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Traveler's Checklist For Acadia

Spend any time in Acadia during the summer and early fall and you'll understand why the "rusticators" descended on Mount Desert Island just off the coast of Maine in the mid-1800s. Here's Traveler's checklist to help you explore the island when you reach it.

The "rusticators" included members of the Hudson River School of artists, who came to capture the twin settings of surf and forested mountains.

Others, such as 37-year-old Charles Eliot, then the president of Harvard University, sailed yachts up into the waters surrounding Mount Desert Island. President Chester Arthur visited in 1882 (a year before he trekked out West to Yellowstone National Park) along with the secretary of the Navy.

What should you plan to do if you can find some time to visit Acadia? Here are some ideas:

* Venture up the South Ridge of Cadillac Mountain. This 7.4-mile roundtrip takes you through forests and up onto Cadillac's granite shoulders where you'll enjoy views of Frenchman's Bay.

* If you have kids with you, or even if not, explore the rocky coast to search tidal pools for their resident sea urchins, sea stars, and anemones. Such an outing can fill an entire morning or afternoon...or at least until the tide starts to return.

* Climb the Beehive or head up the Precipice Trail. Not for the timid, these trails include, at times, the use of iron rungs anchored in the cliffs to help you inch up the mountain. But the experience is exhilarating and the views intoxicating. For a rundown on the park's hiking trails and their difficulty, download this pdf.

* Time the high tide with a stop at Thunder Hole, a coastal crevice in the park's granite foundation that resounds with a thunderous clap when waves pound it. Be careful of the pounding surf, though, as rogue waves can at times threaten your safety. This past August a 7-year-old lost her life near here.

* Check out a ranger-led program. Throughout the high season of summer and into early October the park's rangers offer a variety of programs to suit every interest and activity level. Programs include walks, talks, hikes, narrated boat cruises, bike rides, and more. Check out the Beaver Log for a schedule of programs.

* Pitch your tent in one of the park's two campgrounds. With the coast just a ten-minute walk away, these are great basecamps.

* Explore the park from the ocean by taking a kayak tour.

* Peddle down the leaf-littered Carriage Roads on a bike.

* To recover from your bike ride, stop by the Jordan Pond House for tea and popovers...or make a dinner reservation for a lobster feast.

* Head out into the park to look for raptors. According to the Park Service, "every year, strong northerly winds push thousands of raptors from Maine and Canada south along the eastern coastline as they migrate to warmer areas for the winter. With its wide-open views and tallest vantage point on the eastern U.S. coast, Acadia's HawkWatch location on Cadillac Mountain often provides visitors with a close look at the soaring raptors. Each year, program participants see large numbers of sharp-shinned hawks and American kestrels, while many other raptors pass along with them." The viewing season runs through mid-October.

* Don't miss your chance to view one of the most-photographed lighthouses on the Eastern Seaboard, the Bass Harbor Light.

* Schedule your visit to coincide with the Acadia Night Sky Festival or the annual Acadia Birding Festival.

* Leave the park, briefly, to head to Southwest Harbor to visit the Wendell Gilley Museum, where you'll be amazed at the intricacy of the miniature carved birds. If you time your visit right, you might find one of the resident master carvers at work. Along the way check out the Somesville Bridge. They don't make 'em like this any more. If you're hungry, stop by Beal's Lobster Pound in Southwest Harbor where you can point to the lobster you want from a tank full of the crustaceans and wait while they boil it for you. Don't forget the corn on the cob.

* Enjoy the nightlife and art shops in Bar Harbor, the park's gateway town. Among the fun, tasty restaurants are Rupununi, Mama DiMatteo's, and Poor Boy's Gourmet.

Acadia National Park

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.