Acadia National Park Favorites

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Favorite thing: This is not an activity or a specific site but a best time to visit the park: it's spectacular in the fall! Mt. Desert Island is one of the last places in Maine to see peak foliage and timing is somewhat unpredictable but figure on color from the last week in Sept. to the first two weeks in October. There wasn't much when we got there (last week of Sept.) but we watched it turn a little more every day and by the end of the week there were reds, oranges and yellows everywhere. The other benefits are cooler temps for hiking, and missing the big summer crowds.

Bar Harbor virtually closes down after Columbus Day and some of the gallerys and such close after Labor Day but the majority of restaurants and shops stay open until mid-October so you won't really miss much but piles of people.

Fondest memory: It's impossible to pick a favorite memory but I had a thing about the fog. Hiking up Dorr Mountain and taking early-morning pictures at a silent, deserted Jordan Pond - both in very dense fog - was pretty special. Love the fog: it intensifies sounds and colors and is such a part of the romance and mystery of Acadia.

Favorite thing: As with all US National Parks, there is an entrance fee to Acadia National Park. When I was there we purchased a now discontinued National Parks Pass,( Which will still be honored for 1 year from the date we received it) The NPS have since introduced a new system. The "America the Beautiful" Passes. These will replace the traditional pass, the Golden Eagle, Golden Age and Golden Access passes. The new standard pass is $80, which is $30 more expensive then the pass we bought but does allow access into the areas that were only formerly available with the Golden Eagle pass (which at $15 more that the regular pass was still $15 cheaper than this new one) Ah but time marches on and prices keep going up, what can you do? It's still more than worth it to support the parks. You can of course still buy a weekly pass to each park, which is $15 per vehical, $7 if you are on foot or bike.
Check out the NPS website for more details on ALL passes.

http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm

Favorite thing: From the mid-1800s and into the early 1900s, Mount Desert Island was the summer home of some of the wealthiest people in America. Inspired by the landscape painters of the Hudson River School, the socially elite came in droves to enjoy the cool splendor of the Acadia coast - a welcome respite from the sweltering heat of the cities.

Especially during the 1880s and the "Gay Nineties" many of America's most affluent families chose to spend the summer here. These included the Rockefellers, Morgans, Fords, Vanderbilts, Carnegies, and Astors. These and others built elegant summer estates, euphemistically called "cottages." Some formed "Village Improvement Societies" which constructed hiking trails connecting the Island's villages to its interior mountains. The Great Depression, World War II, and a great fire in 1947 marked the end of that extravagant era.

A few very wealthy people still have homes on the island. For the most part, Acadia today is a vacation destination for the average citizen, with accommodations ranging from rustic to posh.

Enlarge the photo to get a better look at one of the newer mansions on Mount Desert Island.

History of Acadia National Park

Favorite thing: A user fee is required anywhere you go within the Park. This fee is $20 per vehicle for a 7-day pass.

The National Parks Pass allows entrance for your entire family into all parks, and is availiable for $50 per year. www.nps.gov

Favorite thing: There are 4 entrances to the Popular Park Loop Road section of the Park on Mount Desert Island:

1) Hulls Cove Entrance- located on Route 3
2) Cadillac Mountain Entrance- located on the outskirts of of Bar Harbor on Rt. 233
3) Sieur de Monts Entrance- located on Rt.3 south of Bar Harbor
4) Stanley Brook Entrance- on Rt. 3 in Seal Harbor

Favorite thing: As we were leaving the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, I realized that from the parking lot you have a great view of the signal. The lighthouse blinks a red signal ... 4 seconds red and one second off (I think). It was fun to stop a while and just watch the signal from the land.

Fondest memory: This is one of the areas we visited in 1990 when my Mom and Dad were traveling with us. It brings back some great memories.

Favorite thing: The information about the park indicated that you might see several types of wildlife. Mostly we saw friendly sea gulls ... they were even willing to pose for pictures.

Fondest memory: My best memory of Acadia National Park on this trip is that the weather was good and we were able to view the scenery. This was not true the last time we visited.

Favorite thing: C'mon, don't be lazy, click on the photo. Within the velvety mist theres a surprise. This is my favorite photo of the Acadia trip. We were walking a path that led to THE BASS HARBOR LIGHT and presented before us, was this Sail boat mast tearing through the fog. Great!