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Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor ME |
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New England's only national park has dramatic landscapes and lots of history. |
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The rugged terrain of Mount Desert Island has attracted lovers of natural beauty for over a century, and soon after summer visitors began to arrive here in numbers, preservation efforts were begun. By the end of World War II, Acadia National Park was well along to its present size of over 30,000 acres (12,141 hectares), or something like half the land on the island (the other half is still in private hands). Focal point of park activities is Cadillac Mountain, at 1,530 feet the highest point on America's Atlantic coast. The thing to do at Cadillac Mountain is to hike (or drive) to the summit for the views. In fact, local people have recognized that those who see the sun break forth on the horizon from Cadillac Mountain are the first people in the United States to greet the new day, so there's a Sunrise from Mount Cadillac Club. You can join by picking up a blank from the Bar Harbor information bureau, and filling it out with the help of your hotel manager the night before you plan to see the sunrise. Then, if you follow through, you get to be a member of this exclusive club. Besides Cadillac Mountain, the first thing to do in the park is drive the Loop Road, a one-way scenic ocean drive which takes you past many of the most interesting scenic, topographic, and geologic features of the island. Stop at Thunder Hole when the surf's up to feel the bashing and pushing of the waves, or at Sand Beach for a chilly ocean swim. There's national park camping at Black Woods (follow the signs). This is the only campground where you can reserve ahead; call your local Ticketron outlet as early as the spring for reservations. On the island's western peninsula, Echo Lake is the park's freshwater swimming area. There's a lookout tower atop Beech Mountain, and a park campground is down near the peninsula's southern tip at Seawall. Throughout the park are 100 miles (161 km) of hiking trails (maps sold at park headquarters), and lots of unpaved "carriage roads" good for bike trips or horseback riding (horses can be rented in the park). Not far from the town of Bar Harbor, in the park at Sieur des Monts Spring, is the Abbe Museum of Stone Age Antiquities, a wildflower garden, and a nature center. There's no admission charge to the park proper, but there are fees for various activities, such as the campgrounds. The beach at Seal Harbor is very fine, and open to the public for free. It is one of Mount Desert Island's poshest summer resorts, with all sorts of famous and wealthy people inhabiting the big houses secluded along the forested streets of the village. Park in the lot across the street. A visit to Acadia National Park wouldn't be complete without tea and popovers at the Jordan House (tel 207-276-3116). A tradition for almost 100 years, the restaurant serves lunch on the porch from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, afternoon tea on the lawn from 2:30 to 5:30 pm, and dinner by the fireside from 5:30 to 9 pm. You can get snacks and beverages on the overlook throughout the day from 9 am to 6 pm. Whether you dine or not, you are invited to stroll around the gardens and spacious grounds; the view of the lake and mountains from the lawn is stunning. Open late May to late October. Acadia National Park |
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Enjoying the view from the summit of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor ME.
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