ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

The first National Park East of the Mississippi and the only National Park in the North East, Acadia boasts the 4th most visited park in the Country! Sitting on the Eastern seaboards 3rd largest island, Acadia National Park covers a relatively small 32,000 acres.This beautiful island park boasts 120 miles of hiking trails and 45 miles of carriage roads. It is praised by many including Tom Wessels “The Granite Landscape” and in Martha Stewart Magazine.

The Island was first inhabited by the Wabanaki Indians who found this land to be bountiful of fish, shellfish, game and berries. They called this paradise Pemetic, meaning “the sloping land”. The first major European discovery is credited to Samuel Champlain who noted that “the mountain summits are all bare and rocky and thus named it “Mount Desert Island”.

These barren summits as described by Wessels were carved by glaciers and are kept barren by frequent natural fire, Summer fog from Penobscot bay which reduces photosynthesis, winter nor’ Easters and completing the ridge top beating, strong North Western gales. He closes his chapter on Acadia by writing, “I am awed by the way the combined impacts of glaciers, winter winds, fire, and fog have generated such astounding variety in this granite landscape. You might think that with so many strong forces at work, these domes would lie barren. But of all the balds I have visited, Acadia’s are the most diverse and varied.”

There are seventeen mountains that rise from the sea and lake shores. The most well known and highest mountain is Cadillac Mt. Rising at 1, 530 feet, which contains hiking trails and an auto road, another favorite is Mount Katahdin. You will find hiking trails on nearly every mountain, with interesting knobs and ledges like the Bubbles, Eagle Cliff and Martha Stewart’s favorite the beehive.

Seaside attractions include the bustling area of Bar Harbor, Thunder Hole, and several beaches, light houses and islands. There are bus and ferry routes to bring visitors to the many beautiful spots this island has to offer.