Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Winter in Acadia
Acadia is open year-round. All parts of the park remain open, al-
though gift shops, restaurants, nature centers and restrooms are
closed once cold weather hits. A winter visitor center is set up at
park headquarters on the Eagle Lake Road in Bar Harbor.
The Park Loop Road remains open until closed by snow. In win-
ter it is kept snow-covered and is used by skiers and snowmobil-
ers.
Except for two short sections, the 50 miles of carriage roads are
off-limits to snowmobiles. Local volunteers groom the trails after
snowfalls leaving a perfect double cross-country track.
Blackwoods Campground in Otter Creek has a limited number of
sites open in winter for hardy campers. There is no fee. You can
ski from the campground to the Ocean Drive section of the Park
Loop Road when snow conditions permit. Often though, snow
quickly turns to rain because of the proximity to the compara-
tively warm ocean.
Contact Acadia National Park, PO Box 177, Bar Harbor 04609,
288-
3338. Blackwoods Campground,
800-365-2267; Emergencies,
288-
3369.
Friends of Acadia
Friends of Acadia is an organization created to allow citizens to
help care for Acadia National Park. The nonprofit group is dedi-
cated to the everlasting preservation and appreciation of the
park and its surroundings. It actively recruits volunteers to work
on the park's trails (see the
Coming Events
section of the weekly
Bar Harbor Times
for days and times). The group raises funds to
support an Acadia Youth Conservation Corps, and are responsi-
ble for a large-scale restoration of the park's carriage roads. They
have also started an innovative program of “Resource-Sensitive
Tourism” to allow those who benefit from Acadia's resources to
help in their protection.
Friends of Acadia was established in 1986. It works in partner-
ship
with
park
management,
government,
special-interest
groups and local communities to:
Promote understanding of Acadia National Park;
Protect resources that cannot be protected by the Park
Service alone;
Involve citizens in park management and planning;
