Photo By: Jacob Lips
For those looking for adventure with great scenery, Acadia National Park is the perfect place. The 49,075-acre park is located in Maine, just southwest of Bar Harbor. The park preserves parts of Mount Desert Island, which is the largest island off the coast of Maine, and the Schoodic Peninsula.
Over three million people visit the park every year.
History
For around 12,000 years, the Native Americans—collectively known as the Wabanaki Confederacy—called Acadia home. European colonizers arrived in the 17th century, and the island was eventually granted to French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1688.
By the mid-1800s, the area became a popular summer vacation spot, as the wealthy families retreat to their cottages in Maine. This triggered a thought in the mind of the famous landscape architect Charles Eliot, to convert the vast stretch of lush green into a park. The thought became a reality in 1919, but it wasn’t until January 19, 1929, that the park was formally called Acadia National Park.
The Wabanaki was integrated into tourism programs. The original locals sold handmade baskets, performed dances for tourists, and led canoe trips to Frenchman Bay and Cranberry Islands.
Photo By: Jacob Lips
Things to do
The Acadia National Park is the adventurer’s dream with its mountains, ocean coastline, woodlands, lakes, ponds, and wetlands.
Hiking – There are many parks with hiking trails but they are not as varied as those at the Acadia National Park. There are four kinds of trails at this park: Coastal Trails, Lake and Forest Trails, Summit Trails and Schoodic Peninsula Trails. Each trail has a dynamic terrain—there is a trail for everyone: families with children, beginners, seasoned backpackers, birders, romantic couples who want to watch a perfect sunrise, among many others. Except for the Schoodic Peninsula Trails, which only has two different kinds of hiking pathways, the three others have at least six different trails.
Photography – There are so many scenic images at the park worth capturing on camera: the ocean, the mountains, forests, lakes and ponds, birds.
Artists-in-Residence – Since the park is a treasure trove of creative opportunities, it offers a program where park management houses a group of artists in the park, and allows them to create art (visual arts including photography, writing, and a category covering music, dance, indigenous arts, and emerging technologies) for the park’s permanent catalog.
Pet bonding – The trails are so diverse that a number of them are great for bonding with pets, particularly dogs. There are over 100 miles of hiking trails in the park that allow pets. Owners have to put their dogs on a leash, though.
Camping – There at least six campgrounds at the Acadia National Park and all are very popular. Campers should make prior reservations for a confirmed stay.
Horseback riding – Visitors can bring their horses if they want to try some horseback riding at the park. They can keep their horses at the Wildwood Stables Campground.
Places to visit
Every hiking trail at Acadia National Park is a tourist destination. But for visitors who don’t want to sweat, there are places they can visit without walking for miles.
Cadillac Mountain – At 1,530 feet, this is the highest mountain in the North Atlantic seaboard. Visitors can take their vehicles up the mountain. It is the perfect viewpoint to see the sunrise, as it is the first region to witness the sunrise in the United States, from October 6 till March 7.
Park Loop Road – This is the perfect pathway for vehicles and offers a tremendous view of the Sand Beach, Thunder Hole and Otter Cliff.
Jordan Pond – Obviously the pond is the main attraction here, but the restaurant is also just as impressive. A Certain number of trails run through Jordan Pond because, it is the perfect ending to a tiring exercise—it has a great view and crystal-clear waters that can double as a mirror.
Schoodic Point – This spot may not be as accessible as most of the areas of the park, but a handful of tourists enjoy the intimacy and privacy the area provides. Visitors mostly enjoy the crashing surf and spruce-fir trees.
Sand Beach – The more popular of Acadia’s two beaches, Sand Beach provides the best views of the park. The beach is surrounded by evergreens and stands in the middle of solid pink granite.
Carriage Roads – Motorized vehicles are not allowed in this area but visitors may enjoy this hand-designed pathway, through bicycle or on a horse. Or they could simply walk in the area.
Photo By: Jacob Lips