Mr. Rockefeller's Roads: The Story Behind Acadia's Carriage Roads

The beautiful carriage roads of Mount Desert Island, Maine, and Acadia National Park fit so perfectly into the land it seems as though they have always been there. Actually, they are the result of decades of planning and painstaking effort. Although philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., planned them, the roads were built by Mount Desert Islanders over a twenty-seven-year period. Constructed of native materials and landscaped for a natural effect, the carriage roads are not accessible by car, so they remain a boon to walkers, horseback riders, bicyclists, and cross-country skiers. In this fascinating history, Ann Roberts, the grand-daughter of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., recounts the story of the carriage roads and of a man ahead of his time. This second edition also includes excerpts from an interview with David Rockefeller, son of JDR, Jr., and a detailed history of the roads' restoration following decades of neglect. Curving gracefully across the island's dramatic landscape, Acadia's carriage roads form a network of trails unequaled in the National Park System.