At the edge of the parking lot, a short walkway leads to the Thunder Hole Gift Shop, originally constructed as Acadia's first ranger station. A stone chimney sits atop the shingled roof of the small one-story cabin. The weathered wooden structure rests on a stone foundation. Rustic wooden flower boxes hang below the shop's two front windows.
Nearby, signs indicate stops for the Island Explorer bus and the Accessible Van. Restrooms can be found at the end of the parking lot.
Near the walkway, an angled panel displays a wayside exhibit entitled "What Do Park Rangers Do." The exhibit's title appears next to a photograph of a uniformed National Park Service Ranger showing a tiny sea star to a woman and a child.
Text explains that park rangers wear many hats. "Some help people learn about wildlife. Others patrol trails, answer questions, and help folks stay safe. Some shine light on American history to build understanding of who we are and where we came from. Rangers save lives, protect historic buildings, and care for precious artifacts."
A patch shaped like an arrowhead displays the National Park Service logo - A bison stands next to a river and a Sequoia tree, with trees and mountains in the distance.
Text reads: "Visit a National Park System site near your home. Learn more at www.nps.gov."
Four photographs feature Park Ranger activities:
Two rangers ride on a motorized raft through the rapids. Rangers "patrol the Colorado River at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona."
A half-dozen people congregate next to a helicopter landed near red rock formations. "A pilot and medics rescue an injured climber at Arches National Park in Utah."
Underwater, a man wearing a wet suit and oxygen tanks makes notes on a tablet. A biologist "identifies and records fish species at Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida."
As a fire burns in a forest, a ranger wearing a hardhat leans on a shovel. "A ranger manages a prescribed fire at a western national park."
An historic postcard shows a ranger with two boys pointing westward in Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Mt. Desert Island, Maine. Standing on rocks, they look across the water to green rolling hills.
