LOWER SECTION OF GREEN MOUNTAIN RAILROAD PATH LOCATED

Hope everyone had a great and safe Christmas.  So what is there to do after opening gifts and setting down to a Christmas dinner with all the fixings? Heading into the park to search out another abandoned trail, of course. We decided to go for the abandoned Toll House road but once in the area we couldn't locate any signs of it, so decided to shoot for a trail we have been searching for for years now, the lower section of the Green Mountain Railroad Trail..

Abandoned Trails of Acadia - Green Mountain Railroad

We began by a  pull over and made our way down the hillside when we came to a deep gully.  My son took one side of the gully and I took the other and we criss crossed the woods, meeting back up at the gully.  I told my son it was odd that this gully was here and wondered if maybe the train had passed up through the gully.  My son went down into the gully and sure enough he called out that he had found several railroad spikes sticking up out of the granite - finally we had located the bottom section of the pathway.

One reason it had been so hard to find for so long is that it appears someone had tossed branches and fallen tree's into the gully - as a way to help conceal it.  We have seen this many times with other abandoned trails, but once we were past that section we could easily get down into the gully and follow it.

 VIDEO OF THE GREEN MOUNTAIN RAILROAD TRAIL - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

At one point I went back up the side and found a tree trunk that had been cut down by a chain saw with "U M 15" carved deeply into it.  Clearly the guy with the chain saw wanted to leave behind some sort of memory and I am pretty certain if anyone else had done that they would of been looking at charges of defacing park property.

From there we continued to follow the gully downward, the further we went the closer the gully came to the fast moving stream to our right.  Before long the gully ended as did the railroad spikes, and we could see the stream to our right with a small water fall and straight ahead we could see the Eagle Lake Carriage road.  We took a fw photos of the stream than walked to the carriage road and began searching on the other side from the carriage road to the lake but could not find any more railroad spikes.

WATERFALLS - GREEN MOUNTAIN RAILROAD TRAIL - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

You can not see the gully from the Eagle Lake carriage road, nor can you see the gully from the Park loop road.

Green Mountain Railroad Trail -Acadia National Park

So here are the instructions - drive along the park loop road past the Cadillac Summit road, and continue past the first pull over on the right.  Stop at the second pull over on the right, and at the beginning of the pull over count seven stones in, which will bring you pretty much to the center of the parking lot.

    Directly below that seventh stone is a large tree, and just below that in the woods is the sdeep gully.  As stated above, the start of the gully has had brush and sections of tree's tossed into it.

The other section of the Green Mountain Railroad trail  is directly across the roadway from that seventh stone, just a short ways in the woods look for the first spike and/or rock pile, the path the train took is also somewhat worn - see my write up on the Green mountain Railroad trail for map and instructions on that upper section.
So this ended up being a pretty good find for us, though I did manage to sprain an ankle as we made our way back toward the Park Loop Road.

EAGLE LAKE WATERFALLS - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

We now know the exact route the train tracks took, they begun by the edge of the lake, along a thin strip of land that extends out onto the lake.  The tracks than passed along the left hand side of the brook, crossing the brook by way of a crib just below this small waterfall.  The train than made its way up along a shallow gully until it reached the area where the present day Park Loop Road is, where it continued up the mountain side.
When the tracks were laid along that narrow strip of land there were no trees or brush on it as there is today.

On this old map you can clearly see how the tracks extended out onto that narrow strip of land which is a short ways from the wooden bridge and the brook. 

HISTORY OF THE GREEN MOUNTAIN RAILROAD

EAGLE LAKE - GREEN MOUNTAIN RAILWAY -
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

GREEN MOUNTAIN
RAILROAD TRAIL
(Lower Section)

Wooden Bridge by Lake
latitude     44 21' 32"N
longitude   68 14' 42"W
Shallow Gully begins
latitude     44 21' 33"N
longitude  68 14' 39"W
half way point
latitude     44 21' 33"N
longitude   68 14' 35"W
Pull Over
latitude     44 21' 33"N
longitude   68 14' 29"W

THE HIGH SEAS - HAUNTED STILL

The Precipice Trail was built more than thirty years before the Park Loop Road was built.  It trail was designed and built by Bar Harbor VIA  path chairman Rudolph Brunnow, whose home was The High Seas, located along the Schooner Head Road.  He would later construct the Black and Orange trail which included The Hanging Steps.

To attract hikers to his new trails  Rudolph Brunnow did two things, he constructed the Murphy's Lane trail, which was abandoned by the Park Service but reopened in recent years, and than he constructed his boldest trail, The Great Cave trail, a loop which began on the lower section of the Precipice trail, ran up through a boulder field to the woods higher up, where a dirt trail was made up steep grade to The Great Cave, which runs about a hundred feet into the mountain side.

From the cave,  Rudolph Brunnow continued his Great Cave loop by having the trail continue up the mountainside, at one point passing over a metal bridge, before rejoining the Precipice trail higher up the mountain side.  This trail was endorsed by the VIA as a way to attract more hikers to the main trail, the Precipice. 
For many years the Great Cave Loop and the Hanging Steps were popular hiking trails, but than the Park Service decided to abandon them, so today the only way you can access these great trails is by using old maps and getting information from websites that deal in abandoned trails in Acadia National Park, and there are several that do just that.

THE HANGING STEPS - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

The Black and Orange trail was later renamed by the Park Service to the East Face Trail, but in recent years it's original name was restored back to the Black and Orange.  The Murphy's Lane trail was also reopened in recent years, but the section of Black and Orange trail that led to the Hanging steps, as well as the Great Cave Loop remain abandoned.
The old Red Path was built along the Schooner Head Road, also before the Park Loop  Road was built.  It ran all the way up to the Schooner Head Overlook.  This Trail would also be abandoned by the Park Service, but in recent years it was reopened, but renamed the Schooner Head Trail. Plans had called for the Red Trail to be connected to the Ocean Drive Trail, but plans to extent the Red Trail were abandoned when a new section of the Park Loop Road was built.
The High Seas was the home of Rudolph Brunnow.  It was built in 1912 by Princeton professor Rudolph Brunnow as a wedding present for his fiancée.   She was from England and would never see her new home because she was on the Titanic when it sank.  Not long afterwards he laid out his plans for some of his most famous hiking trails, including the Precipice Trail.
There are old reports that say because his estate was surrounded by such  tragedy the area around it is haunted, and this may very well be true.  Just consider for a moment the number of people who have been lured to his popular trails and who have fallen to their deaths, not to mention the countless injures from bad falls just like Rudolph Brunnow had.
Perhaps one of the most tragic deaths on his most popular trail, the Precipice, took place in the mid 1800's.  Two 12 year old school girls headed down the Schooner head road, passing by the property of Rudolph Brunnow, when one decided they should try and climb up the side of the Precipice to see if they could view a relative's farm from up high.  The two girls got about three fourth's of the way up the Precipice when one of the girls, Lucreatia K. Douglass, decided to stand on a large boulder for a better view.  Her 12 year old friend soon decided to join her on the boulder, when the large rock gave way, tossing her friend to the side and carrying Lucreatia K. Douglass down the cliff to her death.

Lucreatia K. Douglass

As if the story was not bad enough, she was buried in a small cemetery on Mount Desert Street in downtown Bar Harbor, than named Eden, between two churches.  The family was poor and could not afford a stone, so for many years she lay buried beneath an unmarked grave.  The family did return to the site where on the Precipice where body had come to rest and they placed a small wooden cross at the site.  Many years later her brother returned to Bar Harbor and bought his sister a stone, the very stone that marks her grave today.  She may of very well have been the youngest person to fall to her death from the Precipice.  I did check with the park service years ago and was told they don't keep such records.

Abandoned Trails of Acadia - The Devil's Triangle

Maybe it has nothing to do with the tragedy that surrounds Rudolph Brunnow, but I can tell you with certainty that on those occasions when I have been up on the Precipice or in the area of his other trails along there, and the fog is just coming in off the sea, you can almost sense the presence of that young girl, and some believe her spirit haunts the Precipice to this day.

Back in the year 1916, Edward P. Beckwith, along with Prof. Rudolph Brunnow  and others, made their way to an area above the Orange and Black Trail, cheecking out an area they wanted to built another trail in the near future.  At one point Mr. Beckwith placed a hand on a rock formation, which gave way with little warning, carrying Mr Beckwith some 50 feet below.  When the others reached his side they found him to be in great pain and nearly knocked senseless.  One of the children in the group was sent rushing back to the Brunnow Cottage to summons a doctor and a stretcher was brought in from town.  Ropes were used to lower the stretcher down the mountain side to the Orange and Black path below.  From there the stretcher was carried down to the roadway and Mr Beckwith was taken to the Brunnow Cottage.  He did have injuries, but nothing life threatening, and after a slow and painful period  was able to make a full recovery.

 DEATHS IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK VIDEO

The High Seas stood empty for years until Eva Van Cortland Hawkes purchased the estate in 1928.  Shortly after purchasing High Seas her only daughter died.  She tried to remain at High Seas but insisted the place was haunted, especially at night when the fog came in off the sea.  She became so afraid at one point she hired a night watchman to guard the house while she slept.  It was Hawkes who had the name changed to High Seas, the estate was first named Meadow Brook by Rudolph Brunnow.  She herself would die at High Seas years later. After her death the property was taken over by Jackson Labs.
There are old accounts that go way back of the area surrounding the Precipice and the High Seas that state the area is haunted. Some old reports claim mysterious lights have been seen at night over the High Seas.  The spirits of lost souls will not allow that area to lie at peace.
It brings back the night I was walking the Park Loop road, having just come off the Champlain North Ridge Trail.  It had just become dark when we heard footsteps behind us.  My son turned with flashlight in hand to see this young man jogging up behind us.  He said he worked at Jackson Lab and asked if we had hiked Champlain Mountain.  I told him we had just come down from it and he stated that tomorrow evening he was going to hike up the Precipice trail.
I remember warning him of how dangerous that trail was and to be careful and he went off into the darkness continuing his jog.
The next evening i was setting at home when I heard that a worker at Jackson Lab had not come home that evening and that his wife was worried about him.  I thought of that young man from the night before and wondered if it was him.  Search and Rescue teams searched for him all that night, the next day they found his body - he had fallen from one of the narrow cliffs on the Precipice trail.

EXPLORING BAR ISLAND

EXPLORING BAR ISLAND

Old maps show where a number of farms were located on Bar Island at one time and if you explore the woods and fields you will discover a number of old foundations.  I am posting some of the foundation photos I came across, others are marked on the map I did of the island.

By no means does the map cover everything, in fact there are several old roads and trails I left off the map to give others a chance to explore on their own and make their own discoveries.  The beach area in the back of Bar Island is pretty cool, but getting down to it is not an easy task as the ground is very steep

OLD FIREPLACE - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

.  I reached it several times over the years by making my way downward far from the beach and than walking toward it,  just keep track of time as you only have two hours before the low tide mark and two hours after the low tide mark to explore in.
Bar Island has always been a place sought out by people looking for a place to camp out overnight on and while exploring you just might stumble upon an illegal tent site or fire pit.  I came across one fire pit and one abandoned tarp the other day.

The quickest way to reach the back of the island is by the path to the left side of the map.  It begins at the sharp bend in the old road and is very easy t follow to the back side of the island.

BAR ISLAND SUMMIT TRAIL - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

At one time Jack Perkins who did a lot of work for PBS once owned half the island.  He sold it to the Park Service so the entire island is free to explore today.  For whatever reason, the park service left the private property sign in place where an old road once led to Jack Perkins house.  The house itself sat idle for some time before it got broken into.  It was people who worked for the park service that broke into it and were having a party.  The party got broken up when park rangers got word of it and raided the party.  Little wonder they ended up tearing down the house.


FOUR SEASONS OF BAR HARBOR MAINE VIDEO


One of the more interesting sights on Bar Island are the huge glacial boulders which can be found on the small island, one of the unofficial trails follows the edge of the island to the back where one of the huge boulders overlooks the sea, and a second one is nearby in the tree's and easy to see.

Bar Island - Acadia National Park

HUGE GLACIAL BOULDER - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

PANORAMIC VIEW OF BAR HARBOR MAINE FROM BAR ISLAND

MAP OF BAR ISLAND - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

MAN O WAR WATERFALLS

 I hiked this a few times many years ago and at that time the trail was in very good condition.  The trail is actually an abandoned fire road located along route 102 about an eight of a mile away from the parking lot for the Acadia Mountain Hiking Trail.  It was once believed that pirates came ashore in that area and buried their treasure, so if you search around as we did along the fire road you will find a number of places where years ago people dug looking for the treasure.  As far as I know, no treasure was ever found.
The last time I did hike this trail it was after a pretty good period of rain and the waterfalls was a spectacular sight.
For more information on this area, see my blog post on Captain Kidd's Lost Treasure.

Acadia Mountain - Acadia National Park

The link below  to another website that has done a really nice review on this abandoned fire road and you will find some nice information on the trail there.


MAN O WAR WATERFALLS

OLD MAPS OF ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

Below is a link to my site that has a number of old maps of Acadia National Park showing many of the hiking trails in Acadia National Park that the Park service abandoned.

OLD MAPS OF ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

VIDEO OF LOST AND ABANDONED TRAILS IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

THE GURNEE TRAIL

An old newspaper article I came upon says the Gurnee Path began by the start of the Duck Brook Trail by the bridge on Eden Street.  Each time they do construction work along Eden Street to widen or improve the road, more sections of the path are eaten away, as in places the path does come very close to the roadway.
  It served to connect the village of Bar Harbor with the village of Hull's cove.
The Gurnee path did much more than simply connect two nearby villages.  A connecting trail once ran from the Gurnee path making its way up and across the Park Loop Road, than toward the general direction of Witch Hole Pond.  It came out on the Witch Hole carriage road, across from a section of wetland - that section of the trail between the loop road and the carriage road is still very visible and easy to follow.

The Gurnee Trail - Acadia National Park

The Gurnee Trail - Acadia National Park

GURNEE TRAIL MAP

Start of old driveway along rt. 3 Eden Street
latitude       44 24' 14" N
longitude    68 14' 3" W

stone steps
latitude       44 24' 15" N
longitude    68 14' 4" W

Worn Gurnee Trail
latitude       44 24' 15" N
longitude    68 14' 5" W

The Gurnee Trail - Acadia National Park

 The path cost about $2,000 to build and was funded through a donation by Augustus Gurnee.  In 1924 construction was begun on the path and two years later, shortly after Gurnee's death the path was completed.
If you are interested in visiting the abandoned Gurnee Trail, or at least the section that is still in good shape, head out of Bar Harbor along route 3 - Eden street in the direction of Hulls Cove.  You will pass first the Ferry Terminal and than Sonogee on the right, shortly after that the road rounds a curve before heading into Hulls Cove.  The key is that curve, just after the curve  there is an old abandoned driveway right there on the left hand side of the roadway.   I suggest you park at the Ferry terminal and walk to that driveway.  At the end of the driveway is a flat area where a building once stood.  To the left is a set of old stone steps.
Go up the stone steps, which end at a small flat area that is paved over.  Continue straight up the hillside, the Gurnee trail is about three car lengths up that hillside and you can not miss it.  Going right on the Gurnee trail takes you to the section that crosses the bluffs, going to the left takes you to the area destroyed in order to put in telephone poles.

UPDATE
So we returned back to the Gurnee Trail today in an effort to follow it further along up along the Bluffs, and I have to say it was pushing the limits of what I will do when it comes to following an abandoned trail.  I now feel pretty safe in saying this trail ranks as the third most dangerous trail in the entire park, but only in a few places does it become that dangerous.  We came upon stretches of the trail where the trail was three feet wide at best with sheer drop offs to our right and a wall of rock to our left.  It got so bad in one location I would not go any further and turned around.  The precipice and beehive are trails known for their narrow ledges, but the Gurnee Trail deserves a mention on that short list as well.  Today was an absolute nightmare for me because I do have a problem with heights,   and the drop offs just kept getting higher and higher above route 3 below.  And therein is the major problem with the Gurnee Trail, it sticks right up to the very edge of the hillside, and it now has become clear to  me why the Park Service has no plans of reopening this trail.
We began by arriving at the abandoned driveway and making out way to the stone steps.  At the trail, we followed it right heading toward the Bluffs.  We soon arrived to the area we had always stopped at because we could not find a way beyond that point, so today we made out way up a gully away from the trail, crossed through a short section of woods, and than made our way back down to the trail.  it worked out fine, but we did not have to go to far before we were walking very close to sheer drop offs.  At one point the trail slowly made its way away from the edge as the path became much wider, rising sharply higher as we went.  But up ahead was more dangerous drop offs and that was enough for me.

This photo above is a good example of the danger to this trail as it is today.  There are a couple of pine trees growing in the center of the trail, you can't go around them to the left, or through the center, you are forced to hang onto them and make your way past them with about a foot or less of space between the trees and the drop off on the right.  I did get past this point, but called it quits up ahead, I do not like walking close to cliffs or ledges..  Below are a few pieces which appeared in the local paper concerning the Gurnee Path.

PROPOSED PATH TO HULL'S COVE

Bar Harbor Record
November 28, 1923

Chairman Harold Peabody of Path Committee Will Be Glad To Receive Suggestions From Those Interested.

Mr. Harold Peabody, Chairman of the Path committee of the Bar Harbor Village Improvement Association, writes the following letter on the subject of the proposed path from Duck Brook to Hulls Cove.  The proposed path has been much discussed by those most interested in Bar Harbor's paths and trails.  Mr. Peabody will be glad to receive suggestions from any who may be interested in the project.  The letter follows;

November 14, 1923
To the editor of
The Bar Harbor Times
Dear Sir;
Since admission of automobiles to Mount Desert Island the road to Hull's Cove has been getting more and more dangerous for pedestrians.  It has been suggested frequently that a path from a short distance beyond Duck Brook to Hulls Cove  Brook might be built along the edge of of the woods on the left of the road, and up over the cliffs above Canoe Point.  The Chairman and Superintendent of the Path Committee of the Bar Harbor V.I.A. have carefully gone over the territory suggested, and find that it would be possible to make a path but it would probably cost not less than $2,000. for a path only two feet wide.  Much clearing would be necessary, also filling in, and probably blasting, especially over the cliffs.  Also, owing to two stables and one house close to the road the path would have to swing around those buildings.  The distance is exactly one mile from the end of the present path near Mrs. Fabbri's Garage to the beginning of the present path just before reaching Hulls Cove Brook.
These things are necessary before it can be started.  First, we must be sure that the people who walk back and forth to Hulls Cove Brook want and really need this path.  Second, a right of way must be secured from the owners of the property all along this distance, and permission to build a foot path about four feet in width as close to the road as possible.  Third, the money would have to be raised by private subscription to finance the proposition.  The Chairman of the Path Committee  will gladly receive any suggestions on the subject.
Very truly yours,
Harold Peabody
Chairman Path Committee
of the Bar Harbor V.I.A.
Eagle Lake road
Bar Harbor, Maine








THE GURNEE PATH
BAR HARBOR TIMES
Sept. 15, 1926

The Gurnee Path began on August 31, last year was built as far as Canoe Point during the autumn.  The views of the bay and Gouldsboro beyond are very beautiful and the path has proved very enjoyable to many people.  The funds to continue this path towards Hulls Cove for nearly a third of a mile have already been given and work will be started very soon.




BAR HARBOR TIMES
April 19, 1933

On the Gurnee Path From Duck Brook to Hulls Cove an important improvement was made under the direction of Mr. Miller and for this work 15 to 30 men were employed for several weeks.