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Acadia - Maine
Descriptive:
The unspoiled wilderness of Maine's north coast is perhaps most breathtaking on Mount Desert Island, the core of Acadia National Park. With its rugged New England coast, Mount Desert Island is one of the smallest National Parks in the U.S. with fewer than 40,000 acres.
Cliffs cut by the waves drop preciptously to the ocean below. Large sea caves and tidal pools teem with marine life, such as the not-to-be-missed Anemone Cave. Tree-fringed lakes and deep forests offer contrasting landscapes and striking views from mountainous areas inland on the island.
More than four fifths of Maine is covered with forests, and Acadia is no exception: thick forests cover the island. Accessed from the mainland by the Thompson Island Causeway, the Island is a haven for cormorants and gulls to congregate on the rocky shoals of the Atlantic. American lobster flourish only in the cold waters of New England, and small lobster boats can be seen hauling in their daily catch.
Over 500 varieties of wildflowers can be found in Acadia. Since the land is under ice and snow from December to April, the first flowers mark the onset of Spring and stay through summer until autumn. The old carriage trails cut through these quiet meadows, and present an exhilirating way to see the Park.
Much of what is seen in Acadia is the result of glacial activity. Scars carved into the bedrock, called striations, can be found alongside other rock surfaces, mostly granite, which were ground smooth and polished under the weight of an immense sheet of ice, thousands of feet thick.
As a glacier moves up a mountain face, the ascending side is generally smooth, whereas the descending side often has large chunks torn out of it, creating dramatic cliff faces. An example of this type of "quarrying" is clearly shown on the two peaks called The Bubbles.
At the same time, the ceaseless churn of the ocean is eroding the rocky shoreline. At Great Head, a typical rocky promontory, a sea cave has been eroded in the cliff's face.
Geography/terrain:
Mountainous
Forested
Atlantic coastline
Vegetation:
Sea lavender
Bunchberry
Pitcher plant
Rhodora
Spruce
Fir
Pine
Beech
Maple
Wildlife:
Blue heron
Moose
Deer
Beavers
American lobster
Key locations:
A 27-mile Park Loop Road is a quick way to become acquainted with the island. At 1530 feet above sea level, Cadillac Mountain reveals magnificent vistas, from far inland to the open sea. A five minute walk through a spruce-fir forest reveals the Echo Lake overlook from Beech Cliff. Otter Point is a stunning rocky seascape where cliffs drop steeply to the Atlantic Ocean 107 feet below. Also on Mount Desert Island is Bar Harbor, a popular resort.
Not to be missed, however, are two other features of the Park: the Isle au Haut, accessible by ferry, and the Schoodic Peninsula, which is the only portion of the park on the mainland, which can be accessed on Route 3.
Activities:
Sea cruises
Bicycling
Horseback riding
Swimming
Freshwater and saltwater fishing
Geology:
Glacial activity
Striations
Quarrying
Granite
Historical:
Acadia became involved in a long struggle between the British and French for possession of the North American continent, largely because of its geographical position. The Acadians, however, took no part in the ensuing wars. They lived in peace with the friendly Micmac Indians.
The English were in control of Acadia when the French and Indian War started. Fearing that French priests would persuade the Acadians and Indians to enter the war, the English authorities in Acadia demanded that each Acadian take an oath of allegiance to England. All who refused were deported. In 1755, about 6,000 Acadians were shipped to English colonies along the Atlantic coast, from Massachusetts to South Carolina.
