National Trails Day

Date: May 31, 2016
Contact: John Kelly, 207-288-8703

We invite the public to join us in celebrating National Trails Day at Acadia from 8 am to noon on Saturday, June 4, with a program about the park's hiking trails followed by opportunities to participate in volunteer trail work projects.

Please meet at 8 am at Park Headquarters, 20 McFarland Hill Drive, off Eagle Lake Road (ME 233) in Bar Harbor to sign up for a volunteer trail work project and enjoy light refreshments. At 8:30 am, Christian Barter, recently named the park's first poet laureate for Acadia's centennial and long-time trail crew leader, will offer a poetry reading and presentation about Acadia's hiking trails.

After the program, volunteers will divide into small work groups and be transported by van to various park locations to complete light maintenance on the hiking trails. The work may involve cleaning drains, stabilizing erosion checks, or cutting brush on the hiking trails. For those interested in learning more about the hiking trails at Acadia, there will also be an optional guided walk. Space is limited so please arrive early to reserve your spot. All groups will be returned to Park Headquarters by noon.

"We invite neighbors and visitors of all ages to help celebrate Acadia's centennial by joining us on National Trails Day to learn more about the park's historic hiking trail system and help us prepare for the summer season," said Superintendent Kevin Schneider. "We appreciate the many hours of time and energy that our volunteers give so generously to keep the hiking trails in such great shape."

According to the American Hiking Society (http://nationaltrailsday.americanhiking.org), National Trails Day is a celebration of America's trails that features a series of outdoor activities designed to promote and celebrate the importance of trails in the United States. Public agencies and private organizations across the country host National Trails Day events to encourage people to discover their local trails, promote awareness of the benefits that trails provide, and instill excitement for the outdoors. National Trails Day evolved during the late 1980s and 1990s from a popular ethos among trail advocates, outdoor industry leaders, and political bodies who wanted to unlock the vast potential in the country's National Trails System, transforming it from a collection of local paths into a network of interconnected trails.

For more information about the National Trails Day event, please contact Dianna McKeage, at 207-288-8716 or [e-mail].