New Signs for Acadia National Park will Promote Awareness

Date: June 5, 2007
Contact: Kevin Langley, 207-288-8786

The National Park Service is installing new signs throughout Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island to mark park entrances and remind visitors to obtain a park entrance pass when enjoying the park. “Entering Acadia National Park” and “U.S. Fee Area” signs will be posted together at 33 locations. The National Park Service will also install stand-alone “U.S. Fee Area” signs at the Cadillac Mountain, Hulls Cove Visitor Center, Sieur de Monts, and Stanley Brook entrances. The “Entering Acadia National Park” signs will be the first in Acadia to use the new nationwide design standard for the National Park Service.

Federal policy requires the National Park Service to clearly notify visitors when a recreation fee is charged to enter a national park. Currently, the limited use of the “U.S. Fee Area” sign at Acadia National Park has generated significant complaints from visitors because they were unaware that they had entered the park or that there was an entrance fee. The signs will alert visitors that they have entered the park and that an entrance pass is required. This is especially important for Acadia National Park because it has dozens of formal entry points—most of which provide no indication that you are entering the park.

The National Park Service uses park entrance fees for a variety of projects that protect park resources and improve the visitor experience. Among dozens of projects, the National Park Service has used fees to provide accessibility to the Cadillac Summit overlook, rehabilitate the historic carriage road bridges, improve restrooms at Blackwoods campground, restore disturbed habitats, and enhance education and science programs. When the Island Explorer is operating, the National Park Service uses ten dollars from every entrance pass to directly support this fare-free bus system.

When entering the park by vehicle, visitors should display their entrance pass, either the green or yellow hangtag or the Acadia annual sticker. Park visitors without an entrance pass should purchase one at their earliest opportunity. Visitors may purchase entrance passes at the following locations: Sand Beach Entrance Station, Hulls Cove Visitors Center, Thompson Island Information Center, Bar Harbor Village Green Information Center, Park Headquarters (Route 233), and the Blackwoods and Seawall campgrounds. Weekly and annual entrance passes for Acadia National Park are also available at the Cadillac summit shop, Jordan Pond gift shop, and the Northeast Harbor Chamber of Commerce.