Acadia National Park - Definition and Overview

Scenic view of Acadia National Park from the Otter Cliffs.

Acadia
Designation	National Park
Location	Maine
Nearest city	Bar Harbor, Maine
Latitude	44° 21' N
Longitude	68° 13' W
Area	47,400 acres (192 km²) 19,182 ha
Date of Establishment	February 26, 1919
Visitation	2,433,493 (2003)
Governing Body	National Park Service
IUCN category	II (National Park)

Acadia National Park is a United States National Park, located primarily on Mount Desert Island off the Atlantic coast of Maine. The park is administered by the National Park Service. The area includes mountains, an ocean shoreline, woodlands, and lakes. In addition to Mount Desert Islan, the park comprises much of the Isle au Haut, a small island to the southwest of Mount Desert Island. A portion of Schoodic Peninsula on the mainland is also part of the park. In total, Acadia National Park consists of 30,300 acres on Mount Desert Island, 2,728 acres (11 km²) on Isle au Haut and 2,266 acres (9.2 km²) on the Schoodic Peninsula.

History

The park was created as Sieur de Monts National Monument on January 19, 1916. On February 26, 1919, it became a national park, with the name Lafayette National Park in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, an influential French supporter of the American Revolution. The park's name was changed to Acadia National Park in 1929.

Bass Harbor Head Light, in the park.

The town of Bar Harbor is located on the northeast corner of the island. Cadillac Mountain on the eastern side of the island is a famous tourist destination because it is one of the first places in the United States to see the sunrise. Miles of scenic carriage roads were originally built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. with great sensitivity to the trees and contours of the land.

Bibliography

Map indicating location of Bar Harbor. Mercator projection: [http://www.aquarius.geomar.de/omc/ public domain Online Map Creation

• "Discover Acadia National Park: A Guide to Hiking, Biking, and Paddling" by Jerry Monkman et al., Appalachian Mountain Club; ISBN 1878239929; May 2000
• "Acadia Revealed" by Jay Kaiser et al., Papyrus Travel Guides; ISBN 0967890497; July 2000

External links

• Official website (http://www.nps.gov/acad/)
• Acadia National Park Page (http://www.acadia.national-park.com/)
• Acadia National Park Pictures (http://www.nationalparksgallery.com/parks/Acadia-National-Park)
• Photos of Acadia National Park - Terra Galleria (http://www.terragalleria.com/parks/np.acadia.html)