1896 DESCRIPTION OF TRAILS

DESCRIPTION OF TRAILS
Bar Harbor Record
July 1, 1896


Mr. Herbert Jaques, the well known architect, contributed the following interesting article on the paths of Mount Desert Island which will be of great interest in connection with the new map of the island which is soon to be published.  Mr. Jaques has traversed every path on the island.
To a comparative few people the paths of Mount Desert Island are well known and it is hoped that more may be induced to use them and enjoy their beauties.
There are practically four systems, hiking in a general way, though it is needed eventually to connect all together.  The smallest system is the so called Duck Brook Series;  these paths are called the Duck Brook, Bracken, Sweet Fern and Royal Fern Paths.  One can start on Eden Street just before coming to the bridge over Duck Brook and walk up the south side of the brook to the reservoir.  This path has two paths, one high up on the bank and one close to the water.  The lower one can not be used when the water in the brook is high.
From the reservoir the Sweet Fern Path runs to the southeast and comes out near Mr. Hows Teahouse near Woodbury Park.  The Royal Fern Path crosses the reservoir dam, and comes out on the Cockscrew Hill Road.  The Bracken Path runs south along the reservoir and comes out on the Eagle Lake Road where Mr. Hows new road comes in.  This is just above the Cromwells Harbor Road and there is a fine spring at the roadside where the path starts.  There is a branch from the Bracken Path which runs southwest and follows along the brook and comes out near the head of Eagle Lake.
The southeast system of paths, or better known as the Newport System, is worked out on a system of colors.  A new carriage road has been built from Otter Creek Road to the edge of Robin Hood Park to the Schooner Head Road near Bear Brook.  Starting in from the Otter Creek Road one first sees the Bicycle Path which runs directly towards the gorge between Newport and Picket mountains, and swings about in a fine growth of Hemlock and hardwood trees and comes again into the carriage road near the old bridge over Bear Brook, following for some distance the old Picket Mountain Path.  The Black and White Path leaves the bicycle path just under Picket Mountain and follows the brook in a winding course up and on to the top of the mountain.  From here there is a steep trail which leads to the top of Newport, affording a fine view to the north, west and south.  From the bicycle path near the start of the Picket Mountain path runs a Black and Blue steep trail up the side of Newport under a landslide coming out on the Black path.  This path is steep and rough but is especially beautiful and affords fine views.  From the old bridge over Bear Brook and when the bicycle path joins the carriage road, the old Black Path runs up over Newport and down on the southern end coming out at the Bowl.
Following the carriage road near Bear Brook one comes to the road leading to Mr. Dorr's quarries, and here starts the White Path which combines fine views with easy walking.  It runs the whole length of Newport Mountain running under the cliffs and coming out at Great Head.  The Red Path leaves the White soon after leaving the Horseshoe and follows down the course of Meadow Brook, coming out on the Schooner Head Road where Meadow Brook crosses the road.  Half a mile beyond the Blue Path runs to the left or east and comes out on the Schooner Head Road near Cranberry Hill.  Another half or three quarters of a mile and one branch of the Yellow Path runs east and comes out at Schooner Head Road, than still further on the White Path, the Red and White runs abruptly to the right and up the side of Newport and joins the Black Path near the crest.  This path is steep and rough and affords a good climb, but is generally used as a decent from the mountain to Schooner Head.  Half way up this path a Blue and White Path runs to the Bowl.  Following the White Path from where the Red and White leaves it, one walks along the banks of a lovely brook and another branch of the Yellow Path starts on the left and comes out at Schooner Head.  The lower end of this path is the same as the other Yellow Path and is apt to be wet in the meadow.  The White Path than runs along the side of Enoch (a spur of Newport) and with a branch to the left across Homans Field runs through a pretty grove until one comes to the Blue and White branch which leaves to the right and runs to the Bowl with a Brown branch near the top of the Beehive.  Than the White runs down across a brook and finally with a sharp turn to the left again crosses the brook and ascends the hill to the road near Great Head.
Where the White Path turns to the left or east of the Yellow and White starts and runs close under the Beehive and up through the valley between Gorham and the Beehive, past Cliffs Pond just beyond which the Brown Path starts on the right and runs to the Bowl with a branch up on the Beehive;  the Yellow and White than ascends a steep bank and soon on the left will be found a spring of clear cool water;  than on over the divide one descends to the Otter Creek Road at the head of School House Hill.  A short distance north on the Otter Creek Road near the house of Isaac Tripp, the Green and White Path runs up to the Bowl.  Near the top of this path the Black Path starts and runs back over Newport, where the brook leaves the Bowl.  Following the Green and White one comes to the Brown which goes down to the Yellow and White and than the Green and White goes on around the Bowl to where the Blue and White and Blue, White and Blue all meet the Green and White at the large rock.
The Green Mountain system starts on the Cromwell Harbor road at the rear entrance to the Kebo Valley Club.  The path makes a quick descent to the brook than rises and bears to the right with a branch starting here to the left which runs up over Kebo Mountain and will eventually be carried along the meadow on the side of Dry Mountain and come out on the Otter Creek Road beyond the driving park.  The main path runs along the valley for a considerable distance, than crosses the brook and finally reaches the Gorge and runs in the bed of the brook up between Green and Dry Mountains.  Near the head of the brook one reaches Pulpit rock which affords a good  resting place and charming vistas;  than on up the gorge and at the top the path branches to the east up Dry Mountain and west up Green to the Mountain House.  From here one can descend by the carriage road to the Eagle Lake road or keep on over the long south crest of Green coming out near the School House beyond Otter Creek.  From this path a spur leads down towards Pemetic Mountain coming out on the Bubble Pond road and making a connection with the Pemetic mountains, Bubble Mountain and Sargent's Mountain system.

ABANDONED TRAILS GUIDE - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

From the Green Mountain Carriage Road just inside the toll gate, a new path runs south and west towards Eagle lake and joins a path which runs from Eagle lake up to and over Pemetic Mountain.  Following down the lake one strikes a path along the shore close to the water which comes out on the carry between Eagle lake and Jordon Pond.  The path from the lake towards Pemtic also has a branch running along the sides of Bubble Pond west side, and coming out on the road which runs into the pond from Northeast Harbor.  Arriving at the head of Eagle Lake one can take the Carry and go to Jordon's Pond and than down the east shore of the pond to the Jordan Pond House.  A carriage road runs along the west shore of Jordon's on through the valley between Sargent's and the Bubbles and bearing north and east comes out at Eagle lake and running to the west short of the lake, strikes the Eagle lake road at the Currin House.  From this path runs other paths connecting all the systems of this part of the island and as described.

1911 TRAIL GUIDE MAP - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK