CLIFFSIDE BRIDGE

Like Standing on Top of a Castle:

Cliffside Bridge was one of the last of the majestic carriage-road bridges to be completed (in 1932), and as Robert Thayer notes in his "Acadia's Carriage Roads" book, "This bridge does not cross a stream or a road but rather is a creative solution to a difficult engineering problem." Spanning roughly 250 feet with the appearance of a European castle, this bridge hugs the steep cliffs of Penobscot Mountain to complete the Around-Mountain carriage road. Several viewing platforms invite hikers and riders to take a break and enjoy the view.

Visitors who bike the long Around-Mountain loop can see this bridge along with several other bridges, including the neighboring West Branch Bridge and Amphitheater Bridge. Hikers can conveniently see Cliffside Bridge by taking a little detour along the carriage road while hiking up or down Penobscot Mountain via the Spring Trail or the Penobscot Mountain Trail.

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.