Bear Brook Picnic Area, Hancock County, ME

Bear Brook Campground

"The park's first master plan (1927) described Bear Brook as a possible campground location. Between 1927 and 1932, Superintendent George B. Dorr pressed on with the development of Bear Brook Campground complete with water, fire rings and comfort stations. No plans for Bear Brook Campground exist from this time period but it was described as campsites and parking 'provided randomly at the edge of clearings or in areas where the forest understory has been removed.' The first plan for the Bear Brook campground was initiated in 1932 under the direction of Charles Peterson, Chief Assistant Landscape Architect of the NPS Landscape Division located in Yorktown, VA and the New Deal era 'Employment Stabilization Act of 1931 provided funding.In 1933, the reconstruction project proceeded. In 1934, the Civilian Conservation Corps added the amphitheater at Bear Brook Campground complete with electric lighting and a projection screen and campfire pit for ranger-led programs.... The layout of the Bear Brook Campground clearly reflects the ideas of NPS forest pathologist E.P. Meinecke, who had studied the deterioration of campgrounds in Sequoia National Park due to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Meinecke's thoughtful approach to campground design and rustic "parkitecture" style became the standard for NPS campground construction in the 1930s and 40s and is visible in all three of Acadia's historic campgrounds." (National Park Service. "Historic Campgrounds" at Acadia National Park [https://www.nps.gov/acad/learn/historyculture/historic-campgrounds.htm : accessed 03 March 2025])

44.3603575

-68.1994569

1911392

U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS). “Archive database of 2021” at U.S. Geographic Information Names System (GNIS) ( https://www.usgs.gov/us-board-on-geographic-names/download-gnis-data : CSV data downloaded 31 May 2024).