Acadia National Park provides opportunities for every kind of outdoor activity. There is a sand beach with ocean water so cold its like a dare; granite outcroppings for the climber; and almost two hundred miles of paths for the hiker, mountain biker, and horseback rider. Sea kayaks can be rented and whale-spotting trips arranged. Villages like Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor, and Southwest Harbor provide many shopping opportunities. For gardeners there are the magnificent Asticou Azalea and Thuya gardens. To get the most out of a short visit a plan is required, and BookMarc’s recommends you consult one of books listed below.

See a list of our other Acadia Books.

Scientific descriptions of 862 plant species are presented here, including wildflowers, ferns, grasses, sedges, rushes, trees, and shrubs. This comprehensive guide to one of Maine's most beautiful natural treasures also has useful keys, an illustrated plant-family section, informative introductory sections, a listing of historical records, an extensive index of scientific and common names, and more than 2,200 full-color photographs.

Would make a fine reference for your library, but could also serve as a field guide, despite its heft.

Published by the University of Maine in association with the Garden Club of Mount Desert Island, the Friends of Acadia, and the Maine Natural History Observatory.
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Lace up your boots and sample the more than 120 miles of hiking trails through the approximately 40,000 acres of America's first national park.

Explore the world-famous rocky coast of Maine, trek through verdant forests, amble along the shores of secluded lakes, and see the views from the mountaintops of Mount Desert Island.

Whether you're a day-tripper or long-distance hiker, an old hand or an uninitiated novice, you'll find trails suited to every ability and interest. Each trip is fully detailed with a map, elevation chart, and route description.
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Journalist and Maine native Hilary Nangle knows the best ways to enjoy Acadia National Park, from biking through coastal forests and exploring iconic lighthouses to visiting quaint towns with great shopping and seafood.

Nangle offers unique strategies that help organize trips around central themes, such as "A Studio Tour: Artists and Artisans" and "Lobster, Lighthouses and L.L. Bean." Hike to ancient sea caves on Mount Desert Island, board a catamaran in Bar Harbor to observe whales and puffins, and enjoy fresh lobster at market price on the Schoodic Peninsula.
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Like Native American populations elsewhere, Maine Wabanaki Indians were forced to adapt to tremendous change after they were moved to reservations. In the days when the Bar Harbor area was known as Eden, they proved their resourcefulness by catering to the burgeoning tourist market.

This engaging, richly illustrated, and meticulously researched book chronicles the intersecting lives of Maine Wabanaki Indians and wealthy summer rusticators on Mount Desert Island during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. At a time when some of America's most noted wealthy citizens built sumptuous summer cottages in this vacationer's Eden, the Wabanakis interacted with them by selling Native crafts, practicing traditional medicine, offering guide services and producing Indian shows.
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Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park have been described as the climax of the coast of Maine. Millions are drawn every year to the stunning beauty of this rocky landscape of spruce-and-fir forest and granite islands. Some, like nature writer Christopher Camuto, never stop coming back.

In Time and Tide in Acadia, Camuto draws on years of walking Mount Desert’s summits and shorelines, canoeing its marshes, kayaking its tidal waters, and visiting its outer islands. To this task he brings an appetite for observing wildlife and landscape with considerable originality, a regard for history and indigenous perceptions of nature, a keen interest in exploring the psychological and philosophical appeal of nature, and a writer’s love of language.
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Halfway up the rugged coast of Maine lies Mount Desert Island, home to soaring mountains, rocky coastline, and Acadia National Park. It's the old-school playground of the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts, and the new-school playground of rock climbers and sea kayakers. It's also home to some of the best hiking, biking, and sailing in New England. From the best hikes to the best lobster, Acadia: The Complete Guide puts Acadia's top attractions at your fingertips.

• Complete Guide to Acadia National Park
• The Best of Bar Harbor and other Island Towns
• Maps and Trail Descriptions of over 20 of the Best Hikes
• Comprehensive Guide to the Rockefeller Carriage Roads
• Sea Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Whale Watching
• History, Geology, Wildlife
• Day Trips to Offshore Islands
• And much, much More!

This completely revised and updated edition will give you the inside scoop on where to go and what to do during a visit to this magnificent park. It’s a must for first-time visitors and veteran explorers alike. These hikes, bike trips, and paddling and sea kayak trips reveal cobblestone beaches, glacial ponds, granite peaks, and ocean-side cliffs. This three-in-one guide includes:

• 50 hiking, biking, and paddling trips for all ability levels
• Pull-out contour map of the entire National Park with trails, parking, shuttle stops, boat launches, and more
• At-a-glance trip highlights chart for easy planning
• Appendices including camping and lodging suggestions, local outfitters, and other resources
• Sidebars on natural and local history

Beyond describing the incredible hikes, the Acadia National Park Dayhiker’s Guide includes: Local destinations not to be missed in the surrounding area, such as whale watching or a trip to Bar Harbor for shopping and seafood Each trail described includes a map and lists the trailhead, one-way distance information, elevation gain and degree of difficulty Useful preparation material including what type of clothes to wear to adjust for weather temperature variation and what supplies will insure a safe and fulfilling hike This comprehensive guide will take the hiker through a variety of trails including the Schoodic Peninsula, Beech Cliff, Flying Mountain, Corners Nubble and many more. Acadia National Park Dayhiker’s Guide is an essential and easy to follow handbook for any hiker exploring the diversity and beauty of Acadia National Park.
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See a list of our other books about Acadia National Park.