Sight · Acadia National Park
A granite carriage-road bridge with a six-foot Roman arch.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Acadia Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Acadia National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
Jordan Pond and Popovers“Jordan Pond is coming up, with the rounded peaks called the Bubbles at the far end of the water. Walk down to the south shore for that classic view; you don't need to circle the lake to enjoy it.”
Plays on the road 0.3 mi from West Branch Jordan Stream Bridge in the Parkwolf Acadia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“…As we drove through Acadia it gave us a tour, which was really cool. Lots of great info about the parks and how to avoid the crowds. It’s a great travel companion!”
Guide
West Branch Jordan Stream Bridge is a 115-foot, granite-faced bridge carrying Amphitheatre Road over the west branch of Jordan Stream. It’s a worthwhile small stop if you’re already exploring the Jordan Pond carriage roads on foot or by bike; I wouldn’t make a separate trip for it.
The bridge’s six-foot Roman arch is the feature to look for. Notice the fan of slim wedge-shaped stones around its prominent keystone, then the alternating square and rectangular capstones along the parapet. The streambed below is usually dry, so the stonework, not a waterfall, is the payoff. For a photo, frame the arch with enough of the granite wall to show how it’s built.
Built in 1931, West Branch was one of 17 historic bridges constructed for Mount Desert Island’s carriage-road network between 1917 and 1940. Its narrow arch was inspired by a small footbridge in Central Park’s Ramble. From Jordan Pond House, follow the carriage roads north to junction 14, then head west about a quarter mile. The roads are closed to motor vehicles and shared by pedestrians, cyclists, and horse-drawn carriages, so expect company on wheels or hooves.
Wildlife
130 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around noonSighting map
21 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
396 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
305 sightingsPorcupineMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
201 sightingsBeaverMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
34 sightingsMinkMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Acadia. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingJordan Cliffs Trail1.5 mi · 2 hr · 0.1 mi awayIron rungs, exposed ledges, and a sweeping look over Jordan Pond
ModerateAmphitheater Loop4.8 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.2 mi awayA rolling carriage road loop with four historic stone bridges.
EasyJordan Pond Nature Trail0.2 mi · 20 min · 0.3 mi awayA short history loop reaches Jordan Pond’s stone causeway.
ModerateJordan Pond Carriage Road Loop8.6 mi · 4 hr · 0.3 mi awayFour historic bridges are the payoff on this long, rolling loop.
EasyJordan Stream Path1.2 mi · 1 hr · 0.3 mi awayA shaded brook walk ends at Acadia's only cobblestone bridge.
ModerateJordan Pond Path3.3 mi · 2 hr · 0.3 mi awayA 3.3-mile loop from smooth shore to rocky scrambling.
ChallengingPemetic Mountain Loop4 mi · 3 hr · 0.3 mi awayA lakeside approach climbs to a steep scramble and wide island views.
ModeratePemetic South Ridge Trail4 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayClimb rocky granite to Pemetic's open summit and coastal views.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayJordan Pond Dam BridgeA raised 1920 crossing over the dam and toward the pond.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayJordan PondClear water, bare granite, and the Bubbles in one frame.
Restaurant · 0.3 mi awayJordan Pond HouseTea and popovers with Jordan Pond and The Bubbles in view
Sight · 0.4 mi awayJordan Pond GatehouseA 1930s stone-and-timber gateway to the carriage roads.
Sight · 0.5 mi awayCliffside BridgeA 1932 stone bridge with castle turrets above Jordan Stream.
Sight · 0.5 mi awayAmphitheatre BridgeA granite arch curves around two trees toward a waterfall.Sight · 0.7 mi awayCobblestone BridgeA 1917 carriage-road bridge with an unusual cobblestone arch.
Sight · 0.7 mi awayLittle Harbor Brook BridgeA 1919 granite-faced arch over a shallow brook on car-free roads.Parkwolf’s Acadia ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
