Acadia National Park is 47,000 acres of beauty on the Atlantic coast located on Maine's Mount Desert Island. Acadia offers woodlands, rocky beaches and glacier scoured granite peaks. There is also Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the United States’ East Coast. They say there is wildlife such as moose, bear, whales and seabirds but we didn't get to see any wildlife. Bar Harbor is a delightful harbor town with restaurants, parks and shopping. We had a wonderful experience exploring Acadia National Park.
Magma, or molten rock, transformed some of this sedimentary rock as it rose through the Earth’s crust. The overlying bedrock was shattered by the magma as it made contact. The mass of magma slowly cooled to form granite that is exposed today. Granite underlies most of Acadia and this resistant bedrock makes up the high elevations and steep valleys that give the park its rugged character.
The mountains' sloping land was formed as the result of ancient slow moving continental glaciers that sheared off the tops of the mountains leaving rounded bare granite summits. The sloping shape and the gorges were scooped out of the land forming such notable geographical formations as Eagle Lake, Echo Lake and Somes Sound, the only naturally occurring fjord on the Atlantic coast of North America.
Jordan Pond
Jordan Pond is a glacier formed tarn with a maximum water depth of 150 feet. Swimming is not allowed. However, non motor boats such as canoes and kayaks are permitted.
Cadillac Mountain
Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, at 1,530 feet and is the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard and the first place to view sunrise in the United States. The scenic Summit Road officially opened in 1931. It meanders along the North and eastern side of the mountain for about 3 miles before reaching the top. There are several small observation points along the roadway that offer prime viewing opportunities.
Park Loop Road
The 27 mile Park Loop Road is the primary avenue for navigating through Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island by vehicle with special pull-off observation points along the road. Construction was from 1922 until the 1950's. It was partially financed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who helped constrict the park's Carriage Roads.
Sand Beach
Sand Beach is nestled between mountains and rocky shores on the east side of Mount Desert Island. Access is provided via the Park Loop Road just south of the entrance fee station in Bar Harbor, Maine. The beach is largely comprised of unique sand of shell fragments created by the pounding surf. The waterline can vary quite a bit because of the difference between high and low tide.
Thunder Hole
On calm days not much is happening but when the waves pick up it is a great experience. Thunder Hole is a small inlet, naturally carved out of the rocks, where the waves roll into. At the end of this inlet is a small cavern where, when the rush of the wave arrives, air and water is forced out like a clap of distant thunder. Water may spout as high as 40 feet with a thunderous roar!
Otter Cliff
Otter Cliff is one of the most spectacular sights in Acadia National Park. On the east side of the Park Loop Road past Thunder Hole, is the famous 110 foot high Otter Cliff. This is one of the highest Atlantic coastal headlands.
Eagle Lake
Eagle Lake is the largest fresh water lake in Acadia National Park. Fishing is allowed but a license is required. Walk or ride a bike completely around Eagle Lake on a 6.1 mile section of a Carriage Road or explore the lake from your own kayak or canoe.
Carriage Roads and Bridges
The Carriage Roads and stone bridges were financed and directed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., between 1913 and 1940, for hikers, bikers, horseback riders and horse drawn carriages. It's a romantic way to see Acadia National Park.
Bar Harbor (Bah Haba)
Bar Harbor, Maine, originally incorporated as Eden on February 23, 1796, has a world renowned
ambiance and a quaint seashore community.
Bass Harbor Lighthouse
With an area of 108 square miles, Mount Desert Island is the largest island off the coast of Maine, and the second largest island on the eastern seaboard, after New York’s Long Island. When Samuel de Champlain saw the island form the sea, he noted its summits were bare, and gave it the name “ile des Monts Deserts,” or island of the Bare Mountains. The only lighthouse on Mount Desert Island is at Bass Harbor Head, the island’s southernmost point and was built in 1858.
Explore the quirky adventures and misadventures as I take you on a journey of the United States National Parks. These journeys inspired me to explore even more about the history of the United States, the good, the bad and the ugly. These journeys are encouragements to explore, or re-examine these beautiful lands. From mountain roads with hairpin turns to stunning seaside escapes to exploring good old American history, these areamazing journeys to take in this lifetime.
