Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location:	Maine, USA
Nearest city:	Bar Harbor
Area:	47,390 acres (191.8 km²), 45,822.90 acres (185.4 km²) federal
Established:	July 8, 1916
Visitation:	2,202,228 (in 2007)
Governing body:	National Park Service

Acadia National Park preserves much of Mount Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast of Maine. The area includes mountains, an ocean shoreline, woodlands, and lakes. In addition to Mount Desert Island, the park comprises much of the Isle au Haut, a small island to the southwest of Mount Desert Island and parts of Baker Island, also nearby. A portion of Schoodic Peninsula on the mainland is also part of the park. In total, Acadia National Park consists of 30,300 acres (47 square miles or 123 km²) on Mount Desert Island, 2,728 acres (4.6 square miles or 11 km²) on Isle au Haut and 2,366 acres (3.5 square miles or 9.2 km²) on the Schoodic Peninsula.

In Acadia National Park there are more than 120 miles of marked trails. There are 17 mountains to climb. The Carriage Road consists of over 50 miles of broken stone roads built by John Rockefeller, Jr. which he later donated to the park. There are 18 stone bridges in the park. The Park Loop Road is 27 miles long. You can get to Sand Beach, Cadillac Mountain and Otter Cliffs on the Park Loop Road. In the park you will find 20 lakes and ponds.

Acadia National Park also includes substantial tracts of land off Mount Desert Island. Fifty miles from Bar Harbor by road. Acadia preserves 2000 acres on the tip of Schoodic Peninsula, the only section of the park on the mainland. A one-way, six-mile loop road skirts the edge of the peninsula, bringing into view a rugged coastline offering sweeping panoramas of Mount Desert Island. Acadia also preserves another 2000 acres on Isle au Haut, an offshore island linked to the mainland by a mail boat from Stonington.

The second most visited National Park in the United States, Acadia National Park is open year round. Visitors can visit the visitor's center from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May through early October.

History

The park was created by President Woodrow Wilson, as Sieur de Monts National Monument on July 8, 1916, administered by the National Park Service. On February 26, 1919, it became a national park, with the name Lafayette National Park in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, an influential French supporter of the American Revolution.

Legislation passed in 1929 authorized the government to accept additional gifts of land beyond the limits of Mount Desert Island. Almost immediately, the park was enlarged to include parts of the Schoodic Peninsula. At the request of the donor of the Schoodic land the park was renamed Acadia National Park on January 19, 1929

From 1915 to 1933, the wealthy philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. financed, designed, and directed the construction of an extensive network of carriage trails throughout the park. The network encompassed over 50 miles (80 km) of gravel carriage trails, 17 granite bridges, and two gate lodges, almost all of which are still maintained and in use today.

On November 11, 1938, Law Enforcement Ranger Karl A. Jacobson, age 22, was shot and killed in the line of duty by a deer poacher in the Schoodic Peninsula Section of the park. A suspect was arrested for the murder and sentenced to one day in jail due to his old age and mental state.[1]

On October 17, 1947, 10,000 acres (40 km²) of Acadia National Park burned in a fire that had begun on the mainland in a cranberry bog. The forest fire was one of a series of fires, known as The Great Fires of 1947 that consumed much of Maine's forest as a result of a dry year. The fire burned for days and was fought by the Coast Guard, Army, Navy, local residents, and National Park Service Employees from around the country. Restoration of the park was supported, substantially, by the Rockefeller family, particularly John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Re-growth was mostly allowed to occur naturally and the fire has been suggested to have actually enhanced the beauty of the park, adding diversity to tree populations and depth to its scenery.

Acadia National Park is the only national park in New England and the first established east of the Mississippi River.[2]

Towns and Tours

The town of Bar Harbor is located on the northeast corner of Mount Desert Island. Southwest Harbor, on the western side of the fjord Somes Sound, is well known for boat-building and fishing, and has the largest year-round population on Mount Desert Island. Northeast Harbor is known for its beautiful private "cottages" yet retains a small town atmosphere. Cadillac Mountain, named after the same French Explorer who went on to found Detroit, Michigan, is on the eastern side of the island, and has always been a famous tourist destination because its pink granite summit is one of the first places in the United States to see the sunrise. Miles of scenic carriage roads were originally built by Rockefeller, Jr., with great sensitivity to the trees and contours of the land. The mountains of Acadia National Park offer hikers and bicycle riders views of the ocean, island lakes, and pine forests.

Centennial Initiative Project

The National Park Service, as part of their Centennial Initiative celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2016, has created a project to promote voluntary, multimodal park access for present and future generations. Going “car free” offers visitors the opportunity to explore Acadia by foot, bicycle, shuttle bus, commercial tour bus, private automoblie, or private and commercial vessels. The project includes an inter-modal transportation center on state-owned land four miles north of the park, multiple-use trails to connect gateway communities with the park, and rehabilitation of historic carriage roads surrounding Eagle Lake.

Geology

The geologic history of Acadia National Park stretches back in time through millions of years to the formation of the oldest rocks on Mount Desert Island and continues to the present with the persistent forces of erosion. Evidence of this rich geologic past can be seen across the island, along rocky shorelines and atop windswept mountains

The varied landscape of Acadia National Park is the result of continuing geologic processes. The weathering of granite ridges is one such activity. Large joints, or fractures, in the rock form square blocks. The joints enlarge and expand when water fills them and freezes. Eventually the rock breaks away from the cliff, leaving behind granitic rubble and bright pink scars on precipitous rock faces. The cliffs above the Tarn, south of Bar Harbor on Route 3, show evidence of this activity.

Along the coast, the sweep of tides and waves continually shapes the shoreline. Rocky headlands bear the full brunt of the wind and waves of the open ocean. Salt marshes, rich with life, grow in protected tidal valleys, while beaches occupy sheltered coves.

Many different types of beaches are found on Acadia’s shores. The size of material composing the beach depends on the energy of the waves that create it. Coves protected from strong wave action are made up of fine-grained material, such as Sand Beach. Beaches facing the open ocean and only minimally sheltered by rocky headlands consist of pebbles, cobbles, and even boulders. The stronger the wave action, the larger the material the waves can carry. In the case of a beach open to the storm-driven waves of the Atlantic Ocean, only the largest boulders remain.

The source of the beach material varies. In some places, glacial debris is washed in by the waves, and finer material is removed, leaving cobbles and pebbles to be rolled and rounded by the surf. Sea cliffs can provide beach material, such as large, rounded boulders. Sand Beach is composed primarily of bits and pieces of the shells and hard parts of marine life, such as mussels and sea urchins.

Acadia’s landscape is the product of great expanses of time. Massive geologic forces—mountain building, molten magmas, and huge ice sheets—formed the landscape, while the persistent forces of erosion—water, wind, and waves—ever so slowly continue to shape what we see today, leaving a record of Acadia’s geologic past written in the rocks.

Wildlife

The park is home to some 40 different species of mammalian wildlife. Among those are red and gray squirrels, chipmunks, white-tailed deer, moose, beaver, porcupine, muskrats, foxes, coyote, bobcats, and black bears. Species that used to inhabit the island include the mountain lion (or puma) and the gray wolf. It is thought that these predators have been forced to leave the area due to the dramatic decrease in small prey and proximity to human activity. Many other marine species have been observed in the surrounding area and waters.

Recreation

Acadia National Park is a destination for more than two million visitors each year. With many different facilities and attractions in the park, there is something to interest everyone. Popular activties include biking, hiking, rock climbing, canoeing, cruises/tours, area camping, and visiting points of interest. The rocky shoreline, wooded uplands, marshes, and a mile-long, freshwater lake offer many opportunities for a day hiking and solitude.

The average visitor spends three to four days in the area, although one easily could fill a week with activities in the park and nearby attractions. Listed below are some suggestions based on length of stay. Acadia National Park is open year round, but many facilities and roads are closed during the winter. The visitor's center is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., May through early October. The list below is intended for visits between mid-April and October:

Half-Day

• Stop at the visitor center to pick up a map and park newspaper (the Beaver Log), pay your entrance fee, watch the 15-minute orientation video, and plan your visit using the 3-D map of Mount Desert Island.
• Drive the 20-mile Park Loop Road for breathtaking views of ocean, mountains, and forests. *Don't forget the 3.5-mile road up Cadillac Mountain. Driving the entire road, including short stops to read wayside exhibits or enjoy the scenery, takes three to four hours.
• Walk the 1/3-mile loop trail (part of which is accessible) atop Cadillac Mountain.

One Day

• Take a short walk on a trail or carriage road.
• Participate in a ranger-led talk or walk.
• Investigate the Nature Center, where you can learn about plants and animals and how the park manages these resources.

Multiple Days

• Explore the park's scenic 45-mile carriage road system on a bike or horse-drawn carriage tour.
• Hike through forests and up mountains on 125 miles of historic hiking trails.
• Visit the west side of Mount Desert Island, including stops at the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, Carroll Homestead guided trail, and the Ship Harbor or Wonderland trails.
• Take one of four ranger-narrated boat cruises to learn about sea life, island history, and more. Other ranger-led walks, talks, hikes, and amphitheater programs are available daily from late May to early October.
• Have tea and popovers at the Jordan Pond House, a tradition for more than a century.

Gallery

• 

  Bass Harbor Head Light.

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  View from the summit of Cadillac Mountain on Mount Desert Island.

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  Sand Beach

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  Thunder Hole

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  View from the top of Bear Brook Picnic Area

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  Schoodic Peninsula near park exit

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  Coastline Near Seawall

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  Acadia National Park, located near Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Brandes, Kathleen M. Acadia National Park. Emeryville, Calif.: Avalon Travel, 2004. ISBN 978-1566915779
• Chapman, Carleton Abramson. The Geology of Arcadia National Park, Chatham, Mass.: Chatham Press, 1970. ISBN 978-0876380123
• Minefor, Randi. Arcadia National Park Pocket Guide. Guilford, Conn.: Falcon, 2008. ISBN 978-0762748020
• Monkman, Jerry, and Monkman, Marcy. Discover Arcadia National Park: AMC Guide to the Best Hiking, Biking, and Paddling. Boston, Mass.: Appalachian Mountain Club Books, 2005. ISBN 978-1929173587

External links

• National Park Service: Acadia National Park
• Travel guide to Acadia National Park from Wikitravel

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