Acadia Gateway Center Opens as Acadia Has A Record-Breaking August
TRENTON—The state opened the Acadia Gateway Center in Trenton this week just as the national park that it serves hosted a record number of visits.
The park had close to 843,000 visits in August. That number comes from the National Park Service. It breaks July’s record of 797,000 visits.
A visit does not equal a visitor because of how those numbers are tabulated. The third highest visit total was 795,000 in July 2021.
The media was invited to that new Acadia Gateway Center, Friday, to interview project representatives from MaineDOT, the state tourism department, and Friends of Acadia.
“We’re obviously so excited to be a part of this transportation center. From the second this building opened, folks were here to get on the bus. So, we’re really excited to hopefully encourage more folks to use the Island Explorer to get into the park,” said Acadia National Park’s Deputy Chief of Interpretation Amanda Pollock as she watched media gather for interviews with Superintendent Kevin Schneider and representatives from MaineDOT and the Maine Tourism Association.
The state owns the center. MaineDOT along with the Maine Office of Tourism, Acadia National Park, and Downeast Transportation Inc. operate it. The parking is free during the day.
The Maine Tourism Association operates the visitor information center within the building. It’s one of seven such centers in the state.
"It’s all about getting people off the beaten path," Tony Cameron, CEO of the Maine Tourism Association, said during an interview with WCSH during the media event. "Rolling out the red carpet and really making sure they feel welcome here."
The $27 million visitors’ center officially began in 2004 when Friends of Acadia (FOA) exercised an option on 369 acres in Trenton.
Then the imagining and waiting began.
The state had worked on a master plan for the transportation facility and welcoming center from 1997 to 2007, according to a report in the Mount Desert Islander by Becky Buyers-Basso. The goal was to “move people more efficiently, reduce traffic congestion between Bangor and Mount Desert Island, and protect air quality in Acadia National Park.”
But first, MaineDOT had to complete an environmental assessment. Three years later, Friends of Acadia purchased the property from Nacochee Corporation of Atlanta. The non-profit organization then sold 152 acres to the state.
Those 152 acres mitigate wetland losses and host the center, which opened Wednesday of this week.
The Island Explorer maintenance facility and Downeast Transportation offices have been on the site since 2012. That propane-powered bus system is fare-free and provides seasonal service to the park.
But behind those acres, on the remaining 217 acres are some aspects of the project that don’t get quite as much buzz as the transit hub that’s meant to help mitigate traffic congestion on Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park through the use of free Island Explorer busses and also inform tourists about the Acadia region.
Those 217 acres by Crippens Creek are tree growth areas, but also the site of the Trenton Community Trail. The public access trail’s build was facilitated by the National Park Service’s Rivers and Trails Conservation Assistance Program. There is a deeded right-of-way through the front acreage along what was once the Turnpike Road.
That trail system was something that FOA’s Vice President of Conservation Stephanie Clement advocated for, studied, and spoke to Trenton officials about since the beginning of the 2000s.
The 1.8-mile loop trail opened in 2013. It meanders through the mossy-covered trees, openings in the forest, and across streams. Clement, Jim Linnane, and FOA received multiple congratulations for being the trail’s catalyst.
Friends of Acadia granted Maine Coast Heritage Trust a conservation easement and donated land to the Town of Trenton.
It’s all part of the multi-use, comprehensive site.
"Acadia National Park is the seventh most visited national park in the nation and we are hoping that people come here, get more information about the park, get their park passes, get more information about Downeast Maine, learn all of the things that are great to do around here," Schneider said during the event.
The 11,000-square-foot visitors center itself was mostly funded by federal money, but also received funds from FOA and the state.
Clement told the media on Friday that the center and its 300 parking spots is a great opportunity for visitors to leave their cars behind worry-free, which helps to protect the park and the environment within it.
“There’s a significant environmental benefit to having a place like this,” she told WCSH-TV interviewers. “It helps reduce automobile congestion and reduce air emissions.”
According to Friends of Acadia, “The design of the visitor center and transit hub went through several revisions over the years to improve efficiency, lower construction costs, and incorporate new technologies. The majority of the estimated construction costs will come from the Federal Transit Administration. The National Park Service (NPS) has contributed $4 million in Centennial Challenge funds, matched and exceeded by transportation bonds and other funds provided by MaineDOT.
“Friends of Acadia has pledged $1 million from the Acadia Experience portion of funds raised as part of the Acadia Second Century campaign. We have also pledged up to $225K for solar panels on the building to reduce environmental impact, as well as the long-term operational costs.”
The record-setting amount of visits to the park in August and the gateway’s opening come as Bar Harbor begins a sustainable tourism task force, holds a moratorium on lodgings, and has capped weekly vacation rentals. Mount Desert and Tremont have both rejected weekly rental caps. Lamoine has also banned some lodging types.
Ellsworth and the Schoodic Peninsula (which holds a section of the national park) have seen increased tourism this past year according to reporting by the Bangor Daily News’ Bill Trotter.
The Trenton transit hub and welcoming center hoped to inspire more tourists to use the Island Explorer system, which is free, and has journeyed passengers into the park and around it for car-free trips. The bus system’s goal is also to decrease pollution.
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Acadia Brochures of Maine.
Photos: Carrie Jones/Bar Harbor Story
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
https://friendsofacadia.org/acadia-experience/acadia-gateway-center-open/
Maine Tourism Association’s page about the Gateway Center.
Acadia Visitor Center in Trenton Opens After Months of Delays
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