Wild Gardens of Acadia
Barely one half mile from Acadia National Park's most popular and usually crowded Park Loop road, you will find the Wild Gardens of Acadia. The Wild Gardens of Acadia entice tourists and locals alike to come and enjoy the serene, shady, lush garden. In the remainder of Acadia National Park, it can be a challenge to find a place that provides the solitude and peace that is found in the Gardens.
In the rest of Acadia National Park, you are one of thousands on any given day, jockeying for a place to view Thunder Hole, Cadillac Mountain or Sand Beach – but in the Wild Gardens of Acadia, serenity and solitude is experienced. When you become weary of the crowds, you can escape to the Gardens for some peace and quiet.
The use of the term "wild" is really a misnomer when describing these lush gardens. Pine and granite benches are dispersed throughout the Gardens beckoning visitors to enjoy some quiet moments and to experience the natural surroundings. Only plants, which are native to Acadia National Park, are planted in the Gardens and that is where the term "wild" comes into play. Because the area was formed thousands of years ago by the collisions of glaciers, the plant life found here is indigenous to both cold and warmer climates. You can observe blue flag iris, pond lilies or a carnivorous pitcher plant. However, do not expect to see daisies, lupine or clover, for these flowers are not native.
Explore the Wild Gardens of Acadia by strolling along pine-laden pathways and on wooden plank walkways. The Gardens are maintained through a collaborative effort of the Mount Desert Island communities, garden clubs and the National Park. Each plant is labeled and can be viewed in twelve different re-created habitats. The local communities and garden clubs do general care, while the Park supplies labels, signs and maintains the water system.
Open daily, year round, the Wild Gardens of Acadia are free to the public.
