Acadia Reader

A Digest of What's New and Notable

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► YourAcadiaNPS

Pictures & Stories From Park Visitors
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Photo courtesy of Justin Leveillee @embracelivingphoto. Used with permission.

Posted Jan 26, 2024

Justin Leveillee, of Coventry, RI, shares a photo he first posted Jan 10.

"I have long been wanting to photograph Jordan Pond iced over. I finally got my chance. When I visited on Saturday morning, it wasn't quite frozen with ice patties sloshing around in the wind. I knew the next morning they would be frozen solid. The blocks of ice froze up beautifully overnight, creating some interesting patterns."

Learn more at the official Acadia National Park website, go.nps.gov/acadia

 

► Quick Missives

• In its 25th operating season, the fare-free Island Explorer served its 10 Millionth Passenger on Sept 25, 2024. Beth Gearhart boarded a bus at Sand Beach heading to the Bar Harbor Village Green, where she was greeted by representatives of Friends of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Downeast Transportation, MaineDOT, and LL Bean. (Watch a video reel posted by Friends of Acadia)

• Sales of entrance passes at a 24/7 Automated Fee Machine (AFM) located inside the parking lot pavilion at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center almost doubled from October 2023 to October 2024. Four additional machines are due to be deployed across the park in time for the 2025 visitor season.

• Planning is underway to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Carroll Homestead in 2025

 

 

► Good Reads

 

The Remarkable Story of John Carroll and his Mountain House

by Lisa Horsch Clark
Acadia Magazine (Friends of Acadia), October 29, 2024

 

Third Space Pedagogy in Archeology

by Bonnie Newsome, Catherine Schmitt, and Rebecca Cole Will
The SAA Archeological Record (Society for American Archeology), November 2024, Volume 24, Number 5, pages 42 to 51

 

Maine Invites You

A free digital trip planning magazine
Maine Tourism Association

 

► Digital Experiences

Check out more offerings at Photos & Multimedia
and AcadiaNPS on YouTube

 

Duration:

38.071 seconds

Wheelchair accessible carriage funded by the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation at Wildwood Stables in Acadia National Park on May 20, 2024. Videography by Julia Walker Thomas, Friends of Acadia. (No audio)

 

► Help Wanted

• Find a current list of all job opportunities at Work With Us
• Explore and apply for opportunities to Volunteer at Acadia

 

Acadia Youth Conservation Corps Summer Internships

Engage in meaningful work experiences in your national park, while developing an ethic of environmental stewardship, exploring career paths, and having fun!

• June 23 - Aug 15, 2025 (8 Weeks)
  
• Must be 15-18 years old
  
• $15/hour & End Bonus*
  
• 35 Hours a Week

Apply by March 15th. Applications to [e-mail] or call 207 288-8716

 

Federal law requires that all pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet (2 m) at all times and locations throughout Acadia.

Photo courtesy of visitor Michelle Belio, of Old Westbury, NY

► Timeline

• See also Operating Hours & Seasons

Required year round

• Entrance Pass
• All pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet (2 m) at all times and park locations

Starting December 1

• Campground Reservations are open on a rolling basis up to six months in advance

January 20

• Entrance Fee Free Day: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

March 1

• Several hiking trails (Jordan Cliffs Trail, Penobscot East Trail, Precipice Trail, and Valley Cove Trail) close to the public for Peregrine Falcon nesting season. These closures typically remain in effect until mid-August.

April 15

• The 27-mile Park Loop Road, including Cadillac Summit Road, opens to private vehicles.

April 19

• Entrance Fee Free Day: Juneteenth National Independence Day

May TBD

• The Hulls Cove Visitor Center opens for the season

May 21 - October 26

• Timed-entry Vehicle Reservations, available for purchase online in advance at Recreation.gov, are required to drive Cadillac Summit Road. The first release of 30 percent of reservations 90 days in advance will take place on Mar 22.

May TBD

• Fare-free Island Explorer bus service begins on the Schoodic Peninsula

June TBD

• Fare-free Island Explorer bus service begins across Mount Desert Island.
• The new Acadia Gateway Center transportation hub opens in Trenton.

June TBD

• Park ranger walks, talks, and campground programs begin for the season

July 1 - September 30

• Online applications are open for Artist-in-Residence opportunities in 2026.

August 4

• Entrance Fee Free Day: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act

September 27

• Entrance Fee Free Day: National Public Lands Day

November 11

• Entrance Fee Free Day: Veterans Day