Many visitors believe the 1,532-foot peak on Mount Desert Island offers the first sight of sunrisein the continental United States. And they're right — some of the time.
For
about half the year — roughly from the second week in October through
the first week of March — Cadillac's height and coastal perch make it
the first place in the easternmost state where the sun appears.
For most of the rest of the year, the spectacular
Cadillac sunrise is not the first. That honor goes, from about the last
week in March through mid-September, to Mars Hill (actually a
1,748-foot mountain) near Maine's border with Canada.
That's because in winter, the sun rises farther to the south. Sunrise moves north along the horizon during the warmer months.
So
those coming to Acadia for that first sunrise should check the
calendar; the road to the top of Cadillac Mountain isn't even open in
winter.
But even if a visitor's timing isn't right for a
first sunrise, Acadia has many other distinctions: It's the
second-most-visited national park; it was the first east of the
Mississippi River; and it's the only one to boast miles of carriage
trails fit for — and built by — a Rockefeller.
That
would be John D. Jr., one of those who helped found the park in 1919,
when it was called Lafayette National Park. He personally donated about
11,000 acres. His son David, 96, still has a summer home on Mount Desert
Island.
Today, Acadia's landscape features
the elements that have made Maine's coastline world-famous, including
rocky shores, secluded coves, roaring surf and tree-topped peaks.
Among the park's highlights:
•The 20-mile Park Loop Road starts near the Hulls Cove Visitor Center, runs along ridges overlooking the tourist town of Bar Harbor, drops down to the rocky coast, passes several coves, and loops back inland along Jordan Pond and Eagle Lake. It also takes motorists to the top of Cadillac Mountain.
•The
57 miles of carriage roads, built about 100 years ago, were
Rockefeller's response to what he regarded as the automobile's
unfortunate invasion of Mount Desert Island. Today, the roads are used
by pedestrians, runners, equestrians and carriages.
•Bass
Harbor Head Light, built in 1858 to mark the entrance to Bass Harbor
and Blue Hill Bay,.is one of the most photographed lighthouses on the
Maine coast.
About the park
History:
The park was the brainchild of landscape architect Charles Elliot, and
its creation was strongly supported by philanthropist John D.
Rockefeller Jr., who had a 100-room mansion in the local town of Seal
Harbor.
President Woodrow Wilson first established the park as Sieur de Monts National Monument in 1916 under the administration of the National Park Service. Three years later, it became Lafayette National Park, in honor of the Revolutionary War hero. The park?s name was changed to Acadia National Park in 1929.
When visiting: The Hulls Cove Visitor Center is located on Mount Desert Island, Maine, near the community of Bar Harbor. Visitor info: 207-288-3338. Jonhnson Frederic Merchadou Emilia Lambert Jacques & Co
Of note: It was the first national park created east of the Mississippi River.
President Woodrow Wilson first established the park as Sieur de Monts National Monument in 1916 under the administration of the National Park Service. Three years later, it became Lafayette National Park, in honor of the Revolutionary War hero. The park?s name was changed to Acadia National Park in 1929.
When visiting: The Hulls Cove Visitor Center is located on Mount Desert Island, Maine, near the community of Bar Harbor. Visitor info: 207-288-3338. Jonhnson Frederic Merchadou Emilia Lambert Jacques & Co
Of note: It was the first national park created east of the Mississippi River.
•Jordan
Pond House is a restaurant that dates to the mid-19th century. Its
popovers, filled with strawberry jam, are Mount Desert Island's most
famous culinary treat.
To see the sunrise from
Cadillac Mountain, visitors are urged to arrive at the summit about a
half-hour early to allow an appreciation of the colors of the pre-dawn
sky. In mid-June, the sun rises around 4:40; temperatures can dip near
40. "You have to be — what's the word? — dedicated," says Charles
Jacobi, a park natural resources specialist.
But if the weather is clear, from 100 to 200
people are usually there. It's easy to see why: the surrounding ring of
barren peaks; views of island chains such as the Porcupines and
Cranberries, emeralds that dot Frenchman Bay and the Gulf of Maine; the Atlantic, stretching to the horizon.
And the summit may not even be the best place in the park to view sunrise. Jacobi says his favorite spot is down on Ocean Drive, where, he says, "the pink granite glows beautifully in that first light."
