Most visitors arrive at Mount Desert Island by boat. Once there, several travel options are available. One of the most popular is the free Island Express bus. However, before there were paved roads, there were buckboard roads built by the Brewer family, who owned most of Cadillac Mtn. The roads were popular with pedestrians and those with sled-like wagons, as seen in this 1888 photo.
Also popular was the Green Mountain Cog Railway, which took visitors to the top of Green Mountain, as Cadillac Mountain was known then. It operated from 1883-93. The first photo is undated.
The last rail.
Here is a 1939 photo showing the Eagle Lake carriage road.
It is now paved, as are the other 45 miles of former carriage roads, but parking can be a problem so many use bikes instead.
One very out-of-the-way place is Pulpit Rock, best accessed by boat. Here are some visitors in 1875.
If you want to get really away, the very lonely Mt. Desert Lighthouse fits the bill. It is located 18 miles south of Mt. Desert Island. The lighthouse was built in 1847 and the keeper’s house in 1892. The site is now a research station. The first photo is dated 1875.
