Tag Archives: historic-trail-highlights

Acadia hiking boosted by new historic rock steps, innovation and lights

The Valley Cove Trail is set to soon reopen for a summer Acadia hiking season for the first time in five years, following an extensive rehabilitation that gives new life to the historically important trail along Somes Sound. The Acadia trails crew also did major work on Kurt Diederich’s Climb, Beachcroft Path, Seaside Path and around Bass Harbor Head Light, keeping the more than 155 miles of historic Acadia hiking trails in shape for the millions of visitors in coming years. Find out how your favorite trail has been improved, or learn about a new one you’ve yet to explore.

Gary Stellpflug leads highly skilled Acadia hiking trails crew

If you’ve ever marveled at Acadia National Park’s hiking trails, here’s a chief reason they look so good: Gary Stellpflug, the Acadia trails foreman. In this Q&A with Stellpflug, find out what he revealed during a National Trails Day hike on the Valley Trail, and his updates of trail work throughout the park. There’s no better way to celebrate Acadia’s 103rd anniversary of being founded as a national monument on July 8, 1916, than to appreciate the work of the Acadia trails crew and volunteers.

110 years ago first gift for what would become Acadia National Park made by Eliza Homans

eliza homans

Many people know that Acadia National Park celebrated its centennial in 2016, but few realize that it was 110 years ago this month that Eliza Homans of Boston provided a stunning donation of land that helped launch the creation of the park. In May 1908, Homans, then a longtime seasonal resident of Mount Desert Island, […]

Acadia’s Ship Harbor ideal for hiking Maine coast in all four seasons

Whether in winter, spring, summer or fall, Ship Harbor Trail in Acadia National Park offers easy access to great views. Plus there’s the mystery of the shipwreck, the unusual tree stump, the tide pools that can be explored and plentiful birdlife, to keep you coming back. You can also follow in the footsteps of President Obama by hiking this trail.

Grand loop up Sargent Mountain tops hikes in Acadia National Park

A terrific aspect of hikes in Acadia National Park is that people can almost always get back to the start without retracing steps. Acadia’s tight, carefully designed network of 150 miles of trails allow hikers to create a  nearly countless number of loop trips. There are many circular hikes in Acadia National Park, but perhaps […]

Jordan Stream Path among best hikes in Acadia National Park

Jordan Stream Path is among the shortest and most overlooked hikes in Acadia National Park, but it travels to one of the park’s most unusual sights – Cobblestone Bridge, which is quietly marking its own centennial this year. Previously badly eroded, the Jordan Stream Path looks mostly pristine, following an extensive rehabilitation overseen by Christian Barter, a park trail crew supervisor who is also the park’s poet laureate.

Acadia trail, once scary in ‘Pet Sematary’ movie, gets a new lease on life

The bulging tree roots that used to dominate a section of the Deer Brook Trail in Acadia National Park appeared so scary that they were featured in a scene in the Stephen King horror film, “Pet Sematary.” An elegant rehabilitation, led by the park’s trails crew, gave the Deer Brook Trail a major facelift, but […]

Acadia National Park trails work takes a crew with special skills

When the National Park Service needed people with special masonry skills to replace the steps on the acclaimed North Portico of the White House, the agency picked two top trail builders from Maine’s national park and sent them to Washington to do the work. After all, who better to replace the famed staircase at the White House than two people experienced at building stone steps and repairing historic masonry on the Acadia National Park trails?
With about 155 miles of hiking trails, the Acadia trails crew’s work is never done. From masonry to operating heavy machinery, the job has many facets.

Jordan Pond a special fall experience at Acadia National Park

One in a series of historic trail highlights celebrating the Acadia Centennial The path around Jordan Pond is an ideal hike for any time of year but it is especially beautiful in the fall. The fall colors around Jordan Pond are spectacular if you catch them at peak, as we did on Saturday, Oct. 15. We especially […]