Though the affluent of the turn of the century came here to frolic,
they had much to do with preserving the landscape that we know
today. It was from this social strata that George B. Dorr came. He
devoted 43 years of his life, energy, and family fortune to
preserving the Acadian landscape. In 1916, Sieur de Monts National
Monument was created with 6,000 acres of land donated by individual
landowners. In 1919, it became Lafayette National Park, the first
national park east of the Mississippi River. In 1929, the name was
changed to Acadia National Park.
Today, Acadia preserves about 40,000 acres of
Atlantic coast shoreline, mixed
hardwood and spruce/fir forest, mountains, and lakes, as well as
several offshore islands.
VISITATION
Highest in July and August; lowest in December, January and
February.
LOCATION
Mount Desert Island, Maine
ADDRESS
Acadia National Park
PO Box 177
Bar Harbor, ME 04609
TELEPHONE
(207)288-3338 (Voice/TDD)
OPERATING HOURS, SEASONS
24 hours year-round; some roads closed in winter.
Winter visitor center hours: 8:00AM-4:30PM
daily, November 1-mid-April, except Thanksgiving
Day, December 24 and 25, and January 1.
Summer visitor center hours: Mid-April through June and October,
daily 8:00AM-4:30PM.
July-August, daily 8:00AM-6:00PM
September, daily, hours vary
CLIMATE, RECOMMENDED CLOTHING
Summers are generally warm, cooling off at night, sometimes dry,
sometimes rainy. Winters are veryold and snowy. Always be prepared
for cool weather, dress in layers.
DIRECTIONS
I-95 north to Bangor; 1A east to Ellsworth; Route 3 east to Mount
Desert Island
TRANSPORTATION
Bangor International Airport, 50 miles from Acadia Vermont Transit
bus transportation from Bangor
FEES, COST, RATES
May1-October 31:
$10 per vehicle for a 7 day pass
$5 for walkers or bikers for a 7 day pass
FACILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES
See above for visitor center hours.
Trails, Roads:
120 miles of hiking trails
45 miles of carriage roads for walking and biking
Programs/Activities:
Visitor center audio visual presentation every half hour.
Ranger-led programs, May to mid-October; pick up park newspaper with
schedule at visitor center.
Lodging and camping facilities:
2 campgrounds: Blackwoods; on reservation system June 15-September
15. See details below. Open year-round with varying facilities and
prices. Seawall;open late May-September on a first-come,
first-served basis always. Other types of lodging in nearby towns.
Food/supplies:
Available in nearby towns
Concessions:
Wildwood Stables
Acadia Corporation: Jordan Pond House restaurant and gift shop,
Thunder Hole gift shop, and Cadillac Mt. gift shop.
Accessibility:
Guidebook is available through the mail or at the visitor center.
Wheelchair for use at visitor center.
Special needs:
Some trails, restrooms, and campsites are accessible. Sign language
interpreter provided with 2 weeks notice of arrival, if funding is
available. Script for audio visual presentation at visitorcenter
available upon request.
RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES/PARK USE
27 mile drive on Park Loop Road, which encompasses shoreline, forest
and mountain scenery. A cassette tape tour is available for rent or
purchase at the visitor center.
Ranger-led programs
Hiking, biking, shore exploration
Cross-country skiing in the winter
CAMPING RESERVATIONS/PERMITS
Blackwoods Campground, June 15-September 15, $16.00/night/site.
For telephone reservations call:
USA
1-800-365-2267
TDD (Hearing Impaired)
1-888-530-9796
International Reservations
1-301-722-1257
Daily reservation office phone hours:
6:00 - 6:00 AST
10:00 - 10:00 EST
9:00 - 9:00 CST
8:00 - 8:00 MST
7:00 - 7:00 PST
Types of payment:
VISA, MasterCard, Discover
Check and Money Order - no less than 20 days in advance of arrival
at the park.
For mail-in reservations, write:
NPRS
P.O. Box 1600
Cumberland, Maryland 21502
* Mail-in reservations can be made no earlier than two weeks before
the dates listed above. Reservations received more than two weeks in
advance will be returned.
When making a reservation, you are simply securing a space in the
campground; it is not possible to reserve a specific site or
adjoining sites.
Cancellation Policy:
All changes of a reservation will be considered a cancellation and
charged a $12.50 cancellation fee. Cancellations made on the day of
arrival will be charged an additional one night camping fee.
Group camping sites at Blackwoods or Seawall campgrounds, May
15-September 15, (207)288-3338,
$30.00/night/site(up to 20 people)
Isle au Haut special use permit, May 15-October 15, (207)288-3338,
$25.00
BASIC VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS
One to four day stay
SPECIAL EVENTS. PROGRAMS
National Park Week, late April
Free park admission on August 25, birthday of the National Park
Service.
This park is featured in a lesson plan created by Teaching with
Historic Places, a program of the National Park Service that helps
teachers and students understand how parks and other historic places
embody America's historical experiences and cultural expressions.
VISITOR IMPACTS
Stay on trails; bike on carriage roads, not hiking trails; keep dogs
on leashes; turn off car and bus engines.
ADJACENT VISITOR ATTRACTIONS
Baxter State Park, 2 1/2 hours northwest of Mount Desert Island,
(207)723-5140 .