Hikers enjoy the Quarry Trail that was created this past summer/Friends of Acadia

Trails, basically, are connections. They connect one place to another. At Acadia National Park in Maine, Friends of Acadia this year helped the park improve connections by adding a trio of trails that link the Blackwoods Campground and the village of Otter Creek with some of the park'™s most popular hiking trails.

The result is fewer vehicles on the road, as visitors camping in Blackwoods or staying in Otter Creek have the ability to access the popular Ocean Path sights Champlain/Gorham trails without driving all the way around the Loop Road or walking along the road. Also, the trails tie into the southern end of Gorham with the southern end of Cadillac Mountain, creating myriad new loops for long-distance hikers.

The new trails also illustrate several approaches that Acadia'™s trail crew takes to developing the park'™s historic trail network. The Quarry Trail, from Blackwoods to the Otter Cove Causeway, follows an old road dating to when there was a granite quarry in the area. A stone pier on Otter Cove, where stone was loaded onto ships, still stands near the terminus of this trail. The Otter Cove Trail, linking the Causeway with the southern end of the Gorham Mountain Trail, is a new trail through a hardwood forest, complete with a lovely, curving bridge built in typical Acadia style.

A third trail, connecting Grover Avenue in 'œdowntown' Otter Creek with the Causeway, is a former social trail that the park has made official and developed to park standards. By making the trail official, it should cut down on the likelihood of multiple side trails occurring.

Three Fall Acadian Hikes:

'¢ The Bubbles. South Bubble (with its famous glacial erratic) gets all the press, but in fall be sure to include North Bubble in your hike to fully appreciate the surrounding forest'”it features distinctive stands of hardwood trees, in which a single species (like beech or birch) dominates, leading to striking blocks of color when the foliage is in its full glory.

'¢ The Jesup Path. Meandering through Great Meadow, this easy walk takes you through 'œbirch alley' and along the (ADA compliant) Jesup boardwalk, both just lovely in fall. When you'™re finished, check out the winterberry at the Wild Gardens of Acadia.

* The Precipice. Okay, not exactly overlooked, but this is a great fall hike because it'™s closed for most of the spring and summer season to protect nesting peregrine falcons, and 99.9 percent of us would consider it foolish to attempt in winter. With iconic iron rungs and ladders, stupendous views, and the tale of a lifetime for an average hiker, the Precipice is classified as a non-technical climb so be sure you'™re physically fit and not (too) afraid of heights before attempting.