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Contact: John Kelly, 207-288-8703
The National Park Service (NPS) invites visitors to enjoy a car-free morning on Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park from midnight to noon on Saturday, September 17. Island Explorer and park concessioner tour buses will operate on their regular schedules on the closed sections of Park Loop Road. The NPS will waive park entrance fees for all visitors during the car-free morning. The sections of Park Loop Road closed to private vehicles will include the road to Cadillac Mountain, the road between Hulls Cove Visitor Center and Jordan Pond, and the entire one-way section. Roads that provide direct access from ME 3 to Hulls Cove Visitor Center, Schooner Head Overlook, and Jordan Pond will remain open, and visitors are encouraged to park in these locations. All other park roads on Mount Desert Island, Schoodic District, and Isle au Haut will remain open. While the car-free morning is a great way to enjoy Park Loop Road on foot or bike, visitors will have the option of riding the Island Explorer and the park's two concessioner tour buses when sections of Park Loop Road are closed. The fare-free Island Explorer will operate the Sand Beach (#3), Loop Road (#4), and Jordan Pond (#5) routes on their regular fall schedule. For information on the Island Explorer, please visit www.exploreacadia.com. For reservations and information on the concessioner tour buses, please call Acadia National Park Tours at 207-288-0300 or visit www.acadiatours.com, and call Oli's Trolley at 207-288-9899 or visit olistrolley.com. "We are excited to offer a way for visitors to enjoy a carefree, car-free experience on Park Loop Road and look forward to working with the neighboring communities to make it a success," said Superintendent Kevin Schneider. For the safety of visitors, roadside parking will be prohibited at the Cadillac Mountain entrance on Eagle Lake Road (ME 233), and bicyclists will be required to ride only in the direction permitted on the one-way section of Park Loop Road. Pedestrians and bicyclists should be aware that buses will be operating during the car-free event and everyone should share the road. The Jordan Pond House restaurant and gift shops at Jordan Pond, Cadillac Mountain, and Thunder Hole will be open during their regular business hours. For more information on the restaurant and gift shops, please call 207-276-3316 or visit acadiajordanpondhouse.com. The NPS is promoting the car-free morning as a way for visitors to experience Park Loop Road through non-motorized activities, such as walking and bicycling. The NPS will also evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of car-free mornings to help inform the development of a transportation plan for Acadia National Park. The purpose of the transportation plan is to determine how best to provide safe and efficient transportation and a variety of high quality experiences to visitors within Acadia National Park while ensuring the protection of park resources and values. The plan will comprehensively examine several management options to improve safety on park roads and reduce crowding and congestion at key visitor destinations and travel corridors. For more information on the transportation plan, please visit parkplanning.nps.gov/acadtransportationplan. |
Last updated: September 9, 2016