Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location	Hancock / Knox counties, Maine, USA
Nearest city	Bar HarborNearest city: Bar Harbor
Coordinates	44°21′0″N 68°13′0″W / 44.35°N 68.216667°W / 44.35; -68.216667Coordinates: 44°21′0″N 68°13′0″W / 44.35°N 68.216667°W / 44.35; -68.216667
Area	47,390 acres (191.78 km2) 45,823 acres (185.44 km2) federal
Established	July 8, 1916 Established: July 8, 1916
Visitors	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. Originally inhabited by the Wabanaki people, the area includes mountains, an ocean shoreline, woodlands, and lakes.^[1] 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.

History

In the fall of 1604, Samuel de Champlain observed a high-notched island composed of seven or eight mountains rising to bare-rock summits from slopes of birch, fir, and pine. In spite of many changes over nearly 400 years, the area remains essentially the same.^[2]

The landscape architect Charles Elliot is credited with the idea for the park. ^[3]. It first attained federal status when President Woodrow Wilson, established it 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. The park's name was changed to 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 a 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. Cut granite stones placed along the edges of the carriage roads act as guard rails of sort and are locally known as "coping stones" to help visitors cope with the steep edges. They are also fondly called "Rockefeller's teeth".

On October 17, 1947, 10,000 acres (40 km²) of Acadia National Park were burned in a fire that began along the Crooked Road several miles west of Hulls Cove.^[4] The forest fire was one of a series of fires 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. Regrowth was mostly allowed to occur naturally and the fire has been suggested^{[weasel words]} 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 park on the east side of the Mississippi River.

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. The town of Tremont is home to Bass Harbor Head Light and is located on what locals refer to as the "quiet side" of the island. Cadillac Mountain, named after the French Explorer of the same name who went on to found Detroit, Michigan, is on the eastern side of the island. Its green, lichen-covered, pink granite summit is one of the first places in the United States to see the sunrise, making it a popular tourist attraction. 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.

Frenchman Bay and the Porcupine Islands around the town of Bar Harbor, viewed from Cadillac Mountain

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 automobile, or private and commercial vessels. The project includes an inter-modal transportation center on state-owned land four miles (6 km) north of the park, multiple-use trails to connect gateway communities with the park, and rehabilitation of historic carriage roads surrounding Eagle Lake.

Wildlife

The park is home to some 40 different species of mammalian wildlife. Among these 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.

Gallery

Bass Harbor Head Light	Sand Beach	Thunder Hole	View from the top of Bear Brook Picnic Area
Schoodic Peninsula near park exit		Jordan Pond

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Acadia National Park

• National Park Service: Acadia National Park
• Life on an Island: Early Settlers Off the Rock-Bound Coast of Maine, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
• Acadia National Park travel guide from Wikitravel
• Asticou's Island Domain: Wabanaki Peoples at Mount Desert Island 1500-2000, a 2 volume report (2007) by Harald E.L. Prins and Bunny McBride, commissioned by NPS and freely accessible
• Daily time lapse animations of a webcam in Acadia National Park

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