| Acadia National Park |
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by: Carla Bailey
Having grown up in southern California, visiting Acadia National Park in
Maine was not something I could have ever imagined. I found an
unexpected island of pink granite peaks offering vast mountain vistas,
cobblestone beaches, ponds and lakes that were formed by glaciers, a
variety of wildlife, and an abundance of native plants.
For centuries, this large island was the home of the Micmac and the
Abenaki Indian tribes, known as "the people of the dawn" because the
island’s tall peaks catch the nation’s first rays of sunlight each morning.
It was eventually named Acadia, the French word for "heaven on earth."
On February 26, 1919, Mount Desert Island became a first national park
east of the Mississippi River. The park itslf preserves parts of Mount
Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast of
Maine.
The best known town on Mount Desert Island is Bar Harbor, Maine,
originally called Eden, has a world renowned ambiance that blends
seashore community, downeast character, rocky shores, and the famous
Maine Lobster. This where you will find restaurants, lodging and plenty
of shopping.
Activities within the park include more than 120 miles of trails, with the
mountains of Acadia National Park offering hikers and bicycle riders
views of the ocean, island lakes, and pine forests. Also inside the park
are more than 45 miles of scenic carriage roads that were originally built
by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. with great sensitivity to the trees and contours
of the land. Foot, bike and horseback traffic are permitted on these trails
as well as narrated carriage rides ($) all of which offer a chance to see
Rockefeller's carriage roads and some of the Park's most stunning views.
You may choose instead to drive the 27 miles of the Park Loop Road and
Cadillac Mountain. There are numerous parking areas and turnouts
along these roads, and the view is usually worth a stop and a small
stroll. While the park itself hold many magical places, a drive to other
parts of the island is worth the time.
Having grown up in southern California, visiting Acadia National Park in
Maine was not something I could have ever imagined. I found an
unexpected island of pink granite peaks offering vast mountain vistas,
cobblestone beaches, ponds and lakes that were formed by glaciers, a
variety of wildlife, and an abundance of native plants.
For centuries, this large island was the home of the Micmac and the
Abenaki Indian tribes, known as "the people of the dawn" because the
island’s tall peaks catch the nation’s first rays of sunlight each morning.
It was eventually named Acadia, the French word for "heaven on earth."
On February 26, 1919, Mount Desert Island became a first national park
east of the Mississippi River. The park itslf preserves parts of Mount
Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast of
Maine.
The best known town on Mount Desert Island is Bar Harbor, Maine,
originally called Eden, has a world renowned ambiance that blends
seashore community, downeast character, rocky shores, and the famous
Maine Lobster. This where you will find restaurants, lodging and plenty
of shopping.
Activities within the park include more than 120 miles of trails, with the
mountains of Acadia National Park offering hikers and bicycle riders
views of the ocean, island lakes, and pine forests. Also inside the park
are more than 45 miles of scenic carriage roads that were originally built
by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. with great sensitivity to the trees and contours
of the land. Foot, bike and horseback traffic are permitted on these trails
as well as narrated carriage rides ($) all of which offer a chance to see
Rockefeller's carriage roads and some of the Park's most stunning views.
You may choose instead to drive the 27 miles of the Park Loop Road and
Cadillac Mountain. There are numerous parking areas and turnouts
along these roads, and the view is usually worth a stop and a small
stroll. While the park itself hold many magical places, a drive to other
parts of the island is worth the time.
| George Dorr, known as the father of Acadia National Park, spent most of his adult life bringing the park into being, caring for the park, and expanding it. The preservation of these lands meant everything to Dorr. He wrote at the beginning of the quest for a national park: Saved to future generations as it has been to us, in the wild primeval beauty of the nature it exhibits, of ancient rocks and still more ancient sea, with infinite detail of life and landscape interest between, the spirit and mind of man will surely find in it in the years and centuries to come an inspiration and a means of growth as essential to them ever and anon as are fresh air and sunshine to the body. |
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| From the domed summit of pink granite at Cadillac Mountain to the U-shaped valley of Bubble Pond, evidence of glaciers sculpting the landscape is everywhere. |
Acadia National Park
P.O. Box 177
Bar Harbor, ME 04609-0177
207-288-3338
www.nps.gov/acad
P.O. Box 177
Bar Harbor, ME 04609-0177
207-288-3338
www.nps.gov/acad