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Sunrise, Otter Point, copyright QT Luong, www.terragalleria.com/parks
Sunrise along Otter Point by QT Luong
I celebrate the splendor and variety of the natural and human heritage with my photography. For the past twenty-five years, I have been privileged to travel, trek, and climb in some of the most remote and beautiful corners of the earth. Laying down in a colorful meadow dense with wildflowers, clinging precariously to a vertical icy mountain face, listening to the silence of desert sand dunes or to the calls of a bustling floating market might seem like very different experiences, however, I feel that they share the same life-affirming benefits.
For more of Tuan's national park images, visit www.terragalleria.com/parks
"Raw, rugged, and surf-splashed" well define Acadia National Park, which at anchor in the Atlantic just off Maine's coast quite easily could also be described as a Yankee blueblood of the National Park System.
While its origins might indeed have had the blue blood of Rockefellers, Astors, and Morgans mixed into the mortar of its foundations, the park that welcomes all today is a refreshing mix of forested mountains and ocean-pounded coasts, of Downeast hospitality and architectural beauty, even of fresh lawbsta, delicious jam-smeared popovers, and afternoon tea.
Acadia is both a gentleman's (and gentlelady's) park where you can enjoy the setting of Jordon Pond over tea and the aforementioned popovers or take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the forests, and a playground for outdoors' enthusiasts. The park offers a wonderful array of activities, from pedaling your bike along the 48 miles of carriage paths that John D. Rockefeller paid for, searching tide pools for sea urchins, sea stars, and anemones, or traipsing up a trail that leads to sweeping views of Frenchman's Bay, the Gulf of Maine, and the Atlantic itself.
The ocean is decidedly cold here, perhaps too cold for an enjoyable swim. But there's great kayaking to be had in the waters that surround Mount Desert Island, and there are some ponds that are more conducive to swimming and canoeing.
Kids don't grow weary of Acadia, though they might grow tired from all the fresh air and outdoors activities. They can search for sea creatures in its tidal pools, go on a boat cruise and listen while a ranger discusses the natural and cultural history of the area, or learn about lobsters or birds of prey that nest on the island's cliffs.
Though small in size when compared to the Yellowstones, Yosemites, and even the Great Smokies of the National Park System, Acadia is never at a loss for ways to entertain you.
Traveler's Choice For: Hiking, tide pooling, biking, paddling, and birding.
Navigating Acadia is incredibly easy, as there's one main road -- the Park Loop Road -- that loops the park. There's one spur off this route that leads to the top of Cadillac Mountain, and an inner route that leads to Otter Cliff and the Fabrri Picnic Area.
Spend any time in Acadia during the summer and early fall and you'll understand why the "rusticators" descended on Mount Desert Island just off the coast of Maine in the mid-1800s. Here's Traveler's checklist to help you explore the island when you reach it.
Spend any time in Acadia during the summer and early fall and you'll understand why the "rusticators" descended on Mount Desert Island in the mid-1800s.
If you're planning to head to Acadia National Park for a summer vacation it's never too early to begin laying the groundwork for that adventure.
Acadia visitors can easily face a dilemma on their very first day in the park. Should they hike, go to the beach, or pedal through the forests of Mount Desert Island?
While you could spend your entire vacation within the confines of Acadia National Park, there are some worthwhile side trips in the vicinity that won't detour you far out of the park.
This is where you can find websites, helpful phone numbers, friends groups and cooperating associations, and, sometimes, books related to the park.
Acadia is a park without any lodging within its borders. As a result, you'll have to look in the small towns -- Bar Harbor, Seal Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Hulls Cove, and Bass Harbor -- that fringe the park.
Bar Harbor, located on the northeast corner of Mount Desert Island right next to the park, is the most prominent "gateway" to Acadia and has a great number of options when it comes to accommodations.
Surrounded by water and dotted with lakes, it's no surprise that you can find more than a few places to wet a paddle in Acadia. You can either go it alone with your own gear and skills, or find an outfitter to show you the way.
National parks on their face are often kid friendly, but there are some special spots that seem to be designed with kids in mind. Here are some in Acadia.
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Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.
Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.
You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.
