AMPHITHEATER BRIDGE

Precisely Constructed with Pink Granite:

Located in the heart of the Middle Peaks area in "the amphitheater" valley between Cedar Swamp Mountain and Penobscot Mountain, Amphitheater Bridge is one of the crown-jewel bridges of the carriage road system. Completed in 1931, it is also one of the longest bridges (245 feet) with a single large arch spanning Little Harbor Brook. The stonework of this pink granite bridge is precise and the patterns of raised pieces along with the open spaces under the top railing make this a work of art.

This bridge can be visited by those biking or hiking the long Around-Mountain Carriage Road. Hikers going up the Sargent South Ridge Trail to Cedar Swamp Mountain or up the Penobscot Mountain Trail can visit the bridge by completing their loop hikes with a descent of the rugged Amphitheater Trail. (Continuing further south on the Amphitheater Trail brings you to the Little Harbor Brook Bridge.)

To navigate the trails and carriage roads of Acadia and find the classic stone bridges, get a copy of the wonderful Map Adventures Acadia National Park Trail Map or Diane Abrell's Carriage Roads of Acadia: A Pocket Guide. And for more in depth information on the construction and history of the bridges, please see Robert Thayer's Acadia's Carriage Roads book.