Winter in Acadia National Park / Pixabay

With the enactment of the continuing resolution, staff at Acadia National Park are in the process of resuming full operations. The safety and well-being of park employees and visitors is the top priority during this process. Based on the lengthy duration of the closure, it will take some time to fully assess current conditions, address potential safety issues, and return systems to normal operations.

 “We deeply appreciated the encouragement from local businesses, partners, and individuals who showed support for park employees who are a part of their communities,” said Superintendent Kevin Schneider. “We also want to thank Friends of Acadia for continuing to assist in carriage road grooming for winter recreation activities in the face of the partial government shutdown and other partners who came to our aid.”
 
Acadia National Park’s employees and volunteers are  passionate about the mission of the National Park Service—to preserve, unimpaired, the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.  
 
The following are some key updates that affect park visitors and local communities:

• All winter access roads previously closed to ice are re-opened (e.g. Ocean Drive) and parking lot plowing, as needed, will resume.
• Permitting for winter use of Blackwoods Campground has resumed.
• Following winter restrooms (vault and flush) have now been re-opened: Fabbri, Sand Beach, Eagle Lake boat launch, Parkman Mountain, Brown Mountain, Jordan Pond boat launch, and Schoodic Woods.
• Park rangers are back at the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center in Bar Harbor assisting visitors planning their current or future trip to the area.
• Resource management staff are systematically assessing the status of the park’s natural and cultural resources, resuming monitoring resources such as air, water, wildlife, and vegetation, reviewing research requests, and resuming planning for critical resource management work in the 2019 season. 
• Education rangers are reestablishing contacts with educators to re-offer programs in schools.
• Maintenance rangers have reopened offices and begun the process of determining what projects can be funded and how to accomplish the work to maintain or improve visitor services.
• Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park has reopened their offices on the Schoodic Peninsula.
• Hiring operations for 120-150 seasonal positions at Acadia National Park has resumed. Those interested in applying will eventually be able to find announcements and apply for positions at https://www.usajobs.gov/.
• Those interested in purchasing an annual or weekly entrance pass for Acadia National Park can do so online.
• All other pass sales at this time of the year for federal public lands can only occur online. No passes may be purchased in-person at Acadia National Park until May 1.