevated. Even though they are still operative, it's all automatic.

Bald Eagle

We saw plenty of birds on our trip, and some porpoises...

Osprey Nest Southwest Harbor

...and even an Osprey nest on the navigation sign, the best place to build according to Ospreys. However, the voyage was three hours long, and all the islands looked the same, so I would have been happy with a somewhat shorter trip.