Acadia National Park
Acadia is a national park in the United States in the state of Maine, located on Mount Desert Island, as well as nearby islands. In total, the park covers 192 km2 of the territory, the main part of which is 123 km2 on Mount Desert Island.
Judging by the archaeological finds, people first appeared here as early as 6,000 years ago. Since ancient times, the Wabanaki Indians lived here, who were engaged in fishing and hunting. The first Europeans visited here in 1605, when the crew of a French expedition led by Samuel de Champlain landed here, who later founded several settlements in Canada. In the 19th century, these places were favored by artists, including Thomas Cole and Frederick Church, who especially appreciated the beauty of nature. By 1880, tourist activity had become the main one for the island, and 30 hotels were built here. In 1916, the Sieur-Demont National Monument was founded here, which became Lafayette National Park in 1919. Acadia Park received its current name in 1929. In 1947, a massive fire broke out on the island, destroying 40 km2 of forest.
The coast of Acadia, as well as the entire state of Maine, was formed under the influence of a glacier, which destroyed a mountain range, and melted to form the Gulf of Maine. Under the pressure of the glacier, the Soames Sound fjord appeared, which is the only fjord on the Atlantic coast of the United States. Almost the entire coast of Acadia National Park is rocky, with rocky and rarely sandy beaches. Earthquakes are not uncommon in this area, with 507 earthquakes occurring from 1747 to 1992. Although the territory of Acadia Park is small, different natural landforms are combined: mountain ranges with beautiful lakes, dense forests of pine and spruce, in which there are swamps, sandy beaches. Almost the entire central part of Mount Desert Island is covered with mountains, the highest point of which is Cadillac Mountain, 466 meters high.
Acadia Park is located at the intersection of climatic zones, so you can see coniferous forests typical of the northern territories and broad-leaved forests for the southern ones. A significant part of the park is covered with pine and spruce forests, in places there are deciduous forests of oak, beech, and maple typical of New England. On the northeastern border of Acadia Park, you can see unique, isolated forests of pine and dwarf oak. In the southern part, there is a pine Blanca, which has not spread further south. Almost the entire forest is being revived after a fire, which has caused poplar and birch forests to become more widespread, and coniferous forests to grow more slowly.
There are several dozen mammals in Acadia National Park, among which it is worth noting coyotes, Virginia deer, foxes, raccoons, hares, otters. There are also many rodents in the park, such as woodchucks, chipmunks, beavers, long-tailed porcupines, squirrels, moles. Sometimes bears, moose, and lynxes visit these places, and in the coastal waters you can see whales, dolphins, and seals. The rivers and lakes of the park are rich in fish, of which there are 28 varieties. In 1984, a program was launched to restore the number of peregrine falcons, which were on the verge of extinction in the 1960s.
In 2006, Acadia was in tenth place in popularity among travelers, behind such national parks as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Zion, Arches. A sick part of the park's guests visit here in the period from July to September.
