ACADIA NATIONAL PARK P.O. Box 177 FACT SHEET Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 (207) 288-3338 1987 DATE ESTABLISHED: July 3, 1916 Sieur de Monts National Monument Feb. 26, 1919 Lafayette National Park Jan. 19, 1929 Acadia National Park LOCATION: A visit to Acadia is best started at the Visitor Center, located south of Ellsworth, Maine on Route 3. Located chiefly on Mount Desert Island, Acadia National Park also preserves all or portions of seven other offshore islands in the Gulf of Maine Archipelago. Schoodic Peninsula is the only part of the Park on the mainland. ALTITUDE: 0 - 1,530 feet AREA: Acadia National Park includes approximately 35,000 acres which includes 2,016 acres at Schoodic and 2,824 acres at Isle au Haut. By administering conservation easements, Acadia National Park protects an additional 6,000 acres from further development. 41 miles of Maine's 2,500 miles of coast- line are preserved within Acadia's boundaries. Mount Desert Island, 105 square miles in area, is the third largest island on the eastern seaboard; only Long Island and Martha's Vineyard are larger. PHYSICAL FEATURES: Islands, mountains, forest, lakes and seashores in abundant variety reveal spectacular scenery. Forest-covered granite mountains descend to the ocean's edge; Somes Sound, a fjord, almost bisects Mount Desert Island, and small glacial lakes bejewel the valleys. Three meter tides unveil four different life zones populated by plants and animals best adapted to a specific zone. WEATHER: Average temperatures: Jan.- 24° May - 51° Sept.- 59° Feb.- 23° June- 63° Oct. - 49° Mar.- 37° July- 69° Nov. - 38° Apr. - 44° Aug. - 69° Dec. - 34° Rain and fog may be common during June, July, and August. Precipitation averages 49 inches annually. MAJOR MANAGEMENT CONCERNS: In 1986, legislation passed which established a permanent boundary for Acadia National Park. Park management is deeply engrossed in im- plementing all provisions of the legislation. Those provisions include estab- lishing a Park Advisory Commission, completing a Land Protection Plan, and ex- changing and purchasing land. Budget constraints challenge our ability to protect the Park and serve visitors. "Friends of Acadia", a recently established volunteer organization, will initiate fundraising programs, assist in coordinating volunteer work, and promote public relations through television and radio announcements and press releases. 2 TOURISM: Acadia is one of the most intensively used recreation areas in the State of Maine. It is conveniently located to serve the 45 million people inhabiting the New England and Middle Atlantic states. About 4,000,000 persons annually visit the area for hiking, camping, boating, motoring, swimming, fishing, and other related experiences. The Park provides scenic roads, two campgrounds and six picnic areas. In addition, eleven private campgrounds are located near the Park. ROAD AND TRAIL SYSTEMS: State and town roads cover approximately 200 miles on Mount Desert Island. There are about 25 miles of paved roads in the Park. In addition, 51 miles of carriage paths with 16 stone bridges wind through the eastern half of Mount Desert Island. The carriage roads were financed and planned during the second and third decades of the 20th century by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. He conceived of this plan as a means of providing auto-free routes for people on horseback and in carriages. Today, 44 miles of the carriage roads and 14 of the bridges are located within the Park boundaries. The carriage roads are available for walking, cross-country skiing, bicycling, and horseback riding. Snowmobiles are allowed on the Park Loop Road which remains unplowed in winter. 120 miles of hiking trails range from easy lowland paths to rugged mountain routes. All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are not allowed in the Park. CAMPING INFORMATION: The two Park campgrounds are Blackwoods Campground, located 5 miles south of Bar Harbor on State Rt. #3, and Seawall Campground, located 2 miles south of Southwest Harbor on State Rt. #102A. Both campgrounds are situated in forest surroundings within a short walking distance of the ocean. The campgrounds contain comfort stations, picnic tables, fireplaces, water faucets, and amphitheaters for evening slide programs. Designated sites accommodate trailers up to 35 feet. Neither campground contains utility hookups. If you wish to camp at Blackwoods Campground from June 15 through September 15, you may make your reservation at a Ticketron outlet within 56 calendar days of the date you wish to camp. Should you wish to obtain a reservation form, telephone or write Acadia National Park. During the off- season, from September 16 - June 14, Blackwoods campsites are available on a first come, first served basis. From mid-May through mid-October, sites at Blackwoods cost $8.00 per night per site. During the remainder of the year, sites are free. Seawall Campground, only open from late May until mid to late September, operates on a first come, first served basis. Drive-up campsites at Seawall cost $8.00 per night and walk-in campsites cost $5.00 per night. All camping must be in established campgrounds. Overnight backpacking is prohibited because the Park is small and fragile. If you wish to camp at one of the eleven nearby private campgrounds, please see heading, Other Accommodations, for the address of local Chambers of Commerce. OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS: Although the Park has no overnight accommodations except campgrounds, nearby communities contain hotels, motels, cabins, and inns. Please write Chambers of Commerce: Bar Harbor, Maine 04609; Northeast Harbor, Maine 04662, or Southwest Harbor, Maine 04679, and for the Schoodic Peninsula area, Winter Harbor, Maine 04693. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION: Bicycles: Rentals are available in Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor. Horses: Wildwood Stables, a concession within the Park, offers rides along the carriage roads. Obtain current prices from the Stables or the Visitor Center. Fishing: State laws govern fishing. No license is required for salt water fishing. Obtain freshwater licenses from the Town Office of any local town. 3 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION (continued): Clamming: For areas within the Park where clamming is permitted, check current information available at the Visitor Center. Outside the Park, town ordinances govern clamming. Check with local town offices for limits and regulations. Naturalist Programs: Schedules are available in the park newspaper, "Acadia's Beaver Log." Pick one up at the Park Visitor Center or the Park campgrounds for boat cruises, seashore, woodland, and mountaintop walks. Evening slide programs are presented at the campgrounds during the summer season. VEGETATION: Forests of Mount Desert have a special quality. Here the northern coniferous and temperate deciduous forest meet and overlap, bringing to the Island an exceptional variety of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plant life; 35% spruce/fir, 20% deciduous, 40% mixed forest, 5% open water and rocks. About 1,500 species of plants are found in Acadia but the majority of these cannot be considered common. For example scrub oak (Quercus iliciflora) is only found on Acadia Mountain and a few nearby mountain slopes. Among the dominant tree species are: Pinus strobus--Eastern White Pine; Pinus rigida- Pitch Pine: Picea rubens--Red Spruce; Picea glauca--White Spruce; Tsuga canadensis--Eastern Hemlock; Populus tremuloides--Quaking Aspen; Fagus grandifolia--American Beech; Prunus pensylvanica--Pin Cherry; Acer rubrum- Red Maple; Acer pensylvanicum--Striped Maple: Quercus rubra--Northern Red Oak; Abies balsamea--Balsam Fir; Thuja occidentalis--Northern White Cedar. NOTEWORTHY FAUNA: Approximately 50 species of mammals and 336 species of birds have been reported here, as well as amphibians and reptiles. Among the dominant mammals are: Procyon lotor--Raccoon; Mustela vison--Mink; Mephitis mephitis- Skunk; Vulpes fulva--Red Fox; Phoca Vitulina--Harbor Seal; Castor canadensis- Beaver; Lepus americanus--Snowshoe Hare; Odocoileus virginianus--White-Tailed Deer; Phocoena phocoena--Harbor porpoise. INTERTIDAL ZONE: Most of the Park's 41 miles of rocky shoreline are characterized by cliffs, boulder beaches and tidal pools. Marine vegetation abounds in the zone between the tides, sheltering starfish, periwinkles, anemones, crabs, and many other marine invertebrates. PURPOSE OF THE NATIONAL PARK: The mandate from the United States Congress provides: conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of the future generations." The purpose of Acadia is clear; to perpetuate the his- torical traditions and natural history of a portion of the Maine coastline and offer the park visitors an increased awareness of their American heritage. The park provides a natural history laboratory relatively undisturbed by man- made development. STAFF: Permanent Seasonal Volunteer & others Protection 4 30 28 Maintenance 11 20 39 Interpretation 2 18 32 Resource Management 3 3 5 Administration 8 1 0 BUDGET: 1987 = $ 1,545,200 VISITATION: 1986 = 4,078,839