Foliage week is booked, and the e-bike on your car rack has a thumb throttle. At Acadia National Park in Maine, that bike stays off the carriage roads.
The rule has been in place since 2019. It is back in the news because longtime visitors are complaining about e-bike behavior, and the park is weighing a change to how rentals work. Nothing new has been announced for riders yet.
Where each class can ride
The park’s bicycling page (last updated Oct. 4, 2026) says pedal-assist Class 1 bikes may use the carriage roads. Class 2 and Class 3 may not. The Superintendent’s Compendium, approved by Superintendent Kevin Schneider on Jan. 16, 2026, spells out the rest.
| Class | How it works | Where it can ride in Acadia |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motor helps only while you pedal; cuts out at 20 mph | Motor roads, carriage roads, designated bike paths, parking areas, listed service roads |
| 2 | Throttle can drive the bike without pedaling | Motor roads only |
| 3 | Pedal assist up to 28 mph | Motor roads only |
Hio Road and Marshall Brook Fire Road are on the Class 1 service-road list. So are the Western Mountain and Sand Beach connectors. Western Head Road on Isle au Haut rounds it out.
The Park Service’s 2019 reasoning was simple. Throttles let riders move without pedaling. Class 3 speeds are a poor fit for loose gravel shared with walkers, runners, horses and horse-drawn carriages.
The Class 1 opening took effect Sept. 28, 2019, under NPS Policy Memorandum 19-01. The same release dropped the carriage road and Schoodic bike path speed limit from 25 mph to 20 mph. The compendium now sets that 20 mph cap for every kind of use on the carriage roads.
Rules that apply once you’re on the gravel
- Bicyclists yield to everyone, and everyone yields to horses.
- Stay right, call out before you pass on the left, and ride single file.
- Expect loose stone. Sudden stops are risky.
- Hiking trails and privately owned carriage roads are closed to bikes.
- Carriage roads often close for mud season, typically March and April.
- You need a park entrance pass to ride, even on carriage roads.
- Maine law requires helmets for riders under 16. The park advises everyone to wear one.
E-bikes also can’t ride the Island Explorer buses or the Bike Express trailers because of load limits. Plan to start from where you park or rent.
The Park Loop Road is open to bikes, but it has no shoulder. The park advises against riding it between about 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Cadillac Mountain’s road is steep and, in the park’s words, can be dangerous.
What the pushback is about
A Bar Harbor Story report published Oct. 11, 2026, credited to Sabrina Martin of the Bangor Daily News, collects the complaints. Residents and regular visitors describe fast riders, weaving, startled horses and guided packs of more than a dozen. They also say riders give little warning before passing.
Some numbers frame the argument. E-bikes have been allowed for about seven years. They now make up roughly half the bike traffic on the 45-mile carriage road network. Acadia also set a record for annual visits in 2025.
The park’s own data cuts the other way on speed. A Worcester Polytechnic Institute study found e-bike riders averaging 12 mph and traditional cyclists averaging 11 mph. Schneider told the Acadia Advisory Commission in mid-September that e-bikers weren’t exceeding the limit.
A Sept. 29 Bar Harbor Story piece adds more. Rentals account for 93% of bikes used in the park. Bicycle injury crashes make up 71% of crashes in the park’s high-attraction areas, which cover 8% of roadways. It also lists concerns about faster speeds on blind curves and wear on the gravel. It notes that e-bikes let riders with mobility limits enjoy the park.
Park managers are considering a concessions contract that would require e-bike education. No start date or details have been announced.
My take
An average speed of 12 mph tells me little about the two seconds when someone rounds a blind curve too fast. It also can’t show how many riders skip the bell. Both things can be true: the average is fine, and the horse-spooking stories are real.
The 93% rental figure is the number I’d watch. Most e-bike riders in Acadia are on unfamiliar bikes, many for the first time. Education tied to rentals is a sensible fix, and a contract requirement would reach people at the counter, where they actually listen.
The class split is also familiar. Our look at e-bike rules on public lands shows Class 3 is usually the first to get shut out of shared paths. Bend, Oregon sorts bikes by type on its trails, and New York City’s Class 3 bills target the same 28 mph category. Acadia just got there first, with horses and carriages as the extra reason.
If I were heading up this month, I’d do four things:
- Check the class label on any bike before you leave the shop or driveway. Rental fleets there are Class 1.
- Ride early or on a weekday, and slow to walking pace around horses.
- Use a bell or call out well before you reach someone.
- Check alerts at go.nps.gov/AcadiaAlerts for closures before you go.
One Hulls Cove shop lists full-day Class 1 rentals at $125 through Oct. 31, with riders 14 and older. Prices as of October 2026.
What’s still unknown: whether the park will add limits, when a concession contract could take effect, and what the education would involve. The 2019 release reserved the right to restrict e-bike use based on safety and resource findings. So far, that is only a reserved right.
Quick answers for trip planners
What e-bikes are allowed in Acadia?
Class 1 e-bikes are allowed anywhere regular bikes are, including carriage roads. Class 2 and 3 are limited to roads open to motor vehicles.
Can I bring a throttle e-bike?
Yes, but only for roads that cars use. The carriage roads and Schoodic bike paths are off limits to it.
Is there a speed limit?
Yes. Carriage roads cap every bicycle at 20 mph, and the park says to slow down well before that near other users.
Do other states follow the same rules?
No. Rules vary widely by place, and our guide on e-bike licensing and state rules covers the basics. In Acadia, the park’s rules come first.
Photo: Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park – 51649967928 by John Manard, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped.
