Acadia National Park

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Acadia National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)

Location:	Maine, USA
Nearest city:	Bar Harbor, Maine
Coordinates:	44°21′0″N, 68°13′0″W
Area:	47,390 acres (191.8 km²), 45,822.90 acres (185.4 km²) federal
Established:	July 8, 1916
Visitation:	2,207,847 (in 2004)
Governing body:	National Park Service

Acadia National Park preserves much of Mount Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast of Maine. The area includes mountains, an ocean shoreline, woodlands, and lakes. In addition to Mount Desert Island, the park comprises much of the Isle au Haut, a small island to the southwest of Mount Desert Island and parts of Baker Island, also nearby. A portion of Schoodic Peninsula on the mainland is also part of the park. In total, Acadia National Park consists of 30,300 acres (123 km²) on Mount Desert Island, 2,728 acres (11 km²) on Isle au Haut and 2,266 acres (9.2 km²) on the Schoodic Peninsula.

1 History
2 Wildlife
3 Gallery of Acadia National Park Photos
4 External link

[edit] History

The park was created as Sieur de Monts National Monument on July 8, 1916, administered by the National Park Service. On February 26, 1919, it became a national park, with the name Lafayette National Park in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, an influential French supporter of the American Revolution. The park's name was changed to Acadia National Park on January 19, 1929.

On October 17, 1947 10,000 acres (40 km²) of Acadia National Park burned in a fire that had begun on the mainland in a cranberry bog. The forest fire was one of a series of fires that consumed much of Maine's forest as a result of a dry year. The fire burned for days and was fought by the Coast Guard, Army, Navy, local residents, and National Park Service Employees from around the country. Restoration of the park was supported, in part, by the Rockefeller family. Regrowth was mostly allowed to occur naturally and the fire has been suggested to have actually enhanced the beauty of the park, adding diversity to tree populations and depth to its scenery.

The town of Bar Harbor is located on the northeast corner of the island. Cadillac Mountain on the eastern side of the island is a famous tourist destination because it is one of the first places in the United States to see the sunrise. Miles of scenic carriage roads were originally built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. with great sensitivity to the trees and contours of the land.

[edit] Wildlife

Image:Acadianpmap.jpg

The park is home to some 40 different species of mammalian wildlife. Among those are red and gray squirrels, chipmunks, white-tailed deer, moose, beaver, porcupine, muskrats, foxes, coyote, bobcats, and black bears. Species that used to inhabit the island include the mountain lion (or puma) and the gray wolf. It is thought that these predators have been forced to leave the area due to the dramatic decrease in small prey and proximity to human activity. Many other marine species have been observed in the surrounding area and waters.