Shout out to the volunteers of the Acadia Winter Trails Association!

In a recent story, the Portland Press Herald shined a well-deserved spotlight on the Acadia Winter Trails Association (aka, the crew of volunteers who groom carriage roads in Acadia National Park for cross-country skiing).

This year, thanks to cold temperatures and robust snowfall in January and early February, those groomers were out a lot – sometimes more than once a day.

Here’s a snippet from the article:

About half a dozen regular volunteers help keep nine of Acadia National Park’s historic carriage roads groomed for cross-country skiers, allowing visitors to glide past Jordan Pond and Frenchman Bay, said Nikki Burtis, stewardship manager with Friends of Acadia.

Now supported by Friends of Acadia, volunteers have been caring for the trails since the 1980s. Initially, they used homemade groomers — like cinderblocks and box springs towed behind snowmobiles — to flatten the snowpack, Burtis said. But these days, crews have access to a small fleet of snowmobiles and specialized equipment.

> Read the full story via the Press Herald: Volunteers keep Acadia’s carriage roads ready for skiers

Cross-country skiing on the carriage roads an early morning in February 2025. (Photo by Shannon Bryan/Friends of Acadia)

AWTA Volunteer Groomer Jake grooming the carriage road. (Photo: Nikki Burtis/Friends of Acadia)

Skiing Acadia’s carriage roads is a winter highlight, but there are some requirements before grooming can begin. New snow must exceed six inches, and the roadbed must be frozen (i.e., at least five days of freezing temperatures). Grooming also must be done at times that are both convenient and safe.

This approach helps ensure the carriage roads remain in top-notch condition, since shallow snow depth and warmer weather/wet conditions soften the carriage roads and make them susceptible to damage. That said, when the temperature is too warm or the snow depth doesn’t reach six inches, skiers are still welcome to set their own tracks!

Mid-groom on Acadia’s carriage roads this winter. (Photo courtesy Acadia Winter Trails Association volunteer groomer Matt Gerrish)

Started in the late 1980s as a personal mission of several local ski enthusiasts, the Acadia Winter Trails Association (AWTA) formally partnered with Friends of Acadia and Acadia National Park in 1990. Friends of Acadia provided financial and fundraising assistance to the loyal groomers, and the park added maintenance and other support.

In 2005, the family of Elizabeth R. (Leila) Bright established an equipment fund and an endowment in Leila’s memory and in honor of her love for skiing in Acadia. These provide annual grants to underwrite the purchase and maintenance of grooming equipment, safety training and equipment, fuel, volunteer and staff training and support.

With the additional equipment and program support, an expanded cadre of volunteers has been able to groom more ski routes, taking full advantage of Mount Desert Island’s unpredictable snow season.

> Learn more about the Acadia Winter Trails Association

> For the most recent grooming updates, check out Friends of Acadia’s Ski Acadia page or our Facebook page.