• Granite mountains on islands along coast

    Acadia

    National Park Maine

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  • Park Loop Road opening

    May 17, 2013: The entire Park Loop Road and all other paved roads in the park open today. All dirt roads in the park, including the Seal Cove Road, will open on June 3.

  • Trail closures

    April 22, 2013: The Precipice, Orange and Black, Valley Cove, and Jordan Cliffs Trails are closed until further notice because of nesting peregrine falcons. All other trails in the park are open, whether accessible from the park or from state roads.

  • Hulls Cove Visitor Center

    May 17, 2013: The visitor center will open on May 19 and will be open 9-5 every day. All park passes are available there. There is an accessible entrance at the back of the building for those who have trouble climbing stairs.

Earthquake Series 2006

Earthquake Debris on PLR

Falling rocks forced the closure of the Park Loop Road on Tuesday, October 3. The road reopened later that day.

NPS/John Kelly

Minor Earthquakes Shake the Park
At 8:07 p.m. on Monday, October 2, a minor earthquake of magnitude 4.2 shook the ground around Acadia National Park. The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the Atlantic Ocean just off Schooner Head, on the eastern side of the park. Damage appeared to be limited to rocks falling on the Park Loop Road, which re-opened on Tuesday afternoon after a brief closure, and some park trails (see Temporary Closures for a list of closed trails). Researchers from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University have installed temporary seismographs on Mount Desert Island in the hopes of recording any additional activity.

This earthquake followed several small aftershocks that have occurred since the first earthquake on September 22 (magnitude 3.4). The epicenter for the September 22 earthquake was located in the park, just off the Precipice Trail parking area on the Park Loop Road. No damage was reported.

According to the Maine Geological Survey, earthquakes in Maine are rare, with just 507 earthquakes occurring in the state from 1747 to 1992. During that time, only one other earthquake originated from Mount Desert Island. Most earthquakes that do occur in Maine are minor, and to date none have caused significant damage.

For more information about these unusual events, including maps of the epicenters, visit the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Center.

 
  • A large slab of granite overhangs the Homans Path, making it impassable.
    Earthquake Effects
    14 Photos
  • BioBlitz participants look through their finds to see if there are any species worth keeping.
    True Bug Blitz
    11 Photos
  • Blitz participants gather for a pre-blitz session with Dr. Richard Bradley.
    Spider Blitz
    12 Photos
  • Volunteer Max Swann collects small insects using an aspirator while Maine Entomological Society member David Borque looks on.
    Minor Order Blitz
    19 Photos
  • Specimens were pinned and mounted at the end of the BioBlitz. Not all specimens were easily identifiable, as shown by this collection needing further identification.
    Lepidoptera Blitz
    12 Photos

  • A graduate student prepares and pins specimens caught during the BioBlitz.
    Diptera Blitz
    11 Photos

Did You Know?

Cobblestone Bridge, faced with rounded cobblestones, has a stream running underneath.

The historic carriage road system at Acadia National Park features 17 stone-faced bridges spanning streams, waterfalls, cliffs, and roads. The design of each bridge, such as Cobblestone Bridge, is unique.