Sources

Where the trails and stories come from

The guidebooks, maps, park studies, archive papers and web pages behind this atlas, with links to read each one. Field data are the author’s own GPS tracks, waypoints, photographs and notes, 1994–2026. The companion book’s Sources section draws on the same list.

Guidebooks and path guides

The guidebooks and path guides that first described the island’s walks, 1871–1928.

  1. E. H. Dodge, Mount Desert Island, and the Cranberry Isles, 1871. Internet Archive.
  2. B. F. De Costa, Rambles in Mount Desert, 1871. Internet Archive.
  3. Clara Barnes Martin, Mount Desert, on the Coast of Maine, 1874. Internet Archive.
  4. B. F. De Costa, The Hand-book of Mount Desert, 1878. Internet Archive. Read the PDF here (194 pages · 9.5 MB).
  5. Charles W. Eddy, Mount Desert Souvenir, 1884. University of Maine DigitalCommons copy.
  6. W. B. Lapham, Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island, 1886. Internet Archive (Library of Congress copy). 1888 edition (UMaine copy). 1888 edition (Harvard copy).
  7. M. F. Sweetser, Chisholm’s Mount-Desert Guide-Book, 1888. The Online Books Page. Read the PDF here (143 pages · 7.8 MB).
  8. W. H. Sherman, Sherman’s Bar Harbor Guide, 1890. Internet Archive.
  9. Herbert Jaques, Trail Paths (Bar Harbor Record, July 1, 1896), 1896. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library.
  10. Village Improvement Societies of Bar Harbor, Seal Harbor, Northeast Harbor and Southwest Harbor, A Path Guide of Mount Desert Island, Maine, 1915. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library. Download the full scan (PDF, 5.5 MB).
  11. Harold Peabody, Walks on Mount Desert Island, 1928. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library.
  12. Harold Peabody; typed by Les Heilakka, Walks on Mount Desert Island: transcriptions, 1928. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library.

Maps

Path maps, atlases and topographic sheets used to place each trail. The 1942 USGS sheet is the Atlas base map.

  1. George N. Colby & Co., Mount Desert and Adjacent Islands, 1885. Internet Archive (David Rumsey collection).
  2. Colby & Stuart, Map of Mount Desert Island, Sorrento, Portions of Lamoine, Hancock, Frenchman's Bay and Adjacent Islands, 1887. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library.
  3. J. H. Stuart & Co., Village of Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island, 1894. Internet Archive.
  4. Waldron Bates, Edward L. Rand and Herbert Jaques, Map of Mount Desert Island, Maine (1896, revised 1901), 1901. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, Boston Public Library.
  5. Path Map of the Eastern Part of Mount Desert Island, 1906. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library.
  6. Path Map of the Eastern Part of Mount Desert Island (color), 1911. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library.
  7. Map of Mount Desert Island (color), 1916. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library.
  8. Path Map of the Eastern Part of Mount Desert Island, 1921. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library.
  9. Path Map of the Western Part of Mount Desert Island, 1928. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library.
  10. Path Map of the Western Part of Mount Desert Island (color), 1928. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library.
  11. U.S. Geological Survey, Topographic Map, Acadia National Park and Vicinity, 1942. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division.
  12. U.S. Geological Survey (topoBuilder), USGS 1:100,000 Topographic Maps, Sheets 1 and 2, 2026. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia field files.
  13. Mount Desert Island Historical Society, MDI Historical Society map collections. mdihistory.org.
  14. U.S. Geological Survey, USGS topoView. USGS.

Histories, studies and park reports

Published histories and the National Park Service studies of the trail and road systems.

  1. Edward L. Rand and John H. Redfield, The Flora of Mount Desert Island, Maine, 1894. Internet Archive. Also at Internet Archive.
  2. Charles W. Eliot, The Right Development of Mount Desert, 1904. Harvard College Library copy (Google Books). Also at Internet Archive.
  3. George E. Street; edited by Samuel A. Eliot, Mount Desert: A History, 1905. New York Public Library copy. Also at Internet Archive.
  4. Florence Bascom, The Geology of Mount Desert Island, 1919. University of Maine DigitalCommons copy.
  5. George B. Dorr and correspondents, George B. Dorr letters, 1921. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library.
  6. Richard Walden Hale Jr., The Story of Bar Harbor, 1949. Internet Archive copy.
  7. Theresa Michaels; Gary Stellpflug, project director, Guide to the History of Acadia National Park’s Hiking Trails, 1987. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library. Also at NPS History e-Library.
  8. H. Eliot Foulds; edited by Lauren G. Meier, Historic Motor Road System, Acadia National Park, 1993. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library.
  9. Richard H. Quin, Historic American Engineering Record, Rockefeller Carriage Roads (HAER ME-13), 1994. NPS History e-Library.
  10. Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation, National Register Nomination: Hiking Trail System, Acadia National Park, 1999. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library.
  11. Acadia National Park, Hiking Trails Management Plan, 2002. NPS History e-Library.
  12. Margaret Coffin Brown, Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation, Pathmakers: Cultural Landscape Report for the Historic Hiking Trail System of Mount Desert Island, 2006. NPS History e-Library (listing).
  13. Meredith R. Hutchins and Charlotte R. Morrill, The Battle of Norwood’s Cove, 2014. Southwest Harbor Public Library.
  14. Laura J. Kline and Emily Giacomarra, Mount Desert Island Hiking Trail System — National Register Nomination, 2019. Friends of Acadia.
  15. Historic American Engineering Record, Cadillac Mountain Road (HAER ME-58). NPS History e-Library.
  16. The History Trust, History Trust newspaper archive. The History Trust.
  17. Don Lenahan, The Memorials of Acadia National Park. Blog.
  18. Title of Lands of the Bingham Estate on Mt. Desert Island. Lost Trails and Paths of Acadia Library.

Historical societies and archives

The historical societies, museums and archives that hold Mount Desert Island’s papers, photographs and maps, with The History Trust, the regional alliance that links their collections online. Contact details were checked on 18 October 2026; hours change by season, so call or write before visiting.

On Mount Desert Island

Nearby islands (Cranberry Isles)

  • Great Cranberry Island Historical Society

    Location
    Cranberry House, 163 Cranberry Road, Great Cranberry Island
    Mail
    P.O. Box 12, Cranberry Isles, ME 04625
    Phone
    207-244-7800
    Email
    info@gcihs.org
    Website
    gcihs.org
    Hours
    Daily, Memorial Day to Columbus Day; off season Monday to Wednesday 9 to 4 (call or email first).

    Details from gcihs.org, maine.gov.

  • Islesford Historical Society

    Location
    Back of the Islesford Library (Neighborhood House), 10 Mosswood Road, Islesford, Little Cranberry Island
    Mail
    P.O. Box 255, Islesford, ME 04646
    Phone
    Islesford Library, 207-244-9565 (published society numbers differ)
    Website
    islesfordhistory.org
    Hours
    Same hours as the Islesford Library; the State Archives lists Tuesday and Thursday 9 to 2, summer Monday to Friday 9 to 2.

    Details from islesfordhistory.org, maine.gov, islesford.lib.me.us.

Regional alliance and archives

  • The History Trust

    Email
    info@historytrust.org
    Website
    historytrust.org

    A regional alliance of historical societies, libraries and museums around Blue Hill and Frenchman bays. It holds no collection of its own; its free online archives give finding-aid access to members’ collections and searchable runs of the Bar Harbor Times (1902–1968), Mount Desert Herald (1881–1889) and Bar Harbor Record (1887–1962). Members include the Bar Harbor Village Improvement Association, College of the Atlantic’s Thorndike Library, Great Cranberry Island Historical Society, Great Harbor Maritime Museum, Islesford Historical Society, Jesup Memorial Library, Maine Seacoast Mission, Mount Desert Island Historical Society, Seal Cove Auto Museum, Southwest Harbor Historical Society and Tremont Historical Society.

    Details from historytrust.org, alliance.historytrust.org, islandinstitute.org, barharborstory.substack.com, theqsjournal.substack.com.

Research archive

161 deeds, surveys, notes, clippings, reports and map scans gathered area by area. Each is described, and can be read in full, in the Library.

Sources by page

The sources cited on each feature page, in the order they appear there.

After the Fire of ’47

  1. U.S. National Park Service. “Fire of 1947,” Acadia National Park history and culture. nps.gov/acad/learn/historyculture/fireof1947.htm
  2. U.S. National Park Service. Fire of 1947 brochure, 2008. npshistory.com/publications/acad/brochures/fire-2008.pdf
  3. National Wildfire Coordinating Group. 1947 Bar Harbor fire staff ride. nwcg.gov/node/41008
  4. U.S. National Park Service. Historic Resources of Acadia National Park, Multiple Property Documentation. npshistory.com/publications/acad/mpd.pdf
  5. U.S. National Park Service. Acadia National Park archives finding aid. npshistory.com/publications/acad/acad_finding_aid.pdf
  6. U.S. National Park Service. Fire ecology. nps.gov/places/fire-ecology.htm
  7. Friends of Acadia. “Ghosts of ’47.” friendsofacadia.org/story/ghosts-of-47
  8. National Parks Conservation Association. “Blazes and Colors.” npca.org/articles/3335-blazes-and-colors
  9. Portland Press Herald. “Fire had profound impact on Bar Harbor and Acadia,” 21 October 2017. pressherald.com/2017/10/21/fire-had-profound-impact-on-bar-harbor-and-acadia
  10. Fire Science North Atlantic. “Acadia recap: the great Acadia fire 70 years later.” firesciencenorthatlantic.org/post/acadia-recap-the-great-acadia-fire-70-years-later
  11. U.S. National Park Service. Eliza Homans. nps.gov/people/eliza-homans.htm
  12. U.S. National Park Service. The founding of Acadia National Park. nps.gov/acad/learn/historyculture/founding.htm
  13. Lenahan, Don. The Memorials of Acadia National Park, April 2012. acadiamemorials.blogspot.com/2012/04
  14. The History Trust online archives (Homans estate guest house). historytrust.historyit.com/items/view/online-archives/4920416/search
  15. The History Trust online archives (publication). historytrust.historyit.com/items/view/online-archives/11774/publication
  16. U.S. National Park Service. Cultural Landscape Inventory: Sieur de Monts Spring. npshistory.com/publications/acad/cli-sieur-de-monts-spring.pdf
  17. U.S. National Park Service. Cultural Landscape Inventory: Historic Motor Road System. npshistory.com/publications/acad/cli-historic-motor-road-system.pdf
  18. Friends of Acadia. National Register registration form, Mount Desert Island Hiking Trail System. friendsofacadia.org/wp-content/uploads/NationalRegisterRegistration_MDIHikingTrailSystem.pdf
  19. Charpentier, J. Doctoral dissertation, Antioch University, 2020. aura.antioch.edu/context/etds/article/1580/viewcontent/JCharp_draft_Dissertation_5.15.20_final.pdf
  20. U.S. National Park Service. Beavers in Acadia. home.nps.gov/articles/000/acadbeavers.htm
  21. U.S. National Park Service. DataStore report cited for the post-fire rise in deer. irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/561434
  22. U.S. National Park Service. Research brief: legacies of disturbance. nps.gov/articles/research-brief-legacies-of-disturbance.htm
  23. Kahl, J. S., and others. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2007. harvardforest1.fas.harvard.edu/publications/pdfs/Kahl_EnvironMonitAssess_2007.pdf
  24. U.S. National Park Service. “Messy forests.” nps.gov/articles/000/messy-forests.htm

Photo credits and rights for this page are listed on the page itself.

Cadillac Summit

  1. U.S. National Park Service. Cultural Landscapes Inventory: Cadillac Mountain Summit, 1999, revised 2008. In this site’s research archive. Read the file
  2. Historic American Engineering Record. Cadillac Mountain Road, HAER No. ME-58. npshistory.com/publications/acad/haer-me-58.pdf
  3. U.S. National Park Service. Acadia hiking trails history. npshistory.com/publications/acad/hiking-trails-history.pdf
  4. U.S. National Park Service. Military history, Acadia National Park. nps.gov/acad/learn/historyculture/military.htm
  5. U.S. National Park Service. “Secrets of the Summit.” nps.gov/articles/000/secrets-of-the-summit.htm
  6. MIT Radiation Laboratory (Project Cadillac). Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIT_Radiation_Laboratory

Field notes by the Lost Trails crew, 2006–2025.

The Pest Houses of Bar Harbor

  1. Goodrich, David. Preliminary Findings Regarding Bar Harbor Pest Houses, 2020. In this site’s research archive. Read the file
  2. Hancock County Registry of Deeds; Town of Eden reports; Bar Harbor Record and Bar Harbor Times, as cited by Goodrich. Deeds in this site’s research archive. See the Library
  3. Mount Desert Islander. “Hidden history: the ‘pest houses’ of Mount Desert Island.” mdislander.com/maine-news/hidden-history-the-pest-houses-of-mount-desert-island

The Bar Harbor Water Company

  1. Morrison, P. History of the Bar Harbor Water Company, 2005; stockholder reports, title abstracts and deeds. In this site’s research archive. Read the file

From Golden Age to Lost Remains

  1. Hancock County Registry of Deeds and Probate Court. Deeds, depositions and decrees for the Archbold and Rowell lots, Cleftstone Road, 1902–1989. In this site’s research archive. See the Library
  2. Great Hill. Draft study of the Great Hill trails, author unknown. In this site’s research archive. Read the file
  3. Anne Mills Archbold. Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Mills_Archbold
  4. Glover Park History. Anne Archbold. gloverparkhistory.com/estates-and-farms/hillandale/anne-archbold
  5. The Down East Dilettante. Bar Harbor. downeastdilettante.wordpress.com/category/bar-harbor/page/2
  6. Maine Historic Preservation Commission. A Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Maine: Landscape Architects (Beatrix Farrand). maine.gov/mhpc/sites/maine.gov.mhpc/files/documents/1382_607144_Landscape_Architects.pdf
  7. Bar Harbor Village Improvement Association. 1928 Annual Report (The History Trust). historytrust.historyit.com/items/view/online-archives/682/publication

Field data from August 2009.

Maps and methods

  1. U.S. Geological Survey. Topographic Map, Acadia National Park and Vicinity, Maine, 1:31,680, 1942. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division. loc.gov/resource/g3732a.np000040
  2. U.S. Geological Survey. Historical topographic maps (the 1942 Mount Desert and Bar Harbor 15-minute quadrangles). usgs.gov/programs/national-geospatial-program/historical-topographic-maps-preserving-past
  3. USGS topoView, historical topographic maps. ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview
  4. U.S. Geological Survey. The National Map (modern topography and imagery). usgs.gov/programs/national-geospatial-program/national-map
  5. National Geodetic Survey. NADCON datum transformation grids. geodesy.noaa.gov/NADCON5
  6. Acadia National Park. Hiking Trails Management Plan, 2002. npshistory.com/publications/acad/hiking-trails-mgt.pdf
  7. U.S. National Park Service. Top 5 things to know about visiting Acadia. nps.gov/articles/top-5-things-to-know-about-visiting-acadia.htm
  8. ExpertGPS, by Dan Foster (track and waypoint editing). expertgps.com

The island outline used to sort East and West Sides is from OpenStreetMap.

Missing a source, or found a broken link? Write to info@losttrailsofacadia.com.