“The first reason people want to come to Acadia is the stunning beauty of the place,” he began. “That’s one of the main reasons it was created: to preserve these landscapes. Almost everyone who comes to the park wants to head to the top of Cadillac Mountain to take in the views of the water and the islands . . . and at certain times of year, to be among the first people in the United States to see the sun. People also come to recreate. The park has a great assortment of hiking trails and carriage roads, which attract walkers and bicyclists. The park also has great sea kayaking and rock climbing. Maine has little publicly accessible shoreline; much of it resides in Acadia, and people come here to get close to the water. Finally, I think people are attracted to Acadia because of its accessibility. It’s a small park, and it’s possible to feel like you’ve absorbed much of it in a finite amount of time, unlike some of the big parks out west, like Yellowstone. There’s an intimacy, and people readily become attached to it.”
Most of Acadia National Park’s granite headlands, rocky beaches, and spruce-fir forests are contained on Mount Desert Island, approximately three quarters of the way up Maine’s sprawling coastline, and an hour or so’s drive southeast from the city of Bangor. Acadia was the first national park established east of the Mississippi, and its 2.4 million annual visitors have the painters of the Hudson River School at least in part to thank. Frederic Church and Thomas Cole (among others) captured the region’s beauty for city dwellers in the south, helping to draw the then-developing leisure class “down east” from Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. The affluent of the Gay Nineties (including Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, and Carnegies) built grand estates on the island, decamping here for a portion of each summer. While the so-called robber barons changed the social face of Mount Desert Island, they were instrumental in setting aside the land that would eventually become a national park in 1919. Fearing the onslaught the surrounding woodlands would face with the development of a mobile, gasoline-powered sawmill, the summer citizenry were galvanized under the leadership of Charles Eliot and George B. Dorr, who spearheaded preservation efforts. Dorr would become the park’s first superintendent. (John D. Rockefeller contributed another signature facet of the park—its forty-five miles of broken-stone carriage roads, now popular with bicyclists.)
There are several must-visit spots in Acadia. One is the summit of Cadillac Mountain, the tallest point along the eastern coast of the United States at 1,530 feet. You can drive to the summit on a winding road, though it may be more satisfying to reach the 360-degree views of Bar Harbor, Frenchman Bay, and the Cranberry Islands by reaching the top by foot on one of four trails—North Ridge, Gorge Path, West Face, or South Ridge. Another sightseeing favorite is Thunder Hole, a rock formation along Ocean Drive, where crashing waves reverberating within a small crevice create an eponymous din. The vistas from land are indeed impressive, though Charlie would encourage visitors to take to the sea. “Far fewer people see Acadia from the water, and the perspective is tremendous,” he continued. “Sea kayaking is gaining popularity, and if you don’t have your own kayak, there are several shops where you can rent one outside of the park. Any of the boat tours out of Bar Harbor or the other towns can be terrific too. Park naturalists narrate some of them, sharing the natural and human history as you cruise along.”
It’s worth noting that the 120 miles of trails that lead to some of Acadia’s most jaw-dropping vistas are frequently works of art in themselves. Many were built by groups of local citizens under the auspices of organizations called village improvement societies, years before Acadia received its National Park designation. “The craftsmanship associated with the trails is unique and worthy,” Charlie added. “A trail like Beachcroft has cut-granite stairs most of the way, for example. Other trails go straight up; you climb on iron rungs and walk around exposed cliffs holding on to iron railings to reach the top. [Acadia’s most famous trail of this nature is Precipice. It’s short—only about a mile—but you gain nearly one thousand feet over that mile, and much of it is via rungs.] The trails—as well as the carriage roads—have largely been restored to their original grandeur, thanks to the support of a nonprofit organization called Friends of Acadia. The carriage roads are a great draw for both mountain and road bikers.”
There are two campgrounds in Acadia, Blackwoods (three hundred sites) and Seawall (two hundred sites). Both provide basic amenities, including picnic tables, fire rings, and potable water. Blackwoods also provides access to some special views, as Charlie describes. “You can spill out of your tent, grab a cup of coffee, and walk down to Ocean Drive within ten minutes. From here, you can watch the sunrise light up the pink granite on the seashore, but you have to really want it to get up at four or five a.m. For my money, it beats the sunrise from the top of Cadillac Mountain.”
For many visitors to “down east” Maine, the trip is not complete without an opportunity to tie on a bib and tuck into a fresh lobster. In 2013 (the most recent year for which statistics are available as of this writing), more than 125 million pounds of lobster were harvested from Maine waters, with many of these succulent crustaceans coming from the cold, nutrient-rich waters off Mount Desert Island. Plated Homarus americanus can take infinite forms, but in these parts, locals prefer it simple—that is, steamed in shell, with sides of melted butter and lemon. Most eateries in nearby Bar Harbor feature lobster, but you needn’t stray far from the trails, as lobster is on the menu at Jordan Pond House, right in the park. The original Jordan Pond House dates back more than one hundred years; the present restaurant is set up as a tea house, right on the shores of Jordan Pond. There’s a big lawn in front of the house, rolling down to the pond, and people can eat outside at picnic tables. “Jordan Pond House is also known for its popovers, a tradition that goes back as long as the restaurant has been in existence,” Charlie added. “The view from here is one of those classic Acadia vistas, over Jordan Pond with the Bubbles in the distance and framed by Pemetic and Penobscot Mountains. And Jordan Pond is a great starting point for some of the park’s popular hiking and biking excursions. But take the Island Explorer bus to get there and other places in the park to help keep the air cleaner, better enjoy the scenery, and save yourself the trouble of finding a parking space. The bus will pick you up and drop you off right at the campground.”
* * *
CHARLIE JACOBI is a natural resource specialist for Acadia National Park. He has worked for the National Park Service since 1982 and has spent the last thirty years in Acadia, focusing on managing outdoor recreation and related visitor use to ensure both protection of park resources and the quality of the visitor experience. Charlie has lead or co-lead efforts in the park to develop and implement management plans for the Carriage Roads, the trail system, the park’s climbing program, and all primary visitor sites on Mount Desert Island, including Cadillac. He has lectured and published widely on visitor management and has been instrumental in a long-term research program at Acadia on trail and resource management. Charlie is a founding member of Friends of Baxter State Park and has served as board president for three years and on the board of directors for eight. He was the recipient of the 2010 Guy Waterman Alpine Steward Award, which is given to a person or organization that has demonstrated a long-term commitment to protecting the physical and spiritual qualities of the Northeast’s mountain wilderness.
If You Go
Getting There: Acadia is approximately 150 miles north of Portland, which is served by many major carriers. It’s about 50 miles from Bangor, which is served by American Airlines, Continental Airlines, and Delta.
Best Time to Visit: July and August are major tourist times and offer fairly consistent weather. June and September can also be excellent times to visit. The park is open year-round.
Campgrounds: There are two campgrounds in Acadia. Blackwoods has 300 sites, and Seawall has 200 sites. There are no electrical or water hookups for RVs; site fees are $20. Reservations are highly recommended and available through the National Recreation Service (8
77-444-6777; www.recreation.gov).
Activities: Hiking, biking, kayaking, and boating.
A band of horses on the marsh on Assateague Island.
Maryland/Virginia
ASSATEAGUE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE
RECOMMENDED BY Liz Davis
“There are two main reasons that people come to Assateague,” Liz Davis began. “The first is the chance to explore the habitat of an undeveloped barrier island—an increasing rarity on the highly developed East Coast. It’s such a contrast to Ocean City, Maryland, which is just across an inlet to the north. The other reason that people visit Assateague is for a chance to see the horses that roam freely here.”
Assateague Island National Seashore rests on Assateague Island, a thirty-seven-mile-long barrier island off the southeastern tip of Maryland. The national seashore—some 48,000 acres, with half of its area made up of water—takes up the lion’s share of the Maryland portion of the island and a small portion of the Virginia section. Another well-known preserve, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, takes up the remaining southern portion of the island in Virginia. (You may recall Chincoteague from Marguerite Henry’s beloved children’s book, Misty of Chincoteague.) The first European colonists arrived at Assateague in the mid-1650s; one of their lasting impacts on the island was the horses they released to graze on the seaside grasses, horses that eventually came to represent the island in the public consciousness.
Assateague’s horses are not actually wild, but feral; that is, they descended from the domestic animals the colonists brought along and have reverted to a wild state. The horses graze on saltmarsh cordgrass, saltmeadow hay, and beach grass. As all of these foodstuffs are lacking in nutrients, the horses have become shorter over the last three hundred years; they’re often called ponies, though they are considered horses. The animals have a broad or bloated appearance, because they drink a great deal of water, thanks to their salty diet. In the Maryland district of the park, there are currently 101 horses. (The population is controlled through a birth control vaccine that’s delivered to mares via darts.) “The Assateague horses live in social bands, led by a stallion,” Liz continued. “Each band has a home range, but there are also seasonal migrations. During the summer months, the horses move to places where the mosquitoes aren’t as bad, including the beaches. Seeing the horses on the beach is a special experience. They’ll think nothing of flopping on the ground and stretching out for a nap. When the bugs are really bad, the horses will walk into the surf and let the waves wash over them. In the evening, they’ll move back into the marshes and brush to feed and get water. As they move to and fro, they’ll frequently come through our campgrounds; after all, it’s part of their terrain. Campers need to store their food properly and are prohibited from feeding or touching the animals.” During the spring, fall, and winter, the Life of the Forest and Life of the Marsh Trails are good places to spy bands of Assateague horses.
Feral horses may attract campers to Assateague, but there is a host of activities available to keep everyone engaged, both on the ocean and baysides of the island. “Surf fishing is very popular,” Liz described. “It’s usually the best in the fall, when the bluefish and red drum are moving down the coastline, though flounder, kingfish, and croaker are caught all summer. There are a number of recreational programs that we lead on the bayside. The park service provides hands-on demonstrations on crabbing (for blue crabs) and clamming (hard-shell clams and ribbed mussels), as well as surf fishing. One of our most popular programs is the kayaking tour. We provide the kayaks, and visitors head out with a ranger to explore the coastal bays. The cost is only ten dollars; the other programs are free. Many people come to play in the surf. Water temperatures on the ocean side get into the seventies, and there is a lifeguarded beach for swimming. Surfing is also popular. The water on the bayside warms up early in the season, as it’s shallow, and by May, it’s great for swimming and wading.”
There are three main campgrounds at Assateague Island National Seashore: a drive-in campground near the ocean, a walk-in campground near the ocean (sites are just a few hundred feet from the parking area), and a drive-in campground on the bayside. “On the ocean side, you don’t have Atlantic views, but it’s just over a dune,” Liz added. “You certainly can hear it! Some of the sites on the bayside have bay views, some even have direct bay access. This is great if you bring a kayak.” The bugs that can make summertime uncomfortable for horses can do the same for humans. “Mosquitoes are prevalent from April to October,” Liz continued. “Wearing long pants and long-sleeve shirts in the morning and evening helps. Repellant helps. The mosquitoes are usually not bad on the beach . . . but during the warmest months, biting flies are active. Again, long pants and long-sleeve shirts provides some protection, but the flies mostly ignore repellant. The best you can hope for is a good breeze.”
One of Liz’s most lasting Assateague memories revolves around an evening bayside paddle. “The insects were horrible until we got on the water,” she recalled. “The sun went down and it got dark and calm. There were fish jumping, mussels squeaking, and herons croaking; it all sounded very loud in the dark. Then we started to see bioluminescent comb jellies and plankton. We oohed and aahed and swished our hands and paddles in the water for hours, until we were pruney and pretty loony.”
* * *
LIZ DAVIS is the assistant chief of interpretation at Assateague Island National Seashore, where she’s worked since 1991. Liz was a first-grade teacher before joining the National Park Service, a background that’s served her well in Assateague’s division of Interpretation and Education. Her entire National Park Service career has been at Assateague.
If You Go
Getting There: The closest commercial airport is in Norfolk, Virginia, which is served by American Airlines (800-433-7300; www.aa.com) and U.S. Airways (800-428-4322; www.usairways.com). From Norfolk, it’s a roughly two-hour drive.
Best Time to Visit: Assateague is open year-round. Summer is the most popular time to visit, though the bugs can be tough. Early fall can be very pleasant.
Campgrounds: There are three campgrounds at Assateague Island National Seashore; each includes cold-water showers and drinking water. Sites are $25 per night during the high season, $20 in off-season. Reservations are accepted April 15 through October 15; call 877-444-6777 or visit www.recreation.gov.
Activities: Fishing, crabbing, clamming, kayaking/canoeing, wildlife viewing, hiking, and swimming.
Cliff Lake Campground provides Montana beauty without the crowds of nearby Yellowstone.
Montana—Beaverhead County
CLIFF AND WADE LAKES
RECOMMENDED BY Mike Harrelson
“I have several criteria for a prime camping place,” Mike Harrelson began. “First and foremost, it should be beautiful in and of itself. I should be able to unfold a chair and be affected by the landscape, the serenity of the place. However, if you’re more ADHD, you should have ample activities available. Places to fish, trails for hiking and biking. Lastly, it’s nice to have enough basic infrastructure to make the spot user-friendly. It’s also nice to know there’s a reasonably good likelihood of finding a site once you reach the place and enough space to gather a larger group. After all, much of the joy of camping is in sharing the experience with friends. Groups are good for the kids as well. As they get older, they need more stimulation than mom and dad can generally provide. It’s more fun for everyone if the kids have some friends along.
“Back in the early nineties, my wife and I landed in Bozeman, Montana with our two young children. We were camping every summer weekend within a hundred-mile radius of home, exploring lots of different places. (There was no Yelp to help guide us in the right direction!) We heard about a place called Cliff and Wade Lakes, near the upper Madison River. I’d been in the area fishing on the Madison before, so knew a little bit about the landscape, beautiful big valleys with upthrusts of alpine terrain on one side, lower mountains on the other. I liked the idea of camping by a la
ke—much safer with kids than a river. On our first trip we came in via the famed Three Dollar Bridge access point on the Madison. You roll over some hills and drop into this heavily forested area with two natural lakes. I knew we’d discovered something special.”
Cliff and Wade Lakes are situated in the Beaverhead National Forest of southwestern Montana, roughly thirty miles from the western entrance to Yellowstone. The two lakes sit at an elevation of roughly 6,400 feet and were formed by a geologic fault. Cliff is the larger of the two lakes measuring roughly four miles in length, and has many coves ideally suited for canoeing. Spring-fed Wade is less than two miles in length and sees more recreational use. Nonetheless, a great deal of wildlife is drawn here, including larger mammals like elk and moose and numerous nesting raptors like bald eagles, osprey, and prairie falcons. Beaver and otter are also present. In a part of the world that’s renowned for its trout fishing, Cliff and Wade Lakes hold a special distinction; a former-state-record rainbow trout (more than twenty pounds) was caught in Cliff in 1952, and the current-state-record brown trout—twenty-nine pounds—came from Wade in 1966.
“If you want to fish the lakes, it’s best to have a canoe or small boat,” Mike continued. “It’s great to have some sort of watercraft just for paddling around and seeing the sights. With a canoe, you can also load up your gear and paddle out to one of a few lakeside sites away from the campground for more of a quasi-wilderness experience. [If you don’t have any water transport, motorboats, kayaks, and canoes are available for rent at Wade Creek Cabins.] If I feel like river fishing, I’m inclined to roll the five miles back to Raynolds Pass, where the West Fork of the Madison meets the main stem. This part of the river is only open to wade fishing. I’ll usually bring a bike when I’m over at Cliff and Wade, as one of my favorite mountain-bike rides begins nearby—Mile Creek.” [This ride skirts the Continental Divide, reaching a high point of 9,987 feet.] The lakes are pretty cold, and considering the elevation, the air is on the cool side as well. In August, there’s a window of twenty days or so when you can swim comfortably. The lakes are a beautiful jade color, and one year we found a rope swing. The swimming was brilliant.”
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