| Acadia National Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
 | |
  Location in the United States Show map of Maine Location in Maine Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Hancock &Knox counties,Maine, United States |
| Nearest city | Bar Harbor |
| Coordinates | 44°21′N68°13′W / 44.350°N 68.217°W /44.350; -68.217 |
| Area | 49,075 acres (198.60 km2) 861.46 acres (348.62 ha; 3.4862 km2) private (in 2017)[1] |
| Established | July 8, 1916 (as Sieur de MontsNational Monument) February 26, 1919 (as LafayetteNational Park) January 19, 1929 (as Acadia National Park)[2] |
| Visitors | 2,669,034 (in 2020)[3] |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | nps |
Acadia National Park is anational park of the United States located along the mid-section of theMaine coast, southwest ofBar Harbor. The park includes about half ofMount Desert Island, part ofIsle au Haut, the tip of theSchoodic Peninsula, and portions of sixteen smaller outlying islands.
The park contains the tallest mountain on theAtlantic Coast of the United States (Cadillac Mountain), exposedgranite domes,glacial erratics,U-shaped valleys, andcobble beaches. Its mountains, lakes, streams, wetlands, forests, meadows, and coastlines contribute to a diversity of plants and animals. Woven into this landscape is ahistoric carriage road system financed byJohn D. Rockefeller Jr.[4] In total, it encompasses 49,075 acres (19,860 ha; 76.680 sq mi; 198.60 km2) as of 2017[update].
Acadia has a rich human history, dating back more than 10,000 years ago with theWabanaki people. The 17th century broughtfur traders and other European explorers, while the 19th century saw an influx of summer visitors, then wealthy families. Many conservation-minded citizens, among themGeorge B. Dorr (the "Father of Acadia National Park"), worked to establish this first U.S. national park east of theMississippi River and the only one in theNortheastern United States. Acadia was initially designatedSieur de MontsNational Monument by proclamation of PresidentWoodrow Wilson in 1916, then renamed and redesignatedLafayette National Park in 1919. The park was renamedAcadia National Park in 1929.
Recreational activities from spring through autumn include car and bus touring along thePark Loop Road; hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding on carriage roads (motor vehicles are prohibited); fishing; rock climbing; kayaking and canoeing on lakes and ponds; swimming at Sand Beach and Echo Lake; sea kayaking and guided boat tours on the ocean; and various ranger-led programs. Winter activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and ice fishing. Two campgrounds are located on Mount Desert Island, another campground is on the Schoodic Peninsula, and fivelean-to sites are on Isle au Haut. The main visitor center is at Hulls Cove, northwest of Bar Harbor. Park visitation has been steadily increasing in Acadia over the past decade, with 2021 seeing a record count of 4.07 million visitors.[5] In 2023 the park saw 3,879,890 recreational visitors.[6]
The park includesmountains, an oceancoastline,woodlands,lakes, andponds. In addition to nearly half of Mount Desert Island, the park designation also preserves a portion of theSchoodic Peninsula on themainland, as well as the majority ofIsle au Haut andBaker Island, all ofBar Island, three of the four Porcupine Islands (Sheep, Bald and Long), the Thrumcap (anislet), part ofBear Island, and Thompson Island in Mount Desert Narrows, as well as several other islands and islets.[7] Bar Island, which can be visited on foot over a sandbar around low tide,[8] and the Porcupine Islands are in Frenchman Bay by Bar Harbor.[7] About 57 mi (92 km) of carriage roads were designed and financed by John D. Rockefeller Jr. on Mount Desert Island,[9] 45 miles (72 km) of which continue to be maintained inside the park.[10]
Acadia National Park encompasses a total of 49,075 acres (19,860 ha; 76.680 sq mi; 198.60 km2) as of December 31, 2017[update].[1] At least 30,200 acres (12,200 ha; 47.2 sq mi; 122 km2) on Mount Desert Island are included in the park, along with 2,900 acres (1,200 ha; 4.5 sq mi; 12 km2) on Isle au Haut, about 200 acres (81 ha; 0.31 sq mi; 0.81 km2) on smaller islands, and 2,366 acres (957 ha; 3.697 sq mi; 9.57 km2) on the Schoodic Peninsula.[note 1][11][12] As of 2015[update], the permanent park boundary, as established by act of Congress in 1986, included 12,416 acres (5,025 ha; 19.400 sq mi; 50.25 km2) of privately owned land underconservation easements managed by the National Park Service, which plans to acquire the land at some point.[2]
The mountains of Acadia National Park overlook the Atlantic ocean, island lakes, and pine forests. Twenty-six significant mountains rise in the park, ranging from 284 ft (87 m) at Flying Mountain's summit to 1,530 ft (470 m) atCadillac Mountain's summit.[13] Cadillac Mountain, named after the French explorerAntoine de la Mothe Cadillac, is on the eastern side of the island. Cadillac is the tallest mountain along the eastern coastline of the United States.[14] The summit of Cadillac is the first place in the United States where one may watch the sunrise from October 7 through March 6, due to its eastern location and height.[15]
The 27-mile (43 km)Park Loop Road leads to many scenic viewpoints along the coast, through forests and to the top of Cadillac Mountain.[14] The road traverses the eastern side of Mount Desert Island in a one-way, clockwise direction from Bar Harbor to Seal Harbor, passing features such as the Tarn (a pond), Champlain Mountain (location of a popular, exposed cliffside trail named Precipice),[16][17][18] the Beehive (another, smaller mountain), Sand Beach (a saltwater swimming area), Gorham Mountain, Thunder Hole (a crevasse into which waves crash loudly), Otter Cliff, Otter Cove, Seal Harbor,Jordan Pond, Pemetic Mountain, the Bubbles, Bubble Rock, Bubble Pond, Eagle Lake, and the side road to the summit of Cadillac Mountain. Some of the island's west side features include Echo Lake and beach (a designated freshwater swimming area), Acadia Mountain, Beech Mountain, Long Pond, and Seal Cove Pond.Bass Harbor Head Light is situated atop a cliff on the southernmost tip of the west side of the island.[7]Baker Island Light andBear Island Light are the other twolighthouses managed by Acadia.[19]
Somes Sound is a five-mile (8 km) longfjard formed during aglacial period that nearly divides the island in half. Thesound is 130 ft (40 m) deep at its deepest point, and is bordered by Norumbega Mountain to the east, and Acadia Mountain and Saint Sauveur Mountain to the west.[20][21] The towns ofSouthwest Harbor andNortheast Harbor face one another across the inlet to Somes Sound.[7]
Native Americans have inhabited the area calledAcadia for at least 12,000 years, including the coastal areas of Maine, Canada, and adjacent islands. TheWabanaki Confederacy ("People of the Dawnland") consists of five relatedAlgonquian nations—theMaliseet,Mi'kmaq,Passamaquoddy,Abenaki andPenobscot. Some of the nations callMount Desert IslandPemetic ("range of mountains"), which has remained at the center of the Wabanaki traditional ancestral homeland and territory of traditional stewardship responsibility to the present day.[22] The etymology of the park's name begins with the Mi'kmaq termakadie ("piece of land") which was rendered asl'Acadie by French explorers, and translated into English as Acadia.[23]
The Wabanaki traveled to the island inbirch barkcanoes to hunt, fish, gather berries, harvest clams and basket-making resources likesweetgrass,[24] and to trade with other Wabanakis. They camped near places likeSomes Sound.[22]
In the early 17th century, Asticou was the chieftain of the greater Mount Desert Island area, one district of an intertribal confederacy known as Mawooshen led by the grandchief Bashaba.Castine (Pentagoet in the native language) was the grandchief's favored rendezvous site for the Wabanaki tribes. The site is located just west of Mount Desert Island at the mouth of theBagaduce River in easternPenobscot Bay. From 1615, Castine developed into a majorfur trading post where French, English, and Dutch traders all fought for control.Sealskins,moosehides, and furs were traded by the Wabanakis for European commodities. By the early 1620s, warfare and introduced diseases, includingsmallpox,cholera andinfluenza, had decimated the tribes from Mount Desert Island southward toCape Cod, leaving about 10 percent of the original population.[25]
The border established between the United States and Canada after theAmerican Revolution split the Wabanaki homelands. The confederacy was dissolved around 1870 due to pressure from the American and Canadian governments, though the tribal nations continued to interact in their traditional ways.[25] In the nineteenth century, Wabanakis soldhandmadeash andbirch bark baskets to travelers. The Wabanaki performed dances for summer tourists and residents at Sieur de Monts and the town ofBar Harbor. Wabanaki guides led canoe trips aroundFrenchman Bay and theCranberry Islands.[22]
For two years, 1970–71, the nations operated a Wabanaki educational center called T.R.I.B.E. (Teaching and Research in Bicultural Education) on the west side of Eagle Lake. American Indian land claims in Maine were legally settled in 1980 and 1991. The annual Bar Harbor Native American Festival began in 1989, jointly sponsored by the tribes and theAbbe Museum.[25][26] The Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance was formed in 1993, assisting in the coordination of the annual festival with the museum.[25]
Currently, each tribe has a reservation and government headquarters located within their territories throughout Maine. Some Wabanakis live on Mount Desert Island, while others visit for board meetings at the Abbe Museum, to advise on and perform in exhibitions, for craft demonstrations, and to gather sweetgrass and sell handmade baskets at the annual festival.[22][25]
The Italian explorerGiovanni da Verrazzano sailed along the coast of Mount Desert Island during an expedition for the French Crown in 1524. He was followed byEstêvão Gomes, a Portuguese explorer for the Spanish Crown in 1525. French explorerJean Alfonse arrived in 1542. Alfonse enteredPenobscot Bay and recorded details about the fur trade. Portuguese navigator Simon Ferdinando guided an English expedition in 1580.[25]
A few hundred people were living on Mount Desert Island whenSamuel de Champlain arrived in 1604. Two Wabanakis led Champlain to Mount Desert Island, which he named Isle des Monts Deserts (Island of Barren Mountains) due to its barren peaks; he namedIsle au Haut (High Island) due to its height.[25]
While he was sailing down the coast on 5 September 1604,[27] Champlain wrote:
That same day we also passed near an island about four or five leagues [12–15 mi; 19–24 km] in length, off which we were almost lost on a little rock, level with the surface of the water, which made a hole in our pinnace close to the keel. The distance from this island to the mainland on the north is not a hundred paces. It is very high and cleft in places, giving it the appearance from the sea of seven or eight mountains one alongside the other. The tops of them are bare of trees, because there is nothing there but rocks. The woods consist only of pines, firs, and birches.[28]
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The first French missionary colony in America was established on Mount Desert Island in 1613. The colony was destroyed a short time later by an armed vessel from theColony of Virginia as the first act of overt warfare in the long struggle leading to theFrench and Indian Wars. The island was granted toAntoine de la Mothe Cadillac byLouis XIV of France in 1688, but ceded to England in 1713.Massachusetts governorSir Francis Bernard, 1st Baronet assumed control of the island in 1760. In 1790, Massachusetts granted the eastern half of the island to Cadillac's granddaughter, Mme. de Gregoire, while Bernard's son John retained ownership of the western half. The first record of summer visitors vacationing on the island was in 1855, and steamboat service fromBoston was inaugurated in 1868. TheGreen Mountain Cog Railway was built from the shore of Eagle Lake to the summit ofCadillac Mountain in 1888. In 1901, the Maine Legislature granted Hancock County a charter to acquire and hold land on the island in the public interest. The first land was donated by Mrs. Eliza Homans of Boston in 1908, and 5,000 acres (2,000 ha; 7.8 sq mi; 20 km2) had been acquired by 1914.[29]
Artists and journalists had revealed and popularized the island in the mid-1800s. Painters came from theHudson River School, includingThomas Cole andFrederic Church, inspiring patrons and friends to visit. The termrusticator was used to describe these early visitors who stayed in the homes of local fishermen and farmers for modest fees. The accommodations soon became insufficient for the increasing amount of summer visitors, and by 1880, thirty hotels were operating on the island. Tourism was becoming the major industry.[30]
For a select few Americans, the 1880s and theGay Nineties meant affluence on a scale without precedent. Mount Desert Island, being remote from the cities of the east, became a summer retreat for families such as theRockefellers,Morgans,Fords,Vanderbilts,Carnegies, andAstors. These families, with the help of developers such asCharles T. How,[31] constructed elegant estates, which they calledcottages. Luxury, refinement, and large gatherings replaced thebuckboard rides, picnics, and day-long hikes of the rusticators. For more than forty years, the wealthy dominated summer activity on Mount Desert Island, but theGreat Depression andWorld War II brought an end to the extravagance.[30]
The landscape architectCharles Eliot is credited with the idea for the park.[32]George B. Dorr, called the "Father of Acadia National Park", along with Eliot's fatherCharles W. Eliot (president of Harvard from 1869 to 1909), supported the idea both through donations of land and through advocacy at the state and federal levels. Dorr later served as the park's first superintendent. PresidentWoodrow Wilson first established its federal status asSieur de Monts National Monument on July 8, 1916, administered by the National Park Service.[2][33] It was the first national park created from private lands gifted to the public.[4]
We have entered on an important work; we have succeeded until the Nation itself has taken cognizance of it and joined with us for its advancement...No one who had not made the study of it which I have can realize how various and truly wonderful the opportunities are which the creation of this Park now opens, alike in wild life ways and splendid scenery. To lose by want of action now what will be so precious to the future, whether for the delight of men or as a means to study, would be no less than tragic.
— George B. Dorr, 1916,Acadia National Park: Its Origin and Background (1942), pp. 53 and 55[34]
Congress redesignated the national monument as Lafayette National Park on February 26, 1919,[2] the first American national park east of theMississippi River[35] and the only one in theNortheastern United States. The park was named after theMarquis de Lafayette, an influential French participant in the American Revolution. Jordan Pond Road was started in 1922 and completed as a scenic motor highway in 1927.[36] The Cadillac Mountain Summit Road, begun in 1925, was completed in 1931.[36]
The name of the park was changed to Acadia National Park on January 19, 1929, in honor of the former French colony ofAcadia, which once included Maine.[2] In 1929Schoodic Peninsula was donated to Acadia by John Godfrey Moore's second wife Louise and daughters Ruth and Faith. Keeping up with the taxes on the Schoodic land became a drain on the family finances and they thought this would be a fitting way to honor John Godfrey Moore. There was an unspoken stipulation in the discussions — the heirs were anglophiles that did not want to have their land as part of Lafayette National Park. Conservationist George Dorr suggested the name Acadia, and the deal went through after the name changed, ensuring the expansion.[37][38]
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From 1915 to 1940, the wealthy philanthropistJohn D. Rockefeller Jr. financed, designed, and directed the construction of a network of carriage roads throughout the park.[10] He sponsored the landscape architectBeatrix Farrand, whose family owned a summer home in Bar Harbor namedReef Point Estate, to design the planting plans for the carriage roads (c. 1930).[39] The network originally encompassed about 57 miles (92 km)[9] of crushed stone carriage roads with 17 stone-faced, steel-reinforced concrete bridges (16 financed by Rockefeller), and two gate lodges—one atJordan Pond and the other nearNortheast Harbor.[40] About 45 miles (72 km) of carriage roads are maintained and accessible within park boundaries. Granite coping stones along carriage road edges act as guard rails; they are nicknamed "Rockefeller's Teeth."[10] The carriage roads are open from the end of the spring mud season, generally in late April, through the summer, autumn, and winter months, until the following spring thaw causes another closure in March to prevent damage to the gravel surface.[41][42]
Acadia National Park's first naturalist,Arthur Stupka, also had the distinction of being the first NPS naturalist to serve in any of the NPS's eastern United States districts. He joined the park staff in 1932, and in the capacity of park naturalist he wrote, edited and published a four-volume serial entitledNature Notes from Acadia (1932–1935).[43]
| Superintendent | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| George B. Dorr | February 26, 1919 | May 8, 1944 |
| Benjamin L. Hadley (acting) | July 8, 1944 | November 20, 1944 |
| Benjamin L. Hadley | November 20, 1944 | March 31, 1953 |
| Charles R. Scarborough (acting) | July 15, 1952 | November 4, 1953 |
| Frank R. Givens | December 4, 1953 | October 17, 1959 |
| Harold A. Hubler | October 18, 1959 | December 30, 1965 |
| Thomas B. Hyde | January 30, 1966 | May 4, 1968 |
| John M. Good | April 21, 1968 | August 8, 1971 |
| Keith E. Miller | August 22, 1971 | September 9, 1978 |
| Lowell White | October 9, 1978 | November 15, 1980 |
| Warner Forsell (acting) | November 16, 1980 | May 30, 1981 |
| Ronald N. Wrye | May 31, 1981 | July 19, 1986 |
| Robert Joseph Abrell (acting) | July 20, 1986 | January 31, 1987 |
| John A. Hauptman | January 2, 1987 | March 23, 1991 |
| Leonard V. Bobinchock (acting) | March 24, 1991 | April 5, 1991 |
| Robert W. Reynolds | May 5, 1991 | 1994 |
| Leonard V. Bobinchock (acting) | 1994 | 1994 |
| Paul Haertel | 1994 | 2002 |
| Leonard V. Bobinchock (acting) | 2002 | 2003 |
| Sheridan Steele | 2003 | 2015 |
| Kevin Schneider | 2015 |
Beginning on October 17, 1947, more than 10,000 acres (4,000 ha; 16 sq mi; 40 km2) of Acadia National Park burned in a fire that also destroyed an additional 7,000 acres (2,800 ha; 11 sq mi; 28 km2) of Mount Desert Island outside the park. The fire began along Crooked Road west of Hulls Cove (northwest of Bar Harbor). The forest fire was one of a series of fires that consumed much of Maine's forest in a dry year. The fire burned until November 14, and was fought by the Coast Guard, Army Air Corps, Navy, local residents, and National Park Service employees from around the country. Sixty-seven of the historic summer cottages along Millionaires’ Row, along with 170 other homes, and five hotels were destroyed. Restoration of the park was substantially supported by the Rockefeller family.Regrowth has occurred naturally with new deciduous forests consisting of birch and aspen enhancing the colors of autumn foliage, adding diversity to tree populations, and providing for the eventual regeneration of spruce and fir forests.[48]
The region is characterized by a large seasonal variation in temperature with warm to hot summers that are often humid, and cold to severely cold winters. According to theKöppen climate classification system, Mount Desert Island has a warm-summerhumid continental climate (Dfb). The average annual 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), while January is the coldest month with an average of 23.8 °F (−4.6 °C). The record high and low temperatures are 96 °F (36 °C) and −21 °F (−29 °C), respectively. The planthardiness zone is 5b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of −11.4 °F (−24.1 °C).[49]
Average annual precipitation in Bar Harbor is 55.54" (1411 mm). November is the wettest month with 5.89" (150 mm) of precipitation on average, while July is the driest month with 3.27" (83 mm). Precipitation days are spread evenly throughout the year with December averaging the most days with about 14, while August averages the least with about 9. The annual average days with precipitation is 139. Snow has been recorded from October to May, although the majority falls from December to March. The snowiest month is January with 18.3" (46 cm), and the annual average is 66.1" (167 cm).
| Climate data for Acadia National Park, Maine, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1982–2014 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 57 (14) | 61 (16) | 82 (28) | 85 (29) | 96 (36) | 95 (35) | 96 (36) | 94 (34) | 95 (35) | 83 (28) | 71 (22) | 63 (17) | 96 (36) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 32.5 (0.3) | 34.9 (1.6) | 41.6 (5.3) | 53.2 (11.8) | 64.5 (18.1) | 73.9 (23.3) | 79.3 (26.3) | 78.3 (25.7) | 70.9 (21.6) | 58.5 (14.7) | 47.8 (8.8) | 37.8 (3.2) | 56.1 (13.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 23.8 (−4.6) | 26.2 (−3.2) | 33.3 (0.7) | 44.0 (6.7) | 54.7 (12.6) | 63.9 (17.7) | 69.7 (20.9) | 69.0 (20.6) | 61.9 (16.6) | 50.6 (10.3) | 40.3 (4.6) | 30.1 (−1.1) | 47.3 (8.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 15.1 (−9.4) | 17.5 (−8.1) | 25.0 (−3.9) | 34.8 (1.6) | 44.8 (7.1) | 53.8 (12.1) | 60.2 (15.7) | 59.7 (15.4) | 52.8 (11.6) | 42.8 (6.0) | 32.7 (0.4) | 22.4 (−5.3) | 38.5 (3.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −21 (−29) | −18 (−28) | −11 (−24) | 8 (−13) | 24 (−4) | 32 (0) | 36 (2) | 35 (2) | 31 (−1) | 16 (−9) | 3 (−16) | −13 (−25) | −21 (−29) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.48 (114) | 3.84 (98) | 4.94 (125) | 5.15 (131) | 4.50 (114) | 4.28 (109) | 3.27 (83) | 3.45 (88) | 4.22 (107) | 5.86 (149) | 5.89 (150) | 5.66 (144) | 55.54 (1,411) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 17.0 (43) | 16.8 (43) | 15.5 (39) | 4.7 (12) | trace | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.2 (0.51) | 3.0 (7.6) | 14.6 (37) | 71.8 (182.11) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 12.1 | 9.8 | 12.2 | 11.6 | 13.5 | 12.1 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 10.7 | 11.5 | 11.4 | 13.7 | 138.7 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 6.3 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 4.5 | 23.0 |
| Source 1: NOAA (snow/snow days 1981–2010)[50][51] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2[52] | |||||||||||||
The Cadillac MountainIntrusive Complex is part of the Coastal Maine Magmatic Province, consisting of over a hundredmafic andfelsicplutons associated with theAcadian Orogeny. Mount Desert Islandbedrock consists mainly of Cadillac Mountaingranite.Perthite gives the granite its pinkish color. TheSilurian age granite ranges from 424 to 419 million years ago (Mya).Diabasedikes trend north–south through the complex. Almost 300 million years of erosion followed before the deposition of glacial features during thePleistocene.Glacial polish,glacial striations, andchatter marks are evident in granitic surfaces. Other glacier-shaped features include The Bubbles (tworôche moutonnées) and theU-shaped valleys of Sargent Mountain Pond, Jordan Pond, Seal Cove Pond, Long Pond, Echo Lake, and Eagle Lake. Somes Sound is afjard andterminal moraines form the southern end of Long Pond, Echo Lake, and Jordan Pond. Bubble Rock is an example of aglacial erratic.[53]
More than 500 Mya, layers of mud, sand andvolcanic ash were buried beneath the ocean where high pressure, heat andtectonic activity created ametamorphic rock formation called theEllsworthSchist. White and grayquartz,feldspar, and greenchlorite comprise the schist, which is the oldest rock in the Mount Desert Island region. Erosion and shifting of tectonic plates eventually brought the schist to the surface.[54]
About 450 Mya, an ancientcontinental fragment, or micro-terrane, calledAvalonia collided with North America. The collision buried the schist along with accumulations of sand andsilt, creating the Bar Harbor Formation which consists of brown and graysandstone andsiltstone layers. Material from volcanic flows and ash were also deposited on the formation, creating the volcanic rock found on the Cranberry Islands. Further volcanic activity introducedigneous rocks into the Bar Harbor Formation. As the igneousintrusions cooled, crystallized minerals formed including agabbro composed of dark, iron-rich minerals.[54]
Mount Desert Island granite was created about 420 Mya, with one of the oldest granite bodies being Cadillac Mountain, the largest on the island. The granite body rose slowly through bedrock, fracturing it into large pieces, some of which melted under intense heat. As the granite cooled, the bedrock fragments were left surrounded by crystallized granite in a shatter zone that is visible on the eastern side of the mountain. A fine-grained, black igneous rock called diabase intruded into the granite during later volcanic activity. Diabase bodies, or dikes, are visible along the Cadillac Mountain road and on the Schoodic Peninsula.[54]
During the next several hundred million years, the rock layers that still covered the large granite bodies, along with softer rock surrounding the granite, were worn away by erosion.[54]
During the last two to three million years, a series ofice sheets flowed and receded across northern North America, eroding mountains and creating U-shaped valleys.[54] Theglacier that covered Mount Desert Range, part of which is now called Mount Desert Island, was one mile (1.6 km) thick and moved at the rate of a few yards (meters) per year. The mountain range was heavily eroded by the glacier which rounded off mountaintops, carvedsaddles, deepened valleys, and created the fjard known as Somes Sound, nearly dividing the current island in half.[21] Evidence of the last glacial period, theWisconsin glaciation from about 75,000 to 11,000 years ago, is visible as long scratches, or striations, and crescent-shaped gouges created by material carried along at the base of the ice. As the climate warmed, the glaciers melted and receded, leaving boulders that had been carried 20 mi (32 km) or further south from their original locations. These boulders, or glacial erratics, lie in valleys and on mountaintops, including Bubble Rock on the South Bubble.[54]
The coastal areas of Maine sank slightly under the extreme weight of the ice sheets, allowing seawater to cover lowlands thus forming the present-day islands. Evidence ofsea caves and past beaches can be found about 300 ft (91 m) above current sea level. As the ice receded and the land stabilized, lakes and ponds formed in valleys dammed byglacial debris. Rivers and streams flowed again through the watershed, continuing the gradual erosion of the drainage paths.[54]
Acadia has a coastline composed of rockyheadlands, and more heavily eroded stony or sandy beaches. Coastal areas directly facing thewind-driven waves of the Atlantic Ocean are solely composed of large boulders as all other material has been washed out to sea. Areas partially protected by rocky headlands contain the remains of more eroded rocks, consisting of pebbles,cobbles and smaller boulders. Sheltered coves, such as at Sand Beach, contain fine-grained particles that are primarily the remains of shells and other hard parts of marine life, includingmussels andsea urchins.[54]
Granitic ridges are subjected tofrost weathering. Joints, or fractures, are slowly enlarged as trapped water repeatedly freezes and melts, eventually splitting off a block. Bright pink scars with granitic rubble below are evidence of such weathering; one example can be seen above theTarn, a pond just south of Bar Harbor.[54]
At least twelve sea caves are located in several coastal areas of the park. Sea caves are formed when waves cause erosion of coastal rock formations. If a sea cave is enlarged enough, it may break through aheadland to form asea arch.[55]
Frequent thawing in winter prevents large accumulations of snow, and keeps the ground well saturated. Ice storms are common in winter and early spring, while rain occurs throughout the year. Saturated soils, thawing, and heavy precipitation lead torockfalls every spring along Mount Desert Island's loop road, as well asslumping along coastal bluffs.[55]
Mass wasting (slope movement) ofmarine clay, deposited when the sea level was much higher, occurs along Hunters Brook on Mount Desert Island. Slumping of the greenish-gray clay destabilized thebank, changing the course of the stream. The eastern end of Otter Cove's beach contains erodedgullies of marine clay. Mass wasting and slope failure may occur wherever marine clay is exposed.[55]
Earthquakes withepicenters near the park have caused landslides, damaging roads and trails. Earthquakes in Maine occur at a low but steady rate, with magnitudes usually less than 4.8 on theRichter scale.[55]
ThePresumpscot Formation has yielded a diverse collection of mostly marinefossils. The formation is composed ofsilt andclay deposited between 15 and 11,000 years ago whenisostatic loading raised sea level as land was submerged to about 330–395 ft (101–120 m) above the current level.Post-glacial rebound lowered sea level, exposing theseabed to a depth of about 195 ft (59 m) below the current level. A global rise in sea-level flooded theshelf to the current level.[55]
Plant fossils includepollen,spores, logs, and other plantmacrofossils.Invertebrate fossils includeforaminifera (protists that formtest shells),sponge spicules,bryozoans,bivalves,gastropods,Spirorbis,beetles,ants,barnacles,decapodcrustaceans (crabs,shrimp,lobsters, etc.),ostracodes (seed shrimp), and ophiuroids (brittle stars).Vertebrate fossils include fish and a few rare large mammals, such aswalruses,whales, and amammoth. Walrus remains have been reported on Andrews Island, 19 mi (31 km) west of Isle au Haut;Addison Point, 23 mi (37 km) northeast of the Schoodic Peninsula; andGardiner, 57 mi (92 km) west-northwest of Isle au Haut. The mammoth bones were found atScarborough, 87 mi (140 km) southwest of Isle au Haut.[55]
The ecological zones at Acadia National Park, from highest to lowest elevation, include: nearly barren mountainsummits; northernboreal and easterndeciduous forests on the mountainsides; freshwater lakes and ponds, as well aswetlands likemarshes andswamps in the valleys between mountains; and the Atlantic shoreline with rocky and sandy beaches,intertidal andsubtidal zones.[56]
Tinysubalpine plants grow in the granitejoints on mountaintops and on the downwind side of rocks. Stunted, gnarled trees also survive near the summits.Spruce-fir boreal forests cover much of the park. Stands ofoak,maple,beech, and otherhardwoods more typical ofNew England represent the eastern deciduous forest.Pitch pines andscrub oaks inhabit isolated forests at their northeastern range limit, whilejack pines reach the southern limit of their range in Acadia.[56]
Fourteengreat ponds and ten smaller ponds provide habitat for many fish andwaterfowl species. More than 20% of the park is classified as wetland. Marshes and swamps form the transition between terrestrial and aquatic environments, maintaining biodiversity by providing a habitat for a wide range of species. Native wildlife frequent wetlands alongside species that are nesting, overwintering or migrating, such as birds along theAtlantic Flyway.[56] Wetlands are composed of 37.5%marine (sea water), 31.6%palustrine (stagnant water), 20%estuarine (coastal, brackish water), 10.7%lacustrine (freshwater lakes and ponds), and 0.2%riverine (flowing streams). Approximately 53.6 mi (86.3 km) of perennial streams and 47.3 mi (76.1 km) of intermittent streams flow through the park, while about 50 mi (80 km) of shoreline surround 110 lakes and ponds encompassing 1,056.56 acres (427.57 ha; 1.65088 sq mi; 4.2757 km2).[4]
Intertidal flora and fauna inhabit more than 60 mi (97 km) of rocky coastline.[4] The nutrient-rich marine waters cover the intertidal plants and animals twice a day. Pools of calm water form among the rocks around low tides, inhabited bystarfish,dog whelks,blue mussels,sea cucumbers, androckweed.[56]
Flora common to bothdeciduous andconiferous woodlands includelowbush blueberry,Canadian bunchberry,hobblebush,bluebead lily,Canada mayflower,wild sarsaparilla,shadbush,starflower,rosy twisted stalk,wintergreen, andwhite pine trees.[57]
Coniferous forest trees include thebalsam fir,eastern hemlock,red pine,red spruce, andwhite spruce.[57] The park has apotential natural vegetation of northeasternspruce/fir withintemperate coniferous forests, according to the originalA. W. Kuchler types.[58]Spruce-fir forests cover more than sixty percent of the naturally vegetated habitats in the park.[4] Other coniferous forest plants includedewdrop,mountain holly,pinesap,one-flowered pyrola,shinleaf,trailing arbutus,northern woodsorrel, anddrooping woodreed.[57]
An invasive insect known as the red pinescale was confirmed on dying red pines on the south side ofNorumbega Mountain near Lower Hadlock Pond in 2014.[59]
Deciduous forest trees include thewhite ash,big-toothed andtrembling aspen,American beech,paper andyellow birch,red oak,American mountain ash, as well asmountain,red,striped, andsugar maples. Other deciduous forest plants includelarge-leaved aster,chokecherry,red-berried elder,Christmas fern,threeleaf goldthread,early saxifrage,false Solomon's seal,small Solomon's seal, andtwinflower.[57]
Trees commonly found in the mountains and dry, rocky places of the national park includegray birch,common juniper,jack pine, andpitch pine, while smaller trees, or shrub, species includegreen alder andpin cherry. Other common shrubs and flowering plants found in the mountains and rocky areas includealpine 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, andwild raisin.Poverty oatgrass is the most common grass found in mountainous terrain.[57]
Bog plants includebog 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, andsweetgale, along withlarch andblack spruce trees.[57]
Meadow and roadside plants includespeckled 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, andyellow rattle.[57]
Freshwatermarsh and pond plants includecommon 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, andyellow water-lily.[57]
The Mount Desert Island section of the park harbors more than half of thevascular plant species occurring in Maine.[4] Plant,algal, andfungal specimens collected during research activities at the park are deposited for future study at aherbarium jointly administered by the park and theCollege of the Atlantic.[60] A special garden calledThe Wild Gardens of Acadia was established in the Sieur de Monts area of the park in 1961 and has since grown to include more than 400 indigenous plant species found throughout all park areas.[61]
The park's wide variety of natural habitats provides homes for many different animal species. The coastal location also encourages a large number of species; however, the small size and isolation of these habitats from mainland habitats limits the types of animals, especially their size. Smaller animals are better adapted to smaller habitats which makes them more common and easily observed than larger ones such as black bears and moose.[62]
The park is inhabited by 37mammalian species:[63]
and a solitary nativehare species, thesnowshoe hare.
Sevenreptilian species live in the park including fivesnakes (milk,smooth green,redbelly,eastern garter, and thering-necked snake) and twoturtles (thecommon snapping turtle and the easternpainted turtle).[63]
Elevenamphibian species inhabit the park including theAmerican toad, fivefrog species (bullfrog,spring peeper,green,pickerel, andwood frog), foursalamander species (spotted,dusky,northern two-lined, andfour-toed salamander), and theeastern newt.[63]
The most abundantfish are theAmerican eel,golden shiner,banded killifish, andpumpkinseed, while commonly found fish includealewife,white sucker,northern redbelly dace,chain pickerel (non-native),three-spined stickleback,nine-spined stickleback,rainbow smelt, andbrook trout. Thirteen other fish species (ten non-native) are listed by the NPS as uncommon, while eight other species are listed with an unknown abundance.[63]
Manymarine species may be observed in the surrounding waters, includingseals andwhales, from asea kayak or other personal watercraft, or on ranger-narrated boat cruises. Specialwhale-watching excursions launch from Bar Harbor.[23]
A total of215 bird species, including migratory birds, are present at some time during the year. An additional 116 species are possibly present but unconfirmed, making a total of 331 potential species. Thirty-three other bird species are considered historical and no longer present in the park. Large birds includegolden andbald eagles,gyrfalcons,turkey vultures,ospreys,cormorants, and variousherons,hawks, andowls.Waterfowl species include fourgeese (Canada,brant,snow, andgreater white-fronted geese), along with variousducks includingmallards,wood ducks,pintails,wigeons,blue-winged andgreen-winged teals,canvasbacks,buffleheads,eiders,goldeneyes, andharlequin ducks.Seabirds includeterns and fourgull species (herring,laughing,ring-billed, andgreat black-backed gulls), whileshorebirds includeavocets,sandpipers andplovers.Songbirds are represented by various species ofblackbirds,chickadees,finches,jays,sparrows,swallows,thrushes,vireos,warblers, andwrens.[63]
One of the more unique songbirds is thered crossbill, afinch that uses its crossedmandibles to efficiently extract the seeds fromconifer cones, especially those of spruces, hemlocks, and pines. The crossbills feed their young with the same seeds, rather than the insects which other species feed to their chicks. Any given subspecies of the crossbill (as many as ten are known in North America) will have the same bill size, utilize the same calls to communicate, and prefer certain cones, with smaller-billed birds preferring the smaller cones of hemlocks and larger-billed birds preferring the larger cones of white pines.[65]
In 1991,peregrine falcons had a successful nesting in Acadia for the first time since 1956. At least one pair and as many as four pairs have produced offspring over the years since 1991, totaling more than 160 chicks. Many of those chicks were banded to learn about migration, habitat use, and longevity. Banded falcons have been observed as far away asVermont,Maryland,Washington, D.C., andNew Brunswick. Beginning in early spring and continuing into mid-summer, certain trails may be closed to avoid disturbance to falcon nesting areas.[66] The Jordan Cliffs Trail, Valley Cove Trail, Precipice Trail, and a portion of the Orange and Black Path were closed from April 13 to July 13, 2018.[67][68] The same trails were closed from March 22 to August 3, 2017.[69][70]
Motor vehicle touring along the 27-mile (43 km)Park Loop Road begins on April 15, if weather permits, and ends on December 1, unless significant snowfall closes it sooner. A two-mile (3.2 km) stretch of the Ocean Drive portion of the loop, from Schooner Head Road to Sand Beach and Otter Cliff, is plowed and open all year, as is Jordan Pond Road.[23][71]
The coastline can be explored on guided boat trips or by sea kayak. Canoeing and kayaking are popular activities on accessible lakes and ponds.[72] About 125 mi (201 km) of hiking trails traverse forests and mountains, while 45 mi (72 km) of carriage roads can be hiked or bicycled (motorized vehicles, includingelectric bikes, are prohibited).[73] Both the 3.5-mile long Dorr Mountain Trail and the 4.5-mile (7.2 km) long Sargent Mountain Trail are listed asNational Recreation Trails.[74][75]Horseback riding is permitted on carriage roads and certain other park areas.[76]Climbing is popular at 60 ft (18 m) high Otter Cliff, and at Great Head, Precipice, and South Bubble.[77] Sand Beach offers seawater swimming and Echo Lake Beach offers freshwater swimming.[23] In summer, ocean water temperature ranges from 50–60 °F (10–16 °C) while lake and pond temperatures range from 55–70 °F (13–21 °C).[78]
Ranger-led programs from mid-May to mid-October introduce visitors to the park's diverse natural and cultural history. Park rangers offer short walks, longer hikes, boat cruises, evening amphitheater programs, and children's programs, as well as viewing of peregrine falcons andraptors.[23][79][80]
Winter activities include hiking on trails usingsnowshoes, or traction footwear, andtrekking poles,cross-country skiing on carriage roads,snowmobiling on the paved loop road, andice fishing on frozen ponds and lakes.[71]
Mount Desert Island has two NPS campgrounds, constructed mainly by theCivilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s along with various park trails.[81]Blackwoods Campground is located on the east side of the island, closer to the most popular sites, the carriage roads, and Bar Harbor.Seawall Campground is on the less crowded west side of the island.[23] Schoodic Woods on the Schoodic Peninsula is the newest NPS campground, opened in 2015.[82] Five lean-to shelters are available by advance reservation at Duck Harbor Campground on Isle au Haut.[23] Blackwoods is open throughout the year, though only primitive walk-in camping by permit is possible in winter (December–March), while the others are open from late spring (mid-to-late May) to early autumn (late September to mid-October).[83] Mount Desert Island also has eleven private campgrounds outside park boundaries, while two private campgrounds are on the Schoodic Peninsula, and one is on Isle au Haut.[84]
The park hosts the annualAcadia Night Sky Festival, attracting speakers, researchers, photographers, and artists to the area.[85][86]
Park attendance increased to 3.53 million in 2018, setting a new record for the second year in a row. The seasonal nature of the park means a concentration of visitors in the summer months that is beyond the capacity of park infrastructure. Congestion leads to lack of available parking andgridlock, requiring road closures. Traffic management places a toll on available rangers, competing with rescue operations that also see a sharp increase on peak attendance days.[87]
TheIsland Explorer bus system is offered in part to reduce congestion; it has served 7.7 million passengers since it began operations in 1999. A portion of park entrance fees partially funds the service.[88]
Since the park's founding in 1916,climate change has lengthened thegrowing season by nearly two months. A longer growing season threatens native plants and invitesinvasive species that thrive in the longer, warmer summer season. An expanded warm season also lengthens the tourism season, placing further strain on park resources. Changes in rainfall patterns have also taxed park infrastructure, increasing the maintenance required to control erosion and protect the historic carriage roads.[89]
Park officials estimated the cost of needed infrastructure maintenance to be $65.8 million in 2019, a $6 million increase from 2018.[90] The National Park Service has an estimated $11 billion in totaldeferred maintenance across all units, a number which continues to increase. The backlog compounds existing problems inenvironmental management and traffic congestion, as infrastructure to manage traffic flow cannot be built until existing infrastructure is properly maintained. Trail and wilderness restoration is also deferred due to insufficient funding. Additionally, the large number of park entrances creates issues with fee compliance, costing additional lost revenue.[91]
Six visitor information centers are located in or near the park, including 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, ahistorical museum inIslesford onLittle Cranberry Island, and the Rockefeller Welcome Center on theSchoodic Peninsula. The Rockefeller Welcome Center is the only one open throughout the year, though it is closed on winter weekends; the others are all closed in winter.[83]
After thenaval base on the Schoodic Peninsula closed in 2002,[92] the National Park Service (NPS) acquired the land and established the Schoodic Education and Research Center (SERC). The SERC campus is managed by the nonprofit Schoodic Institute and the NPS in a public-private partnership as one of 19 NPS research learning centers in the country. The center is dedicated to supporting scientific research in the park, providing professional development for teachers, and educating students.[93][94]
In 1986, a group of Acadia-area residents and park volunteers formed the membership-based nonprofit organizationFriends of Acadia (FOA) to organize volunteer efforts and private philanthropy for the benefit of Acadia National Park.[95] The group's first major achievement was a $3.4 million endowment, raised between 1991 and 1996, to maintain the park's carriage road system in perpetuity, which leveraged federal funds to fully restore the road system. Subsequent projects and partnerships included Acadia Trails Forever, the first endowed trail system in an American national park with $13 million raised between 1999 and 2001, and the Island Explorer, a free,propane-powered bus system serving the park and local communities since 1999.[96]
The Acadia Youth Conservation Corps was established by FOA and endowed by an anonymous donor in 1999 to employ 16 high school students in maintenance of trails and carriage roads in the summer months.[97] FOA also partnered with park administration to establish the Acadia Youth Technology Team in 2011,[95] an initiative involving local teenaged interns and college-age team leaders supplied with professional-quality imaging tools to foster an appreciation of nature and environmental stewardship, especially among younger people.[98] The team has since been renamed the Acadia Digital Media Team.[99]
SelectBy Park;Calendar Year; select year;View PDF Report - seeGross Area Acres in the rightmost column of the report
This article incorporatespublic domain material from"The Wabanaki: People of the Dawnland" (archive).nps.gov. National Park Service. December 14, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2018.Search for each year: 1613, 1688, 1713, 1760, 1790, 1855, 1868, 1888, 1901, 1908 and 1914
This article incorporatespublic domain material from"History of Acadia" (archive).nps.gov. National Park Service. January 4, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2018.Bar Harbor's Zip Code is 04609
PDF file link found on: irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2124944
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromWritten in Acadia's Rocks. National Park Service. March 16, 2015.Archived from the original on December 3, 2018. RetrievedDecember 3, 2018. This article incorporatespublic domain material from"NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Acadia National Park, Maine" (archive).nps.gov. National Park Service. December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018. This article incorporatespublic domain material from"Natural Features & Ecosystems" (archive).nps.gov. National Park Service. September 28, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
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