BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 31, 2026
Acorns rolled and crunched beneath my boots as I followed Breakneck Road deeper into the wilderness of Acadia National Park. It measures about 2.5 miles long. Boarded by towering oaks and sugar maples, the old roadway serves as a little-known walking path, with wintergreen and sweet ferns encroaching on its gravel base. So what’s with the name “Breakneck”? In the 19th century, the road was open to carriages headed to Northeast Harbor. It earned its dark name from several carriage accidents that took place on the steep hill that the road descends before crossing Breakneck Brook.