When snow blankets Mount Desert Island, forty-five miles of carriage roads offer a scenic setting for cross-country skiing in the park. Ski tracks are sometimes laid down by volunteers on sections of the carriage roads; nearly 32 miles are designated for grooming when conditions and time permit. For the grooming status of these areas, see the table below, which is updated as the volunteers report any grooming performed. The carriage road user's map (pdf - 784kb) can help you find your way on the carriage roads.

You may also cross-country ski on unplowed park roads. Be careful, as snowmobiles are permitted to use most of these unplowed park roads. Download a copy of the winter use map (pdf - 427kb) to see where the different activities are permitted.

Skiing on hiking trails is not recommended because of the uneven and steep nature of trails, ice falls blocking the path, and trail routes obscured by snow. Please do not snowshoe or allow dogs to walk in cross-country ski tracks. Dogs must be on a leash six feet or shorter.

Ski equipment and rentals are available in local communities; area chambers of commerce can provide the names of outfitters.

Grooming Status
When available, two sets of volunteer groomers with the Acadia Winter Trails Association, a committee of Friends of Acadia, may maintain cross-country ski routes if new snow exceeds four inches. The routes listed below are in priority order for each set of groomers, who are based at the visitor center and at Brown Mountain. For example, the route north of Eagle Lake is the highest priority for the visitor center groomers, while the Upper Hadlock Loop is the highest priority for the Brown Mountain groomers.  

While groomers generally follow these routes, as illustrated on the map below (and available for download as a 272kb pd), some areas within the routes listed may not be groomed. The information on this chart is accurate to the best of our knowledge; conditions may change between the time the routes are groomed and the information is posted. You can help us keep this information current. If you are out skiing and notice that conditions are different from what is listed here, please contact us.

3/29/09: Spring ski conditions - snow is icy in the morning and continues to melt in the afternoon as temperatures rise. Overall ski conditions will vary by location. Tracking is limited in many areas.