Located on the rugged Atlantic coast of Maine, Acadia National Park encompasses 47,000 scenic acres of mountains, lakes, woodlands, rocks, wildlife and spectacular scenery. Unique among the national parks, Acadia has 44 miles of historic carriage roads which are one of the finest examples of broken-stone roads left in America. These are off limits to motorized vehicles, but very popular with bicyclists, hikers, and horse drawn carriages. There are also 27 miles of paved roads. The park lies primarily on Mt. Desert Island, first discovered by Samuel Champlain in 1604, and later the haunt of the rich and famous. Some of America's wealthiest families built extravagant summer cottages here in the 1800s, where they came to escape the summer heat.
Most of the old homes and hotels are gone now, many a victim of fires. Much of the land was donated to the Federal Government and was designated Sieur de Monts National Monument by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. Three years later, as the park expanded with more land donations, it was redesignated a National Park, the first to be established in the eastern United States. Acadia is a wonderland for the nature lover, outdoor enthusiast and history buff alike.
Karen and I spent four glorious days here in early September, 2005. This photo was taken from the top of Cadillac Mountain, near the center of the park.
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