French Explorer Champlain discovered Mount Desert Island in 1604, thousands of years after the climatic changes that melted the glacier's from the ice age that existed more than 3 million years ago left their imprint of unbelievable mountain formations, some smooth rounded peaks to the north, etched cliffs to the south, with deep valleys, ponds and lake basins. Explore these mountains and attractions from the list and learn more.

Park Vision:  Acadia National Park started back in 1901 when the President of Harvard saw that Bar Harbor was immensely popular as a summer resort and recognized that it was growing quickly in size and popularity. Hotels began to increase, each one bigger and better than the next. Fortunately he recognized that human nature would continue to exploit the region and sought to protect and preserve the beauty of Mount Desert Island's most prime areas from further development, precisely the things that made Mount Desert Island the attraction that it was and is. He assembled a group of private citizens and formed a committee to do just that. These dedicated members contacted owners of parcels of land on Mount Desert Island describing their goals and asking them to participate in the preservation. And so it was, some folks donated while some received payment; any way it had to work and it did. Over 30,000 acres was acquired with 1/3 of it given by John Rockefeller, Jr. The land was then presented to the National Park Service as a gift and accepted. Today, all the carriage roads are in place and continue to be maintained by a special non profit group called the Friends of Acadia who preserves, protects, and promotes stewardship of the outstanding natural beauty and work diligently to preserve this beautiful park's carriage roads and trails. Each dollar raised is also matched by the National Park Service. So now that you know how fortunate we are to have this beautiful resource, make it a point to visit this national treasure for an unforgettable vacation.

Lodging:  There is no lodging inside Acadia National Park itself.  Visitors can choose one of the many lodging options nearby including Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor.  Also on the mainland in the Schoodic Peninsula lodging can be found in Ellsworth, Lamoine, Sullivan and the village of Winter Harbor. 

Things you should know about Acadia National Park 1) Take nothing but photographs and leave nothing but footprints, that is the motto at Acadia National Park.  (2) On the carriage roads and trails, stay on them.  There is subalpine vegetation along the sides that is delicate and adds to the natural beauty.  (3)  Be careful not to break branches or step on plants.  They take seconds perish and years to grow back...be especially alert when walking on rocks where you'll see delicate plants growing through massive granite cracks which display beautiful colors through the seasons making Acadia a spectacular photography study.   (4) There is wildlife in the park and one must be careful not to upset them or give them food. They should not associate humans with giving them food.  This could hurt them in the future and hinder their ability to search for natural food sources.  (5) If you have a pet, they must be on a leash otherwise you could get in trouble with the park rangers.

Are you Ready to Stay and Play at Acadia?    

Take virtual tours....360 degree and panoramic views like the tours on this site inside all of the lodging options that you have for Acadia National Park.  Although the park itself does not offer lodging, there are plenty of bed and breakfasts, cottages, camps, cabins, hotels, motels in the villages near Acadia National Park.  The virtual tours make it so easy to find where to stay.