Did you know that Acadia was the first National Park established east of the Mississippi?
Acadia was first established as Sieur de Monts National Monument by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. The name was changed to Lafayette when it was established as a National Park in 1919, and it wasn’t until January 1929 that it officially became Acadia National Park.
There were Native Americans present in Acadia about 5,000 years ago. In fact, the Algonquin nation inhabited the area for at least 12,000 years. They traded furs for European goods when the English, French, and Dutch began arriving in the early 17thcentury.
The first written description of these Maine coast natives was from 100 years after Europeans began to settle the area. They were described as people who lived off the land and were a hunting and gathering civilization. The Wabanaki referred to Mount Desert Island Pemetic or the sloping land. Originally it appeared that the Wabanaki wintered in the interior forests and summered near the coast. However, archeological evidence suggested that it was the opposite and that the Wabanaki took advantage of the winter salmon runs.
Samual Champlain led an expedition that landed on Mount Desert Island in September of 1604. Just for a bit of historical context, this took place 16 years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. By 1613 French Jesuits established the first French mission in America on Mount Desert Island (and they were welcomed by the natives!) They had just begun to colonize the area when English ships showed up (uh oh) and destroyed their mission. The Island was unfortunately in a state of limbo between French territory to the North and British territories to the South. And for the next 150 years, the island was primarily used as a landmark for seaman.
Of course, after nearly a century and a half of conflict, the British emerged victorious in 1759 ending French control in Acadia. This left the lands along the coast completely open for new British settlements. A royal land grant for Mount Desert Island was given to the Governor of Massachusetts, Francis Bernard. Bernard, in turn, wanted to secure the land and offered it to settlers. Abraham Somes (Somes Sound?) and James Richardson took him up on that offer. Of course, this was all before the Revolutionary War and after the war, Bernard lost all claims to the land.
By the mid-1800s, the island had been popularized by artists and journalists. Known as the ‘rusticators’ patrons and friends of the artists who came to paint Acadia flocked to the Maine coast summer after summer. By 1880 there were at least 30 hotels on the island to accommodate these lovers of salt air, gorgeous scenery, and a more relaxed pace. Tourism was unquestionably becoming a major industry.
In the 1880s there were a select handful of affluent Americans who retreated to the island when the weather turned warm. These included the Rockefellers, Morgans, Vanderbilts, Fords, Carnegies, and Astors, who began to summer on the island. These affluent families changed the landscape of the island by building elegant estates and elegance and refinement became the orders of the day. The wealthy called Mount Desert Island home until the Great Depression and World War II put an end to all of the extravagances.
George B. Dorr a conservationist became adamant about preserving the landscape of Acadia when he noticed the development going on in the town of Bar Harbor. He established the Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations in 1913 and acquired 6,000 acres. By 1916 President Wilson announced the creation of Sieur de Monts but Dorr continued to acquire lands. In 1919, he sold those lands to the Federal government and the lands were given full National Park status.
Today the park protects more than 47,000 acres and includes a gorgeous ocean coastline, beautiful mountains, coniferous and deciduous woodlands, lakes, ponds, and wetlands.
The most popular sites at Acadia include Cadillac Mountain, the tallest mountain on the eastern coastline and one of the first places in the United States where you can watch the sunrise. An insanely gorgeous rocky coast featuring Thunder Hole where waves crash loudly into a crevasse around high tides. A sandy swimming beach called Sand Beach and numerous lakes and ponds. Jordan Pond in specific features the glacially rounded North and South Bubbles while Echo Lake offers the only freshwater swimming in the park. If you’ve seen pictures of Acadia chances are you have seen the Bass Harbor Lighthouse, probably at sunset, and it’s the only lighthouse on the island.
Acadia also consistently ranks among the most visited National Park in the country. Peak season is usually between June and October and during these times the park gets incredibly crowded. I’ve had success going before Memorial Day and after Labor Day but beware of the leaf peeping crowd the park draws in October.
Although Cadillac Mountain is THE most popular location for sunrise and sunset (for good reason) during peak season it is best to avoid them unless you want to be joined by hundreds of other trying to capture and take in the same experience. In my opinion, it’s better to try to find new locations to enjoy the sunrise and sunset.
Acadia National Park is one of my absolute favorite places to visit and I’m not the only one more than 3.5 million people visited the park last year. Somehow it doesn’t feel overly crowded even in the throws of tourist season. There is something for everyone and if you ever find yourself in Maine, in my opinion, it’s a must see!!
