Tag Archives: cadillac-mountain

Quarantine holiday shopping guide for Acadia, Katahdin gifts

COVID-19 gives new meaning to “home for the holidays”: Instead of rushing to malls and traveling to visit family, it may mean quarantine holiday shopping from home. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find the perfect gift for fans of Acadia, Katahdin and all things related to Maine and national parks on your shopping list. Whether you […]

Acadia parking reservation program draws flak in Bar Harbor

Acadia National Park Superintendent Kevin Schneider said that a trial run of a parking reservation program for the Sand Beach area caused confusion among many visitors and led to “unintended consequences” such as increased traffic congestion in some nearby residential areas. “I think that is part of the reason why we are holding off on […]

‘Nightmare’ Sand Beach vehicle reservation system deferred

Acadia National Park’s test drive of a vehicle reservation system for the spectacular Ocean Drive and Sand Beach area caused so many problems last month – one town official called it a “nightmare” – that it’s being postponed to 2022 at the earliest. In the wake of the criticism, Acadia National Park Superintendent Kevin Schneider […]

Mixed views on vehicle reservation system at Acadia National Park

A trial run of the Acadia National Park vehicle reservation system received mixed reactions from visitors, with some cheering the new requirement for reducing traffic congestion and making it easier to access Cadillac and Sand Beach and others criticizing it as too heavy-handed. Under the pilot, which started Oct.1 and ends Sunday, Oct. 18, vehicle […]

Acadia during the pandemic: crowds, hiker rescues and no camping

It’s almost like there’s no pandemic, judging by the latest news out of Acadia: Traffic closed the road to Cadillac, injured hikers needed to be rescued, and cars waited 20 minutes to get through the Sand Beach entrance station. And the park still plans a trial run of a new vehicle reservation system in October. But plans to open Blackwoods and Schoodic Woods on Aug. 1 are off the table, with all Acadia campgrounds not opening this year – all sure signs of the impact of COVID-19.

Cadillac reservations start in August for fall trial run of parking system

The pandemic has delayed openings at Acadia National Park and indefinitely postponed operation of shuttle buses, but leaders are forging ahead with plans for a trial run this fall of a parking reservation system for Cadillac Mountain and Ocean Drive, with people allowed to make online reservations in August. The dry run for parking at […]

Acadia National Park bus sets record ridership, eyes expansion

Were you among the more than 640,000 riders of the Island Explorer in 2019, the Acadia bus shuttle’s 20th anniversary year?
Well, you were part of the record setting year of ridership on the propane-powered bus line, which has transported more than 8 million passengers in and around Acadia National Park since its start in 1999.
Find out what’s in store for 2020 and beyond, in this Q&A with Paul Murphy, executive director of Downeast Transportation, Inc., which operates the Island Explorer, with funding from Friends of Acadia, L.L.Bean, Acadia National Park and other sources.

Traffic shuts Cadillac, other spots in Acadia National Park 105 times in 2019

Traffic congestion forced the closure of the summit road to Cadillac Mountain 58 times in 2019 and the road to Bass Harbor Head Light 32 times, spotlighting the need for a reservation system to park at certain popular attractions in Acadia National Park. The reservation system is tentatively planned to start in 2021. According to […]

Virtual race marks 100th anniversary of Acadia peaks, Millinocket library

Virtually climb 26 Acadia peaks, run the MDI and Millinocket Marathons and scale Maine’s highest mountain in a new Acadia to Katahdin Virtual Race that begins Aug. 2, to help raise funds for Friends of Acadia, Millinocket Memorial Library and Our Katahdin. The race celebrates the 100th anniversary of Acadia becoming the first eastern national park and the related effort of renaming mountains, such as Cadillac, as well as of the Millinocket library. Get a chance to earn a lobster or moose-themed medal, keep up with family and friends who join and log miles no matter where they are in the world, and see a virtual tour of parts of Maine you may not have seen in real life yet. Sign up now: https://racery.com/r/acadia-virtual-races/

Cadillac crowds root of problem for Acadia plants

The ferns, flowers, shrubs and grasses of Cadillac Mountain have a tough enough time surviving the elements, but the biggest threat of all may be the pounding of constant foot traffic on Acadia National Park’s busiest and highest summit. Consulting botanist Jill E. Weber gives us a tour of the research plots atop the peak, explaining the multi-year project to bring back the greenery on Cadillac, after limited success in earlier years with physical barriers, ropes and signs.