Jun 1, Acadia National Park Maine, Map and Information

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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

Transcript of Jun 1, Acadia National Park Maine, Map and Information

Page 1: Jun  1, Acadia National Park Maine, Map and Information

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

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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

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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...

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...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:

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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,

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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

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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.

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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...

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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.

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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...

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Island

Explorer - www.exploreacadia.com, 207-667-5796,

[email protected]

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,

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[email protected]

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

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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