Acadia National Park - A National Treasure

Acadia National Park is located off the coast of Maine and includes several islands in the Atlantic. Mount Desert Island makes up the majority of the land within the Park. The town of Bar Harbor is located within the national park and offers several accommodations for those visiting the park. Acadia National Park is the result of the government's efforts to preserve this area. Acadia National Park consists of over 35,000 acres most of which are on Mount Desert. Mount Desert Island is the largest island off the coast of Maine and the 6th largest Island in the continental United States. It is estimated that there are over 2 million visitors to Acadia National Park each year. Most of these come during the summer months with the intention of enjoying the mild summer and the scenic beauty, which is rarely matched within the United States. There are several notable summer residents who live in Bar Harbor including Martha Stewart and Susan Sarandon.

The natural beauty of the area is what attracts visitors to the park. There are numerous opportunities to enjoy the hillside views of the ocean and islands. One of the more popular hiking areas within the park is Cadillac Mountain. This mountain is named after the French explorer who was provided a land grant to the area. This same explorer eventually founded Detroit.

Cadillac Island contains one of the highest peaks in the state of Maine and provides picturesque views. This island is one of the first areas to receive sunlight in the United States each morning. Many visitors come to witness this spectacle and many others come via cruise ship in the summer months. Numerous trails on Cadillac Mountain provide a chance to hike to the peak. There is also a road for those that prefer to drive.

Some of New York City's wealthiest families originally made this area famous during the late 1800's as a resort vacation destination. The Rockefellers made this area home, as did the Vanderbilts, and Robert Rockefeller still visits this area in the summer. In fact, Vice president Nelson Rockefeller was born in Bar Harbor. During America's Gilded age (the 1880's - early 1900's), the area was a popular tourist area that rivaled other resort areas such as Newport, Rhode Island. The trend of the time was to purchase property within the Acadia area and attempt to outdo each other with their lavish estates. George Vanderbilt, the youngest son of Railroad Tycoon William Vanderbilt and Grandson of Commodore Vanderbilt bought his first home here at the age of 16. George would later build America's biggest home, the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.

During October of 1947, a major wildfire grew out of a spark at a cranberry bog. This fire grew for 10 days and would take almost a month to totally extinguish. When the fire had been finally put out, half of the island had burned including 67 of the grand summerhouses that had made up Millionaires Row. There was also severe destruction to 5 major hotels and 170 year round residences. Over 10,000 acres of Acadia National Park were destroyed.

Over the following 60 years, the park rejuvenated but the grand life that once existed never returned. While there are many cottage communities within the national park area, the opulence of the gilded age has yet to be matched. However, the natural beauty is still as evident as ever and well worth a visit.