Did You Know This About Acadia National Park?
Did you know the last president to visit here?
Many presidents have visited here, but Barack Obama and his family were the last. They went all the way up Cadillac Mountain, visited the Bass Harbor Head Light, Ship Harbor, and ate at Havana. This happened on a 2010, three-day visit.
Do you know who paid for most of the park’s carriage roads?
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. financed a lot of the carriage roads that people bike and hike and ride on. Most of that construction happened between 1913 and 1940 though things have to be maintained and fixed every year, but there was a big revitalization project for the carriage roads in the early 1990s. He also was a big part of the bridges of the carriage roads. He donated it all to the National Park Service.
Do you know which bridge was the first one?
The Cobblestone Bridge was the first carriage road bridge.
What are the bridges made of mostly?
Granite that is hand-hewn is what those bridges are made of.
Is there a brick and mortar place to learn more about the park?
There are a few! The visitor center in Hull’s Cove (off Route 3) and the park’s headquarters (off the Eagle Lake Road/Route 233) are two entirely different things. Now, there’s a gateway center in Trenton and also a Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce
Can you camp in the park?
You can camp in Acadia, but only at campgrounds at Blackwoods and Seawall campgrounds (on Mount Desert Island) and Schoodic Woods Campground (on the Schoodic Peninsula). They are not open year-round. There are also shelters on Isle au Haut. You have to make a reservation.
Is there a way to get around the park without a car?
The Island Explorer can take you around the park and Mount Desert Island, but be sure to not miss the last ride. Also, you need to buy a park visitor pass if you’re going in the park. It is, however, fare-free.
You can also bike.
You can also walk (but that takes a long while.
And you can boat around the circumference.
Friends of Acadia has a great post about how to have a car-free vacation on MDI.
Are there restaurants in the park?
There is just one restaurant inside the park (though there are a ton in the surrounding community). That’s the Jordan Pond House. Popovers and tea on the lawn are big time things here. That house once belonged to the McIntire family (1895) then John D. Rockefeller Jr. bought it in 1946. He donated it to the park. The original house, however, burnt down in 1979.
Are there horses in the park?
Why, yes. There are. There are stables in the park that allow visitors to go on horse-drawn carriage rides through the park. The Wildwood Stable stops usually include Day Mountain and Jordan Pond.
Is Mount Desert Island part of the park? Is Bar Harbor?
Eh. It depends on who you ask. The park is within town boundaries, but it exists on MDI and on the Schoodic Peninsula. MDI doesn’t exist in it.
The park is mostly on Mount Desert Island, which is an island though lots of people don’t realize it. It’s a big island. Bar Harbor is just one of the towns on it. The rest of the park is on the Schoodic Peninsula, which is a peninsula. Most people realize that. :)
That peninsula is typically a 45-60 minute drive from Bar Harbor. Sometimes there are ferries. These are only passenger ferries.