When you want to get away from it all, there is no place like Acadia National Park to take your mind off of the stress and headaches of everyday life and immerse you completely in the world of nature.  You can enjoy the peaceful tranquility of crashing ocean surf on a rocky coastline or hike to the highest point on the Atlantic Seaboard, all without leaving the park.

About Acadia National Park

Established in 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson, Acadia National Park began its life as Lafayette National Park with 6,000 acres in order to protect the spectacular scenery and biodiversity of this area of the Maine coastline as well as the islands just offshore.

Interestingly enough, while this park started with the land set aside by the Federal Government, the land itself was not bought with public funds or carved out of public lands like almost every other national park in the US.  Instead, all of the land came from private donations; individual citizens who donated their property to the National Park system in order to preserve the integrity of the shoreline.

In 1929 the name was changed to Acadia and there are so many things to see and do in the area that it can be a bit overwhelming.

Things to do in Acadia National Park

Located on the rugged coastline of northern Maine, Acadia has something for everyone.  While there are all of the outdoor activities that you would normally associate with a National Park, things like hiking, fishing, swimming, boating, mountain biking, bird watching, wildlife viewing and camping, Acadia also has a number of roadways; carriage roads; that were created in the early part of the 20^th century and which have been maintained by the park service to enable visitors to tour the park without ever having to leave the comfort of their vehicles.

There are also local businesses that offer boat excursions, whale watching, bus tours and even boat rentals to those who would like to explore the coastline even further, and while they are not run by the park itself, they have close associations with the National Park Service.  But given the spectacular scenery of the area, most people come to hike or camp and enjoy the views.

Acadia is also unique in the fact that it is one of the few points in the U.S. where the mountains meet the sea with the foothills of the mountains extending right down to the rocky coastline of the Atlantic Ocean, providing visitors with incredible views.  In fact, Acadia National Park is home to Cadillac Mountain which is the highest point on the U.S. Atlantic Seaboard.

Whether you pack up a picnic and come for the day or take advantage of one of the camp grounds run by the National Park Service and stay for a month, you will find enough scenic vies and out of door activities at Acadia National Park to satisfy the whole family.