Parking
Jordan Pond North Lot; follow the carriage-road connection to intersection 14. The approach walk is outside the mapped loop. An Acadia entrance pass is required May–October.
Overview
About Amphitheater Loop
Why go
- Four historic stone bridges, including Amphitheatre Bridge.
- Wide, car-free carriage road with a signed circuit.
Heads up
- The steep 14–21 approach is retraced.
- Bicycles and horse-drawn carriages share the road.
Map & elevation
The route
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Acadia alerts
- CautionAvoid water contact at Sand Beach LagoonDo not swim at Sand Beach Lagoon. - Bacterial levels have exceeded public-health standards, so the NPS has posted a Public Health Advisory.Official details
- ClosureSchoodic Mountain Road closed for repairsSchoodic Mountain Road is closed from Schoodic Loop Road to the summit of Schoodic Head. - The closure began August 31 for resurfacing, regrading, and ditching.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Acadia Tour Guide
Your drive to Amphitheater Loop, narrated.
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 Popovers0:00 / 0:32
“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 the trailhead in the Parkwolf Acadia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Stanley Brook Bridge’s Three Crossings
- Wildwood Stables by Carriage
- South Triad’s Wooded Summit
- Bubbles Divide and Bubble Rock
- 116 audio storiesacross Acadia’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 142 trails, 72 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…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!”
Trail guide
Hiking Amphitheater Loop
The routeThe Amphitheater Loop is a 4.
The Amphitheater Loop is a 4.8-mile carriage-road circuit in Acadia, following the numbered sequence 14–21–20–22–21–14. You share the approach between 14 and 21 in both directions, then make a smaller loop through 20 and 22. The park’s overview lists 4.4 miles, while the mapped line for this intersection sequence measures 4.79; use about 4.8 miles for planning. This is the standalone carriage-road loop, without the Hadlock extension or the Jordan Pond walking-path connector.
Surface and effortThe road is about 16 feet wide, surfaced with broken stone and closed to cars.
The road is about 16 feet wide, surfaced with broken stone and closed to cars. It is still a shared route: expect bicycles and horse-drawn carriages. The grades roll throughout, with a short steep drop and climb between 14 and 21 and a more substantial descent and climb near 22. Plan around 2½ hours, plus time to stop at the bridges. It is a moderate outing by distance and hills, even though the surface is broad and easy to follow. Keep right and warn before passing; cyclists yield to other users, and walkers yield to horses.
The bridge sequenceThe approach to 21 passes West Branch Jordan Stream and Cliffside bridges; the loop then…
The approach to 21 passes West Branch Jordan Stream and Cliffside bridges; the loop then reaches Amphitheatre Bridge and Little Harbor Brook Bridge. Amphitheatre Bridge is the standout: its 245-foot masonry arch was completed in 1931 and rises 27 feet above Little Harbor Brook. A turret balcony looks over the bridge and ravine, a worthwhile place to pause and frame the stonework with the wooded slopes.
A landscape-shaped roadJohn D. Rockefeller Jr. and his family gave Acadia’s carriage-road system to the public.
John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his family gave Acadia’s carriage-road system to the public. Built from 1913 to 1940, the roads curve along hillsides to work with the terrain, retain trees and open carefully framed views. On this circuit, the bridges, retaining walls and broad gravel surface are part of the experience, not just a way to reach a summit.
Start, pass and dogsBegin at carriage-road intersection 14 and follow the numbered signs.
Begin at carriage-road intersection 14 and follow the numbered signs. Jordan Pond North Lot is the named parking access; follow the carriage-road connection from the lot to 14, an approach that is not included in the mapped loop mileage. An Acadia entrance pass is required for parking from May through October. Carriage roads may close in spring mud season until their surfaces dry and firm, so check current conditions before setting out. Dogs are allowed on the carriage roads and must stay on a leash no longer than six feet.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Acadia
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.
