At the wheelchair-accessible overlook at Cadillac Mountain's summit, a wayside exhibit features an informational panel angled atop a stone pedestal.
The exhibit's title, "Islands Galore!", appears over a panoramic view of Mt. Desert Island and some coastal landmarks, along with small offshore islands in the Gulf of Maine.
Introductory text reads: "From the summit of Cadillac, you finally get the sense that you are on an island. ... Several offshore islands are host to fishing communities or private homes, but many serve as nesting sites for seabirds and stopovers for migratory species. Mount Desert Island, Maine's largest coastal island, covers 108 square miles. With its iconic rocky shorelines, lush green forests, crystal clear lakes, and towering summits protected within Acadia National Park, it is no wonder that 2.5 million people visit the park every year."
A quote: "From here one island leads to another, all the way to Frenchboro and Swans Island and Isle au Haut, as this landscape toys with the idea of islands until the sea says enough and there is only water." - Christopher Camuto, Time and Tide in Acadia: Seasons on Mount Desert Island, 2009
Four inset photographs feature Cadillac's changing seasons:
-The first photograph shows a springtime view with greenery among patches of bare ground and rocky hillsides.
-The second photograph celebrates summer's lush green foliage that covers the rolling hills and fills cracks and crevasses in the rocky landscape.
-The third photograph presents a view of a gray rocky slope adorned with fall color from a mix of black huckleberry and highbush blueberry plants.
-The fourth photograph captures a wintry scene. Green fir trees dot a snow-covered slope.
More text provides Safety Tips:
-The half-mile paved Summit Path is rated easy, but it does have dips and rises and a short climb back to the top.
-Weather changes rapidly. Wear or carry a jacket.
To protect the park, follow these recommendations:
-Subalpine plants are fragile. Avoid trampling plants.
-Remain on trails. If you must leave trails, walk on bare rock.
