Acadia National Park is a U.S. national park. It is located along the mid-section of the Maine coast, southwest of Bar Harbor. The park includes about half of Mount Desert Island, parts of Isle au Haut, the tip of the Schoodic Peninsula, and sections of sixteen smaller islands.
The park has Cadillac Mountain, the tallest mountain on the Atlantic Coast of the U.S. It also has granite domes, glacial erratics, U-shaped valleys, and cobble beaches. Its mountains, lakes, streams, wetlands, forests, meadows, and coastlines support many types of plants and animals. A historic carriage road system, funded by John D. Rockefeller Jr., is part of the park's landscape. The park covers 49,075 acres (19,860 hectares; 76.680 square miles; 198.60 square kilometers) as of 2017.
Acadia has a long human history. The Wabanaki people lived there over 10,000 years ago. In the 17th century, fur traders and European explorers arrived. In the 19th century, summer visitors and wealthy families came to the area. Many people who cared about protecting nature, including George B. Dorr, worked to create this first U.S. national park east of the Mississippi River and the only one in the Northeastern United States. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson created Sieur de Monts National Monument. It became Lafayette National Park in 1919. The park was renamed Acadia National Park in 1929.
From spring through autumn, visitors can drive or take a bus along the Park Loop Road, hike, bike, or ride horses on carriage roads (motor vehicles are not allowed), fish, rock climb, kayak or canoe on lakes and ponds, swim at Sand Beach and Echo Lake, sea kayak, and take guided boat tours on the ocean. Ranger-led programs are also available. In winter, activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and ice fishing. Two campgrounds are on Mount Desert Island, one is on the Schoodic Peninsula, and five lean-to sites are on Isle au Haut. The main visitor center is at Hulls Cove, northwest of Bar Harbor. Over the past ten years, more people have visited Acadia. In 2021, 4.07 million visitors came. In 2023, 3,879,890 recreational visitors visited.
Geography
Acadia National Park includes mountains, an ocean coastline, woodlands, lakes, and ponds. The park covers nearly half of Mount Desert Island and protects part of the Schoodic Peninsula on the mainland. It also includes most of Isle au Haut and Baker Island, all of Bar Island, three of the four Porcupine Islands (Sheep, Bald, and Long), the Thrumcap (a small island), part of Bear Island, and Thompson Island in Mount Desert Narrows, as well as several other islands and small islands. Bar Island and the Porcupine Islands are located in Frenchman Bay near Bar Harbor. About 57 miles (92 kilometers) of carriage roads were designed and paid for by John D. Rockefeller Jr. on Mount Desert Island. Of these, 45 miles (72 kilometers) are still maintained within the park.
As of December 31, 2017, Acadia National Park covers a total of 49,075 acres (19,860 hectares; 76.680 square miles; 198.60 square kilometers). At least 30,200 acres (12,200 hectares; 47.2 square miles; 122 square kilometers) on Mount Desert Island are included in the park, along with 2,900 acres (1,200 hectares; 4.5 square miles; 12 square kilometers) on Isle au Haut, about 200 acres (81 hectares; 0.31 square miles; 0.81 square kilometers) on smaller islands, and 2,366 acres (957 hectares; 3.697 square miles; 9.57 square kilometers) on the Schoodic Peninsula. As of 2015, the park’s permanent boundary, established by Congress in 1986, includes 12,416 acres (5,025 hectares; 19.400 square miles; 50.25 square kilometers) of privately owned land under conservation agreements. The National Park Service plans to purchase this land in the future.
The mountains in Acadia National Park overlook the Atlantic Ocean, island lakes, and pine forests. Twenty-six important mountains rise in the park. The shortest is Flying Mountain, which is 284 feet (87 meters) tall. The tallest is Cadillac Mountain, standing 1,530 feet (470 meters) high. Cadillac Mountain is named after the French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. It is located on the eastern side of the island and is the tallest mountain along the eastern coastline of the United States. The summit of Cadillac Mountain is the first place in the United States where visitors can see the sunrise from October 7 through March 6 because of its eastern location and height.
The 27-mile (43-kilometer) Park Loop Road takes visitors to many scenic viewpoints along the coast, through forests, and to the top of Cadillac Mountain. The road travels clockwise around the eastern side of Mount Desert Island, starting in Bar Harbor and ending in Seal Harbor. It passes places like the Tarn (a pond), Champlain Mountain (site of a popular cliffside trail called Precipice), the Beehive (a smaller mountain), Sand Beach (a saltwater swimming area), Gorham Mountain, Thunder Hole (a crevasse where waves crash loudly), Otter Cliff, Otter Cove, Seal Harbor, Jordan Pond, Pemetic Mountain, the Bubbles, Bubble Rock, Bubble Pond, Eagle Lake, and a side road to Cadillac Mountain’s summit. Features on the island’s western side include Echo Lake and Beach (a freshwater swimming area), Acadia Mountain, Beech Mountain, Long Pond, and Seal Cove Pond. Bass Harbor Head Light is located on a cliff at the southernmost tip of the island’s western side. Baker Island Light and Bear Island Light are the other two lighthouses managed by Acadia.
Somes Sound is a 5-mile (8-kilometer) long fjord formed during a glacial period. It nearly divides the island in half and is 130 feet (40 meters) deep at its deepest point. Norumbega Mountain is on the east side of the sound, and Acadia Mountain and Saint Sauveur Mountain are on the west. The towns of Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor are located across the inlet to Somes Sound.
History
Native Americans have lived in the area called Acadia for at least 12,000 years, including the coastal areas of Maine, Canada, and nearby islands. The Wabanaki Confederacy, also called the "People of the Dawnland," includes five related groups—the Maliseet, Mi'kmaq, Passamaquoddy, Abenaki, and Penobscot. Some of these groups refer to Mount Desert Island as Pemetic, meaning "range of mountains." This island has been a central part of the Wabanaki homeland and a place where they have cared for the land for many years. The name "Acadia" comes from the Mi'kmaq word "akadie," meaning "piece of land." French explorers later wrote it as "l'Acadie," and English speakers used "Acadia."
The Wabanaki people traveled to Mount Desert Island in birch bark canoes to hunt, fish, gather berries, collect clams, and find materials for making baskets, such as sweetgrass. They also traded with other Wabanaki groups and camped near places like Somes Sound.
In the early 1600s, a leader named Asticou ruled part of Mount Desert Island. This area was part of a larger group of tribes called Mawooshen, led by a chief named Bashaba. Castine, known as Pentagoet in the Wabanaki language, was a special meeting place for the tribes. It is located west of Mount Desert Island at the mouth of the Bagaduce River in eastern Penobscot Bay. From 1615, Castine became an important place for trading furs and other goods. Wabanaki people traded sealskins, moose hides, and furs for European items. However, by the early 1620s, wars and diseases like smallpox, cholera, and influenza greatly reduced the population of Wabanaki tribes from Mount Desert Island to Cape Cod, leaving only about 10% of the original people.
After the American Revolution, a border between the United States and Canada divided the Wabanaki homeland. The Wabanaki Confederacy ended around 1870 because of pressure from American and Canadian governments, but the tribes continued to share traditions. In the 1800s, Wabanakis sold handmade baskets made from ash and birch bark to travelers. They also performed dances for visitors in places like Sieur de Monts and Bar Harbor. Wabanaki guides led canoe trips around Frenchman Bay and the Cranberry Islands.
From 1970 to 1971, the Wabanaki nations ran an educational center called T.R.I.B.E. on Eagle Lake. In 1980 and 1991, legal agreements settled land claims for Native Americans in Maine. The Bar Harbor Native American Festival began in 1989, supported by the tribes and the Abbe Museum. The Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance was formed in 1993 to help organize the festival with the museum.
Today, each Wabanaki tribe has a reservation and government offices in Maine. Some live on Mount Desert Island, while others visit the Abbe Museum for meetings, exhibitions, craft demonstrations, and to gather sweetgrass and sell baskets at the festival.
In 1524, Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano sailed along the coast of Mount Desert Island during a French expedition. Portuguese explorer Estêvão Gomes followed in 1525. French explorer Jean Alfonse arrived in 1542 and recorded details about the fur trade in Penobscot Bay. Portuguese navigator Simon Ferdinando guided an English expedition in 1580.
When French explorer Samuel de Champlain arrived in 1604, about 200 people lived on Mount Desert Island. Two Wabanakis led Champlain to the island, which he named "Isle des Monts Deserts" (Island of Barren Mountains) because of its bare peaks. He also named "Isle au Haut" (High Island) because of its height.
In 1613, the first French missionary colony in America was built on Mount Desert Island. It was destroyed by a ship from the Colony of Virginia, marking the first act of open warfare in the French and Indian Wars. The island was given to Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac by King Louis XIV in 1688 but later given to Great Britain in 1713 as part of the Peace of Utrecht. Massachusetts governor Sir Francis Bernard controlled the island in 1760. In 1790, Massachusetts gave the eastern half of the island to Cadillac’s granddaughter, Mme. de Gregoire, while Bernard’s son, John, kept the western half.
The first summer visitors came to Mount Desert Island in 1855, and steamboat service from Boston began in 1868. The Green Mountain Cog Railway was built from Eagle Lake to Cadillac Mountain in 1888. In 1901, Maine’s legislature allowed Hancock County to buy land on the island for public use. By 1914, 5,000 acres had been acquired.
In the mid-1800s, artists from the Hudson River School, such as Thomas Cole and Frederic Church, painted the island, inspiring others to visit. Early visitors, called "rusticators," stayed in local homes for small fees. By 1880, 30 hotels operated on the island, and tourism became the main industry.
During the 1880s, wealthy families like the Rockefellers, Morgans, and Vanderbilts built summer homes on the island. These homes, called "cottages," replaced the simple stays of earlier visitors. However, the Great Depression and World War II ended this era of luxury.
Landscape architect Charles Eliot and George B. Dorr, known as the "Father of Acadia National Park," helped create the park. Dorr worked to protect the land and became the park’s first superintendent. President Woodrow Wilson established Sieur de Monts National Monument in 1916, the first national park created from private land.
Congress renamed the park Lafayette National Park in 1919, honoring French hero Marquis de Lafayette. Jordan Pond Road was built in 1922 and completed in 1927. Cadillac Mountain Summit Road was completed in 1931.
In 1929, the park was renamed Acadia National Park to honor the French colony of Acadia, which once included Maine. Schoodic Peninsula was donated to Acadia in 1929 by John Godfrey Moore’s family.
Climate
The region has large changes in temperature throughout the year. Summers are warm to hot and often humid, while winters are cold to very cold. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Mount Desert Island has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb). The average temperature in the park is 47.3 °F (8.5 °C). July is the warmest month, with an average of 69.7 °F (20.9 °C), and January is the coldest month, with an average of 23.8 °F (−4.6 °C). The highest recorded temperature is 96 °F (36 °C), and the lowest is −21 °F (−29 °C). The plant hardiness zone is 5b, with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of −11.4 °F (−24.1 °C).
In Bar Harbor, the average annual precipitation is 55.54" (1411 mm). November is the wettest month, with an average of 5.89" (150 mm) of precipitation, while July is the driest month, with an average of 3.27" (83 mm). Rain or snow falls throughout the year, with December having the most days of precipitation (about 14) and August having the fewest (about 9). On average, there are 139 days each year with precipitation. Snow has been recorded from October to May, with most snow falling between December and March. January is the snowiest month, with an average of 18.3" (46 cm) of snow, and the annual average snowfall is 66.1" (167 cm).
Geology
The Cadillac Mountain Intrusive Complex is part of the Coastal Maine Magmatic Province. It includes over a hundred mafic and felsic plutons linked to the Acadian Orogeny. Mount Desert Island bedrock is mainly made of Cadillac Mountain granite. Perthite is a mineral that gives the granite a pinkish color. The Silurian age granite formed between 424 and 419 million years ago (Mya). Diabase dikes run north–south through the complex. About 300 million years of erosion occurred before glacial features were deposited during the Pleistocene. Glacial polish, glacial striations, and chatter marks are visible on granitic surfaces. Other glacier-shaped features include The Bubbles (two rôche moutonnées) and the U-shaped valleys of Sargent Mountain Pond, Jordan Pond, Seal Cove Pond, Long Pond, Echo Lake, and Eagle Lake. Somes Sound is a fjard, and terminal moraines form the southern end of Long Pond, Echo Lake, and Jordan Pond. Bubble Rock is an example of a glacial erratic.
More than 500 Mya, layers of mud, sand, and volcanic ash were buried under the ocean. High pressure, heat, and tectonic activity created a metamorphic rock called the Ellsworth Schist. White and gray quartz, feldspar, and green chlorite make up the schist, which is the oldest rock in the Mount Desert Island region. Erosion and movement of tectonic plates eventually brought the schist to the surface.
About 450 Mya, an ancient continental fragment called Avalonia collided with North America. The collision buried the schist along with sand and silt, forming the Bar Harbor Formation. This formation includes brown and gray sandstone and siltstone layers. Volcanic rock from flows and ash was also deposited on the Bar Harbor Formation, found on the Cranberry Islands. Later volcanic activity added igneous rocks to the Bar Harbor Formation. As the igneous intrusions cooled, minerals like gabbro, made of dark, iron-rich minerals, formed.
Mount Desert Island granite formed about 420 Mya, with Cadillac Mountain being one of the oldest granite bodies on the island. The granite rose slowly through bedrock, fracturing it into large pieces. Some of these pieces melted under intense heat. As the granite cooled, the bedrock fragments remained surrounded by crystallized granite in a shatter zone visible on the mountain’s eastern side. A fine-grained, black igneous rock called diabase intruded into the granite during later volcanic activity. Diabase dikes are visible along the Cadillac Mountain road and on the Schoodic Peninsula.
Over the next several hundred million years, rock layers covering the granite bodies and the softer rock around them were worn away by erosion.
During the last two to three million years, ice sheets moved and receded across northern North America, eroding mountains and creating U-shaped valleys. The glacier that covered the Mount Desert Range, now Mount Desert Island, was one mile (1.6 km) thick and moved a few yards (meters) per year. The glacier eroded the mountain range, rounding mountaintops, carving saddles, deepening valleys, and forming the fjard known as Somes Sound, nearly splitting the island in half. Evidence of the last glacial period, the Wisconsin glaciation (75,000 to 11,000 years ago), includes long scratches (striations) and crescent-shaped gouges on rock surfaces. As the climate warmed, glaciers melted, leaving boulders carried up to 20 mi (32 km) south from their original locations. These boulders, called glacial erratics, are found in valleys and on mountaintops, including Bubble Rock on the South Bubble.
Coastal areas of Maine sank slightly under the weight of ice sheets, allowing seawater to cover lowlands and form the current islands. Evidence of past beaches and sea caves is found about 300 ft (91 m) above current sea level. As the ice melted and the land stabilized, lakes and ponds formed in valleys blocked by glacial debris. Rivers and streams flowed again, continuing to erode drainage paths.
Acadia’s coastline includes rocky headlands and more eroded stony or sandy beaches. Areas facing Atlantic Ocean waves are made of large boulders, as other material has been washed away. Areas protected by headlands have eroded rocks, such as pebbles, cobbles, and smaller boulders. Sheltered coves, like Sand Beach, contain fine-grained particles from marine life remains, including mussels and sea urchins.
Granitic ridges are affected by frost weathering. Joints in the rock are enlarged as trapped water freezes and thaws, eventually splitting off blocks. Bright pink scars with granitic rubble below show this weathering, visible above the Tarn, a pond near Bar Harbor.
At least twelve sea caves are found in coastal areas of the park. Waves erode coastal rock to form sea caves. If a sea cave grows large enough, it may break through a headland to form a sea arch.
Frequent winter thawing prevents large snow accumulations and keeps the ground saturated. Ice storms are common in winter and early spring, while rain occurs year-round. Saturated soils, thawing, and heavy rain cause rockfalls along Mount Desert Island’s
Paleontology
The Presumpscot Formation contains many different types of mostly marine fossils. This formation is made of layers of silt and clay that were deposited between 15,000 and 11,000 years ago. During this time, the weight of ice caused the land to sink, and the sea level rose as the land was covered by water up to about 330–395 ft (101–120 m) above today’s level. After the ice melted, the land slowly rose again, lowering the sea level and exposing the seabed to a depth of about 195 ft (59 m) below today’s level. Later, a global rise in sea level flooded the area to its current level.
Plant fossils found in the formation include pollen, spores, logs, and other plant remains. Invertebrate fossils include foraminifera (protists that create shell-like tests), sponge spicules, bryozoans, bivalves, gastropods, Spirorbis, beetles, ants, barnacles, decapod crustaceans (such as crabs, shrimp, and lobsters), ostracodes (seed shrimp), and ophiuroids (brittle stars). Vertebrate fossils include fish and a few rare large mammals, such as walruses, whales, and a mammoth. Walrus remains have been found on Andrews Island, 19 miles (31 km) west of Isle au Haut; Addison Point, 23 miles (37 km) northeast of the Schoodic Peninsula; and Gardiner, 57 miles (92 km) west-northwest of Isle au Haut. Mammoth bones were discovered at Scarborough, 87 miles (140 km) southwest of Isle au Haut.
Ecology
Acadia National Park has different ecological zones, starting from the highest points to the lowest. These zones include nearly empty mountain tops, northern boreal and eastern deciduous forests on the mountainsides, freshwater lakes and ponds, as well as wetlands like marshes and swamps in the valleys between mountains, and the Atlantic shoreline with rocky and sandy beaches, intertidal and subtidal zones.
Tiny subalpine plants grow in the cracks of granite rocks on mountaintops and on the side of rocks facing away from the wind. Stunted, twisted trees also grow near the summits. Spruce-fir boreal forests cover much of the park. Oak, maple, beech, and other hardwood trees, typical of New England, form the eastern deciduous forest. Pitch pines and scrub oaks live in isolated forests at their northeastern range limit, while jack pines reach the southern limit of their range in Acadia.
Fourteen large ponds and ten smaller ponds provide homes for many fish and waterfowl species. Over 20% of the park is wetland. Marshes and swamps connect land and water, supporting a wide range of species. Native wildlife, along with birds that nest, overwinter, or migrate, such as those along the Atlantic Flyway, live in wetlands. Wetlands include 37.5% marine (saltwater), 31.6% palustrine (still water), 20% estuarine (brackish coastal water), 10.7% lacustrine (freshwater lakes and ponds), and 0.2% riverine (flowing streams). About 53.6 miles (86.3 km) of streams flow through the park, along with 47.3 miles (76.1 km) of intermittent streams. Approximately 50 miles (80 km) of shoreline surround 110 lakes and ponds covering 1,056.56 acres (427.57 ha; 1.65088 sq mi; 4.2757 km²).
Intertidal plants and animals live on more than 60 miles (97 km) of rocky coastline. Nutrient-rich ocean water covers these plants and animals twice daily. Pools of still water form among rocks during low tides, where starfish, dog whelks, blue mussels, sea cucumbers, and rockweed live.
Plants found in both deciduous and coniferous woodlands include lowbush blueberry, Canadian bunchberry, hobblebush, bluebead lily, Canada mayflower, wild sarsaparilla, shadbush, starflower, rosy twisted stalk, wintergreen, and white pine trees.
Coniferous forest trees include balsam fir, eastern hemlock, red pine, red spruce, and white spruce. The park’s natural vegetation includes northeastern spruce-fir forests within temperate coniferous forests, according to A. W. Kuchler types. Spruce-fir forests cover more than 60% of the naturally vegetated areas in the park. Other coniferous plants include dewdrop, mountain holly, pinesap, one-flowered pyrola, shinleaf, trailing arbutus, northern woodsorrel, and drooping woodreed.
In 2014, scientists found an invasive insect called the red pine scale on dying red pines near Lower Hadlock Pond on the south side of Norumbega Mountain.
Deciduous forest trees include white ash, big-toothed and trembling aspen, American beech, paper and yellow birch, red oak, American mountain ash, mountain, red, striped, and sugar maples. Other deciduous plants include large-leaved aster, chokecherry, red-berried elder, Christmas fern, threeleaf goldthread, early saxifrage, false Solomon’s seal, small Solomon’s seal, and twinflower.
Trees found in mountainous and rocky areas include gray birch, common juniper, jack pine, and pitch pine. Shrubs and smaller trees include green alder and pin cherry. Other shrubs and flowering plants in these areas include alpine aster, bearberry, velvetleaf blueberry, bush-honeysuckle, black chokeberry, three-toothed cinquefoil, mountain cranberry, bracken fern, Rand’s goldenrod, harebell, golden heather, mountain holly, black huckleberry, creeping juniper, sheep laurel, red raspberry, Virginia rose, mountain sandwort, bristly sarsaparilla, sweetfern, and wild raisin. Poverty oatgrass is the most common grass in mountainous areas.
Bog plants include bog aster, bog rosemary, cottongrass, large cranberry, small cranberry, bog goldenrod, dwarf huckleberry, blue flag, Labrador-tea, bog laurel, leatherleaf, pitcher plant, rhodora, bristly rose, creeping snowberry, round-leaved sundew, spatulate-leaved sundew, and sweetgale, along with larch and black spruce trees.
Meadow and roadside plants include speckled alder, flat-topped white aster, New York aster, blue-eyed-grass, azure bluet, spreading dogbane, fireweed, gray goldenrod, rough-stemmed goldenrod, wavy hair-grass, hardhack, whorled loosestrife, tall meadow-rue, meadowsweet, common milkweed, pearly everlasting, wild strawberry, and yellow rattle.
Freshwater marsh and pond plants include common arrowhead, horned bladderwort, highbush blueberry, bluejoint, common cattail, water lobelia, pickerelweed, marsh St. John’s wort, swamp candles, swamp rose, white turtlehead, fragrant water-lily, and yellow water-lily.
The Mount Desert Island section of the park has more than half of the vascular plant species found in Maine. Plant, algal, and fungal specimens collected during research are stored in a herbarium managed by the park and the College of the Atlantic. A garden called The Wild Gardens of Acadia
Recreation
Motor vehicle touring along the 27-mile (43 km) Park Loop Road starts on April 15, depending on the weather, and ends on December 1, unless heavy snow closes it earlier. A two-mile (3.2 km) section of the Ocean Drive part of the loop, from Schooner Head Road to Sand Beach and Otter Cliff, is cleared and open year-round, as is Jordan Pond Road.
The coastline can be explored through guided boat trips or sea kayaking. Canoeing and kayaking are common activities on lakes and ponds that are easy to access. Approximately 125 miles (201 km) of hiking trails pass through forests and mountains, while 45 miles (72 km) of carriage roads are available for hiking or bicycling (motorized vehicles, including electric bikes, are not allowed). Both the 3.5-mile Dorr Mountain Trail and the 4.5-mile (7.2 km) Sargent Mountain Trail are recognized as National Recreation Trails. Horseback riding is allowed on carriage roads and some other areas of the park. Rock climbing is popular at Otter Cliff, which is 60 feet (18 meters) high, and at Great Head, Precipice, and South Bubble. Sand Beach provides seawater swimming, and Echo Lake Beach offers freshwater swimming. In summer, ocean water temperatures range from 50–60 °F (10–16 °C), while lake and pond temperatures range from 55–70 °F (13–21 °C).
From mid-May to mid-October, ranger-led programs teach visitors about the park’s natural and cultural history. Programs include short walks, longer hikes, boat cruises, evening amphitheater events, children’s activities, and opportunities to observe peregrine falcons and other birds of prey.
Winter activities include hiking on trails with snowshoes or snow traction gear and trekking poles, cross-country skiing on carriage roads, snowmobiling on the paved loop road, and ice fishing on frozen ponds and lakes.
Mount Desert Island has two National Park Service (NPS) campgrounds, built mostly by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, along with various park trails. Blackwoods Campground is on the east side of the island, near popular sites, the carriage roads, and Bar Harbor. Seawall Campground is on the less crowded west side. Schoodic Woods on the Schoodic Peninsula is the newest NPS campground, opened in 2015. Five lean-to shelters are available by advance reservation at Duck Harbor Campground on Isle au Haut. Blackwoods Campground is open all year, but only primitive walk-in camping with permits is allowed in winter (December–March). Other campgrounds are open from late spring (mid-to-late May) to early autumn (late September to mid-October). Mount Desert Island also has eleven private campgrounds outside the park, two on the Schoodic Peninsula, and one on Isle au Haut.
The park hosts the annual Acadia Night Sky Festival, which brings speakers, researchers, photographers, and artists to the area.
Current issues and challenges
In 2018, park attendance reached 3.53 million visitors, a new record for the second consecutive year. The park’s seasonal nature causes many visitors to come during the summer months, which exceeds the park’s infrastructure capacity. This leads to limited parking spaces, heavy traffic, and road closures. Managing traffic puts pressure on park rangers, who must also handle more rescue operations during busy times.
The Island Explorer bus system was introduced to help reduce traffic congestion. Since starting in 1999, it has carried 7.7 million passengers. Some of the money from park entrance fees helps pay for this service.
Since the park opened in 1916, climate change has made the growing season about two months longer. This change harms native plants and allows invasive species to grow more easily during longer, warmer summers. A longer warm season also increases the number of tourists, adding more stress to park resources. Changes in rainfall patterns have also made it harder to maintain park infrastructure, requiring more work to control erosion and protect historic carriage roads.
In 2019, park officials estimated that $65.8 million was needed for infrastructure repairs, an increase of $6 million from 2018. The National Park Service reports that all parks combined have about $11 billion in needed repairs that have not yet been done. This backlog worsens problems with managing the environment and traffic, as new traffic management systems cannot be built until existing infrastructure is fixed. Restoration of trails and wilderness areas is also delayed due to lack of funding. Additionally, the many park entrances make it harder to collect fees, leading to lost revenue.
Facilities and support
Six visitor information centers are located in or near Acadia National Park. These include the main visitor center at Hulls Cove (northwest of Bar Harbor), a nature center at Sieur de Monts (south of Bar Harbor), an information center on Thompson Island (along the roadway to Mount Desert Island), another information center at Village Green in Bar Harbor, a historical museum in Islesford on Little Cranberry Island, and the Rockefeller Welcome Center on the Schoodic Peninsula. The Rockefeller Welcome Center is the only one open year-round, though it is closed on winter weekends. All other centers are closed during the winter months.
After the naval base on the Schoodic Peninsula closed in 2002, the National Park Service (NPS) acquired the land and created the Schoodic Education and Research Center (SERC). The SERC campus is managed by the nonprofit Schoodic Institute and the NPS in a partnership that includes both public and private groups. This partnership is one of 19 similar research and learning centers across the United States. The center focuses on helping scientists study the park, providing training for teachers, and teaching students about the environment.
In 1986, a group of Acadia-area residents and park volunteers formed the nonprofit organization Friends of Acadia (FOA) to support volunteer work and raise money for the park. FOA’s first major project was raising $3.4 million between 1991 and 1996 to preserve the park’s carriage road system forever. This funding helped secure federal money to fully restore the roads. Later efforts included Acadia Trails Forever, the first trail system in an American national park funded by donations, which raised $13 million between 1999 and 2001. FOA also helped create the Island Explorer, a free bus system powered by propane that serves the park and nearby communities since 1999.
The Acadia Youth Conservation Corps was started by FOA and funded by an anonymous donor in 1999. This program employs 16 high school students each summer to maintain trails and carriage roads. In 2011, FOA partnered with park officials to create the Acadia Youth Technology Team, a program that gives local teens and college students tools for high-quality photography to learn about nature and help protect the environment. This team is now called the Acadia Digital Media Team.