Thursday, September 17, 2015

CARRIAGE ROADS OF ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

When you think of the Carriage Roads in Acadia you might think of biking, but many use the carriage road system for other things as well, like hiking or jogging.  One of my favorite hikes in the evening is the Witch Hole Pond carriage road which is just a stunning hike as the leaves are turning color in the fall.  The carriage road passes by two nice wetland areas where different wildlife can be spotted, usually deer and ducks.
MAP OF DUCK BROOK BRIDGE CARRIAGE ROADS


An abandoned trail that is easy to spot is to the right of the first wetland area you come to after departing Duck Brook Bridge.  This was once part of the Fern trail and comes out on the Park Loop Road just a short ways from the long bridge over Duck Brook.  That use to be one of my favorite bridges in the park until a friend of ours some how fell to his death off of it. 
The second wetland, or marsh, is almost across from Witch Hole Pond, and usually there are several ducks there.
I rarely see people fishing in Witch Hole Pond, but every now and than some one is trying to catch fish there.  A neighbor of mine years back went there often to fish and once I saw two people fishing from an inflarable boat which they had carried in. 
MAP OF EAGLE LAKE CARRIAGE ROADS


The Eagle Lake Carriage Roads are also a great place to hike on a quiet evening.  I usually do the stretch between the Eagle Lake boat landing to Bubble Pond, where at dusk if your lucky you can sit on a rock by the shore and listen to the loons.  I know a guy who use to fish at the head of the lake close to number 6 intersection, and he always caught a nice batch of trout there.
Another of my favorite places along Eagle Lake is a place where the Abandoned House is, a house that was never finished.  It's a nice quiet spot where you have a sweeping view of the lake and have a very nice view of the sunset.