Mount Desert Island Maine

Mount Desert Island was sculptured by glaciers in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Maine. It is said to be the third largest island along the Atlantic seaboard. Unusual for many different reasons, Mount Desert Island is best known for its dramatic landscape of mountains, rugged granite coastline, frigid ocean waters and fresh water lakes. Acadia National Park comprises nearly one-half of the Island. Therefore, that portion of the Island is under the protection and supervision of the National Park Service.

Acadia National Park takes up a great deal of the interior of Mount Desert Island. Along the coastlines of the Island are several communities. The largest and most popular of these is Bar Harbor. In the years prior to 1947, Bar Harbor was the vacation home location for many wealthy and famous Americans. Nearly completely destroyed by the fire, Bar Harbor has rebuilt itself and has once again become a vacation home location and a tourist destination.

Tourists flock to Mount Desert Island to tour Acadia National Park. One of the smallest parks in the National Park System, Acadia is one of the most visited. There are no lodging accommodations within Acadia with the exception of two campgrounds. However, the small communities on the Island have many lodging options, as well as opportunities for great dining, and shopping.

The Island is home to seventeen mountains and over 150 miles of hiking trails. Within Acadia National Park, there are 55 miles of cracked-stone carriage roads, public gardens, vast ocean vistas, rugged cobble stone shoreline and scenic lakes. Mount Desert Island is a great place to visit and for approximately 10,000 people, it is a great place to live year round.