Friends of Acadia Details How to Be a Rockstar Steward in Acadia National Park.
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK—Friends of Acadia has a list of how to be a rockstar steward for our beloved national park.
How many of the organization’s tips do you do?
Do You Stay on Trail?
According to FOA, “Staying on trail is a wise environmental approach (and one that’ll spare you from time spent lost in the woods, too). It keeps the impact from foot traffic to a confined space – allowing the surrounding vegetation to thrive.
“On many of Acadia’s summits, the evergreen forest gives way to open swaths of exposed granite that are swirled with low-lying flowers and shrubs. Those plants make the most of the shallow pockets of soil. They’re tough! But they’re also fragile. A few boot steps can destroy them.
“Your duty as a plant protector is to rock hop and keep your boot steps on durable surfaces!”
Do You Walk Through Puddles?
“Maybe your parents discouraged puddle-walking when you were a kid, so you tend to detour around them when hiking on a trail. The thing is, that detour ends up making the trail wider and wider, which creates a bigger impact on the natural surroundings,” FOA writes.
Do You Let Cairns Be Cairns?
“Cairns are rock piles or stacks that serve to mark the trail – they’re super handy in Acadia on stretches of exposed granite, where the trail can be harder to follow (and we know already how important it is to stay on the trail),” FOA writes.
“The park’s cairns are pretty unique, too. They’re known as Bates cairns and feature two rocks at the base, a “mantel” rock on top of those, and a directional rock on top that points the way. It’s a design developed by Waldron Bates in 1896 for Acadia trails – hence the name.
“Bates cairns have an important job, so when you see one, let it be (you’re welcome to thank it for its noble work as a trail guide). And avoid making your own rock stacks, lest other hikers confuse them for cairns and get detoured from the trail.”
Do You Stack No Rocks?
According to FOA, your rock stacks “could confuse passing hikers who might think they’re cairns and then be detoured from the trail. Moving rocks around can also damage our environment. Rocks play an important role in our ecosystems by providing habitat for lichen and insects. They also prevent soil erosion and flooding.”
Do You Remove the Poop?
This one should be self evident but if you or your beloved leashed companion have a poop-mergency? Take your poop out.
“If nature calls unexpectedly and nowhere near a restroom, you have two options: bag it and carry it out or dig a hole and bury it. If you choose to dig, the hole should be 6-8 inches deep and 200 feet (70 big steps) from water. Those conditions can be difficult to find in Acadia due to thin soils (especially on those aforementioned expanses of granite) and because many trails are close to rivers and ponds that supply public drinking water for the area. Packing an emergency poop bag and some toilet paper makes good sense for this reason!” FOA writes.
Learn more about visiting Acadia with your pet.
Do You Ride the Island Explorer Bus?
It’s free.
FREE!
But it helps relieve congestion and Acadia’s limited parking spaces. It also reduces emissions.
Check out some car-free itineraries for exploring Acadia National Park.
You can read FOA’s rockstar post about being a rockstar steward here.