Acadia National Park: A Trip to Old Farm

In 1942, Acadia National Park received a donation of 58 acres of land known as Old Farm (or Oldfarm). This land would be only a small portion of the park, but it had already had an outsized history in the formation of the park by the time it became part of it. This was because Old Farm was the home of George B. Dorr, who, along with John D. Rockefeller, Jr., was one of the two men primarily responsible for the creation of Acadia National Park.

As a child, Dorr spent summer vacations on Mount Desert Island, where Acadia National Park is mostly located. His family owned a cottage near Bar Harbor, called Old Farm. It was from this home that he truly grew to love the island. As an adult, he worked tirelessly to establish and expand Acadia National Park, including spending his large, inherited fortune on the park. Among his inherited fortune was Old Farm, the place that had helped inspire him to create the park.

At the time Dorr donated Old Farm to the park, it had numerous buildings on it. Most prominent of these was the main house, a 30 room home built by Dorr’s parents in 1880. After World War II, citing the cost of upkeep and preservation, the National Park Service demolished the buildings on the property.

Access to Old Farm today is via the Compass Harbor Trail, which is the subject of another post here on the 101 Travel Bits blog. When done as a loop trail, the Compass Harbor Trail passes around the ruins of the Old Farm buildings. The most prominent of these ruins are those of the main house, which sit upon a small hill.

The Compass Harbor Trail is relatively flat and easy; it is 0.8 miles when done as a loop trail. In addition to the remains of Old Farm, it travels beneath a canopy of large trees that were not destroyed in the Fires of 1947 that burned many of the island’s forests, and it provides ocean views and beach access.

Access to Old Farm is via the Compass Harbor Trail. The trailhead is approximately one mile from the center of Bar Harbor, the main city on the island. Despite its proximity to town, Old Farm and the Compass Harbor Trail are relatively isolated and usually not busy.

From Bar Harbor, it is an easy walk or bike ride to and from the trailhead. For those arriving by car, there is a small parking area at the trailhead. Although the parking lot and trailhead is not marked with signage on the road, it is noted on both Google and Apple Maps.

The Compass Harbor Trailhead is located about a mile from the center of Bar Harbor; for those staying in town, it is an easy walk to and from the trailhead. For those who prefer to drive, there is a small parking area at the trailhead. The trailhead is not marked with any signage on the road, but it is noted on both Google and Apple Maps.

For those who can’t visit Old Farm in person, the National Park Service has a virtual tour of Old Farm. It is also instructive for those who do visit the site, to see what it looked like before the buildings were demolished.

Want to learn more about Acadia National Park? Check out 101 Travel Bits: Acadia National Park.