Beech Mountain Road/Path, crosses Acadia National Park, Hancock County, ME

This path is part of the original road system laid out by Sir Francis Bernard in 1762.  The route is shown on the 1808 Salem Towne map and described by Fernald in 1896 (Bar Harbor Record, 11/11/1896).  This trail is part of the old Beech Hill Road from Southwest Harbor to Somesville.The 1919 BHVIA 30th An. Rpt. states, possibly in reference to this route, "The map committee recommend that whatever roads were practically abandoned by the different town authorities, and owing to lack of repair no longer save for public use, should be designated as woodroads, as apparently some are not intended to be travelled over except by pedestrians.  Two of these may be mentioned, one leading to Long Pond from Southwest Harbor, and the other on the west of Beech Cliff." A letter dated April 4, 1934 from the Superintendent [G.B. Dorr] to the Director, National Park Service, Washington, D.C. states, "I present herewith a map, on which is shown in color two sections of road in the Beech Cliff section of Acadia National Park. One section has already been improved by Mr. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who gave Beech Cliff to the Park; the other section is recommended for rebuilding by the Park. There is also presented a plan for the sections recommended for rebuilding, as well as an estimate of cost for the work."The project is designed to improve a section of an existing road which, years ago, was the only highway between the villages of Mount Desert (Somesville) and Southwest Harbor. Following the construction of the present highway, along Echo Lake, between the two villages, the old road became less and less used until in 1920 it was discontinued from the last houses on Beech Hill to its intersection with the present highway near Southwest Harbour."In 1919 Mr. Rockefeller acquired and presented to the Park the Beech Cliff property. His motive for doing so was to preserve for public use and enjoyment one of the outstanding beauty spots on Mount Desert Island. It has been much visited by generations of summer visitors to the Island, and continues still to be a popular picnic objective."Since 1920 access to the area has become increasingly difficult year by year by reason of the road's abandonment by the Towns of Mount Desert and Southwest Harbor, in which it lay. Many complaints were received on account of the condition of the road, and becoming interested in the matter last season, Mr. Rockefeller improved the section marked in black on the map, a distance of three thousand feet. He began his work at the point of the road's discontinuance by the Town of Mount Desert, and carried it to the Park boundary."In view of this improvement by Mr. Rockefeller, and the improvement which the Town of Mount Desert has made to the road from Somesville in to its terminus at the last house on Beech Hill, I feel that the Park should improve another section, twenty five hundred feet in length, as shown in red on the map and in accordance with the plan submitted. Such improvement, which provides for a small parking area at the end of the road, will make the area readily accessible, and will not involve heavy expenditures. Neither will the work open up virgin territory nor create additional new roads. The old road bed is in existence, and needs only to be improved to make it passable. The parking area is on a flat area which will need only drainage and gravel fill."I have given the matter careful study in conjunction with the landscape and engineering representatives in the park, and I recommend that it be undertaken as a special E. C.W. project, labor to be supplied by the Great Pond Camp, and funds specially allotted for equipment rental and purchase of materials.I would appreciate early consideration of the project on your part, so that I may be advised of your decision."  (CCC records, National Archives).

1.1 miles

From Southwest Harbor up the southern valley of Beech Mtn. to the ridge.