A rugged mix of mountains, rocky coast, and swirling surf make Acadia a magical park/Colleen Miniuk-Sperry
Editor's note: This is a special advertiser-supported article from the Essential Park Guide, Spring 2015.
As I gazed out on the bay and up to the roof of Acadia National Park, it was hard to believe that it had been 40 years since I first set foot on Mount Desert Island. I was only about nine or 10 years old at the time, and on my very first trip to a national park. I didn'ÂÂt understand Acadia National Park, or know what to expect. To me it was just our family vacation.
And now, four decades later, I discovered that the park has hardly changed. It certainly had of course, but hiking the trails, savoring the coastal views, feasting on lobster and popovers, made those boyhood memories come flooding back.
In the mid-1960s we stayed in a small cottage outside of the park. We spent our time walking the beaches in search of tide pools and their curious residents. We got soaked by the drenching spray of Thunder Hole, climbed hand-over-hand up the iron rungs to stand atop the Beehive, and drove to the summit of Cadillac Mountain. We roamed the piney woods on the carriage roads with their elegant stone bridges, and tossed rocks into the ponds.
And as a young boy, I could never forget the popovers buried in strawberry jam at Jordan Pond House!
Returning to Mount Desert Island with my wife, we shared all of the wonders and scenery that fascinated me as a youngster. From a cozy Bar Harbor cottage we headed into the park, and again explored the carriage roads, this time by bicycle. We were able to see most of the eastern half of the park on two wheels.
On our return to Cadillac MountainâÂÂnot by car, but by hiking to the summit along the Cadillac South Ridge TrailâÂÂwe enjoyed blueberries fresh off the stem, the cool sea air, and breathtaking views of Frenchman Bay and the Atlantic beyond.
Acadia has grown in popularity since I was a boy, but the experience has not diminished. The park is still an incredible landscape for young and old, from its mountaintops through the forests to the cobble beaches and the cold surf at Sand Beach.
While Acadia is always wonderful, 2016 will be especially rewarding for the park as it shares its centennial with that of the National Park Service. Just donÂ't let 40 years pass between visits like I did.
Support Essential Coverage of Essential Places
Comments
Acadia National Park was also our first-ever national park. Perhaps that's why it stays always on our mind, and why we've written Acadia hiking guides and started a blog.
The first trip was in November, and we were disappointed there were no popovers to be had at the Jordan Pond House that time of year. But the memory of strolling Ocean Path and being surprised by a chipmunk, stays with us still, more than 30 years, and many Acadia memories, later.
We just launched a new feature on the blog, "Ask Acadia on My Mind!," with this first Q-and-A, to answer a reader's question about camping in Acadia, and hopefully help him and other first-time visitors create fond memories:
http://acadiaonmymind.com/2015/05/first-time-visitor-to-acadia-national-...
Happy birthday, Acadia NP! It has been about 20 years since I last visited, and this article reminds me I shouldn't let too many more years go by. Acadia is an enchanting park, and I loved my first few visits, then moved from New Englad so it is not as easy to get back! I have some very fond memories of times in Acadia with several different family members.