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Jun 1, Acadia National Park Maine, Map and Information
As
you sit at
sunrise atop Cadillac
Mountain, you will understand why each year thousands of
vacationers head to Acadia
National Park in Maine, the....
..."First National Park East of
the Mississippi". Located primarily on Mount Desert Island,
with outcroppings on
Isle au Haut
and Schoodic Peninsula,
in
Maine's Downeast region...
...the Acadia Park covers
nearly 47,000 acres, including conservation easements.
With 125 miles of hiking trails, 45 miles of
carriage roads, kayaking, canoeing and fishing, saltwater and
freshwater
swimming beaches...
...Acadia Park camping at four locations, and
spectacular cliff side
overlooks, the park is one of the most scenic places to vacation
to, or visit in
Maine.
Only minutes from the waterfront of Bar
Harbor, Maine,
the park is easily accessible from either the Hulls Cove Entrance on
Route 3, or further south from the Cadillac Mountain Entrance.
Open
year-round, fall foliage
in Acadia is very popular, and when winter weather
conditions permit...
...the park offers cross-country skiing and
snowshoeing. Because of icing, winter hiking in Acadia can be
treacherous and is often not advised.
Additionally, most facilities,
including the...
...Hulls Cove Visitor Center, museums, picnic
areas, Duck
Harbor Campground and SeawallCampground, and many roads,
close during the winter
months.
Since the 3.5 mile summit road toCadillac
Mountain, and portions of the scenicPark Loop
Road - a 27-mile paved road that winds along the
rugged
coastline and the park's interior...
...are shut down from December 1 through
April 14, and at other times when inclement weather creates dangerous
driving conditions...
...it is wise to visit an Acadia visitor center
before entering the park off-season.
Over 100 National Parks offer Fee Free Days
throughout the year. Acadia National Park is among them.
The 2015 Fee Free Dates
are:
January 19, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
February 14-16, President's Day Weekend
April 18-19, First Weekend of National Park Week
August 25, National Park Services Birthday
September 26, National Public Lands Days
November 11, Veterans Day
Please be sure to verify
dates
with the National Parks that you
plan to visit, including Acadia at:
www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm
Acadia National Park, Maine Information
Staffed by park rangers,
several area visitor centers provide free
Acadia information. If you visit between
June and October
don't miss out on the free Beaver Log...
...the park newspaper with
Acadia ranger-led
program schedules, tide charts, sunrise and sunset times, and
information on fees
and safety.
Also at any visitor center
you can pay the Park
Loop Road entrance fee - currently $20
per vehicle from June 23rd to early October, $10 from May 1st to June
22nd and early October to October 31, $5 for a pedestrian, motorcycle,
bicycle, etc. Vehicle passes and individual passes are good for seven
days, including the day of purchase. You may also buy an Acadia Annual Pass
for $40.
(Please
note, current Acadia Park
entrance fees may be higher.)
Hulls
Cover Visitor Center - Open from April 15 through
October
31, the Hulls Cove Visitor Center is an excellent place to begin a
visit. Located to the right of the Hulls Cove entrance, the center
offers...
...a free 15-minute audiovisual program about the
park (available in English, French, and German), a bookstore, a 3-D map
of Mount Desert Island, restrooms, drinking
fountains, and available for purchase - an Acadia auto tour.
But when visiting, beware...
The Hulls Cover Visitor Center sits at the top of
a small hill, with fifty two steps leading up to it.
For people who cannot navigate the stairs or need a wheelchair accessible entrance,
use the handicap parking lot which sits at the top of the hill, to the
left of
the visitor center.
Park
Headquarters, Winter Visitor Center - Open year-round
(although closed on weekends from April 15 to October 31) Park
headquarters is located on Route 233, just west of Bar
Harbor.
The facility serves as a Winter Visitor Center when the Hulls
Cove Visitor Center is closed. Free park information, restrooms,
drinking fountains, and a bookstore are available.
Thompson
Island Information Center - Open from mid-May to
mid-October, with displays of Acadia area information, restrooms,
drinking fountains, and a nearby picnic area, the Thompson Island
Information Center is located on Route 3 at the head of Mount Desert
Island.
Hours of Operation
for Acadia National Park, Maine, and...
Seasonal Road Closures
at Acadia
National Park, Maine.
The National Park Service
website provides full details on trail closings.
Acadia National Park, Maine Audio Tour
Recommended
by
Michelin Guides, Mobile Guides, AAA, (and myself), the Acadia National
Park Audio
Tour is available at park visitor
centers and at some motels and hotels in Bar
Harbor.
The cover of the CD proclaims that it is "A Guided
Tour in the Comfort
of Your Car!".
The auto tour CD is a wonderfully informative
narrative
of the Acadia history
and what you are viewing as you travel through the park. It takes you
from...
...Hulls Cove Visitor Center
parking lot, to Frenchman's Bay overlook, and on to...
Fire of '47 Overlook
Sieur-de-Monts Nature Center
Beaver Dam Pond
Schooner Head Overlook
Sand Beach
Thunder Hole
Otter Point
Gulf of Maine and Cranberry Island Overlook
Jordan Pond parking area
Bubble Pond parking area
entrance to Cadillac Summit Road
top of Cadillac Mountain
Sargent Drive (from junction of Routes 233 and
198
Accompanying the CD is an Acadia
National Park map, printed driving
instructions, and photos
of Acadia with instructions on how to use them as desktop
images.
...or Vacation
rentals in Acadia National Park, ME
- Acadia cottage
rentals and Acadia house rental.
Acadia Bus, the Island Explorer, and Acadia Tours
Although having your own car will give you total
flexibility, there is a wonderful way to experience
Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park in Maine without driving.
The propane-powered Island
Explorer Bus
has eight bus routes linking Bar Harbor ...
..."hotels, inns, and campgrounds,
with
destinations in Acadia National Park and neighboring village centers".
The
Island Explorer is operated by Downeast
Transportation out of
Ellsworth, Maine. In addition to offering bus service in
Bar Harbor and the
Acadia Park area, they also offer car-free alternatives for getting to
and from Mount Desert Island. For more information...
Island
Explorer - www.exploreacadia.com, 207-667-5796,
For Bar Harbor
cruise ship passengers and tourists who would rather enjoy Acadia
sightseeing without the hassle their automobile, Acadia bus tours and
open air
trolley tours are also available, through...
National
Park Tours - www.acadiatours.com, 207-288-0300,
And...
Oli's
Trolley - www.acadiaislandtours.com, 866-9-Trolley
(866-987-6553), [email protected]
Also...
Select lodging
in Bar
Harbor
offers motor coach tours for groups.
Operating from Wildwood Stables on the Park Loop
Road, Carriages of Acadia
offers the truly unique experience of
horse-drawn carriage tours on the world famous carriage roads built by
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. For more information visit...
Carriages
of Acadia - www.carriagesofacadia.com,
877-276-3622, [email protected]
Throughout the park, ranger-led programs
on the mountains, in the forests, and by boat, are a great way to be
introduced to the Acadia history, it's geology and wildlife.
Ranger led Acadia schedules are available at the park visitor
centers.
A quick look at a
detailed map
of Maine
might suggest that Coastal Route 1 is the most efficient way to reach
Acadia National Park, Maine. Not so! Traffic on Route 1 can be very
heavy.
My suggestion (and many Mainers' agree), take I-95 to
Bangor
and then head south to Ellsworth. Continue on to Mount Desert
Island. The park is around 264 miles from Boston and
50 miles from Bangor.
http://www.great-maine-vacations.com/acadia-national-park-maine.html