Tips on Visiting Acadia on Memorial Day Weekend
Dog Park Response, Transfer Station Hours, Rotary Raises $5k for Hospital, Which Directions Event Set for Friday
Here’s a quick roundup of stories that I’ve collated this week. Apologies for putting them all together. Some of them are updates and some are information and one is a celebration of a group of people working together to raise money.
Visiting Acadia Throughout Memorial Day Weekend
Tips and tricks to navigating the park amidst crowds, traffic congestion, and limited parking
BAR HARBOR—Acadia National Park is excited to welcome visitors throughout Memorial Day weekend, and the National Park Service has plenty of tools available to help visitors navigate the park amidst crowds, traffic congestion, and limited parking. Consider downloading the NPS App to help guide your visit and select “Save this park for offline use” since connectivity in the park is not reliable.
Rangers encourage visitors to arrive with a plan and a back-up plan. Go to nps.gov/Acadia to learn about places to go and things to do in the park before you arrive. Have a back-up plan in case parking is unavailable. Park responsibly and only in designated parking spaces—parking illegally is unsafe and adds to the traffic congestion. Consider leaving your car at your place of lodging for the day and use village connector trails or the carriage roads to reach your destination. Island Explorer bus service begins on May 24 only on the Schoodic Penninsula. Bus service on Mount Desert Island begins June 23.
Visitors over the age of 15 are required to have a park entrance pass, which can be purchased online at Recreation.gov or at locations in and around the park. Vehicles must display a park entrance pass through the windshield. Your fees help enhance the visitor experience and protect resources at Acadia National Park.
Vehicle reservations are required for Cadillac Summit Road from May 24 through October 22, which must be purchased online at Recreation.gov before arriving. Print or download the ticket with the QR code for validation. Reservations are not available to purchase in person. Vehicle reservations are not required for other locations in the park or for visitors who enter the area by foot, bicycle, or taxi.
Campsite reservations must be made on Recreation.gov, but most of the park’s campsites are already reserved for the Memorial Day weekend. There are no same day reservations, and no campsites are available for request upon arrival. Backcountry camping, campfires and overnight parking are prohibited outside of designated campgrounds. Hikers should know the difficulty of the park’s trails and select those that match their abilities. Many of Acadia’s hikes are more challenging than they seem. Carry a detailed trail map with topography and don't rely on cell connectivity for trail navigation. Seventy percent of injuries to hikers in Acadia are due to slips, trips and falls. Wear sturdy footwear and beware of loose gravel, slippery rock, steep climbs and uneven surfaces.
TOWN UPDATES
Transfer Station/Recycling Center - Memorial Day Limited Hours of Operation on May 29, 2023
The Transfer Station / Recycling Center will have limited hours of operation when Memorial Day is observed on Monday, May 29: 8:00 AM to 11:45 AM.
Bridge Street Intermittent CLOSURE on Wednesday-Thursday, May 24-25, 2023
Contract paving will be done on Bridge Street, between Cottage Street and West Street, on Wednesday and Thursday, May 24-25. The street will be CLOSED for a few hours each day to accommodate stages of the work. Please avoid this area during the process.
Main Street section with intermittent one-way traffic on Wednesday-Thursday, May 24-25, 2023
Contract paving for the MDI Hospital construction project at 294 Main Street will be conducted on Wednesday-Thursday, May 24-25. One-way alternating traffic control will be guided by flaggers. Travelers are advised to avoid the area during the process.
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE EVENT ON THE VILLAGE GREEN!
Which Directions is a community resilience envisioning event that will take place at the Bar Harbor Village Green on Friday, May 26th from 4-7 PM. It is open to the public.
The event will include a panel with youth climate activists and members of local and statewide nonprofits who work in fields directly affected by/in response to the climate crisis.
Among others, topics will include defining climate justice, experiences of climate education, asking how the climate movement can be more accessible and inclusive, and imagining a world beyond the one we know today.
The event will have group discussions, opportunities for art, dance, live music, and more!
The panelists and organizers are from the following organizations:
Zócalo Permaculture Center in Gouldsboro, Maine
ADVENTURE GOLFING FOR THE HOSPITAL
About 100 golfers headed to Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf on Saturday. That’s not unusual for the popular Bar Harbor spot. However, these golfers were a little different. All of them were there as part of the Bar Harbor MDI Rotary Club’s event to benefit MDI Hospital.
The event has been going on for about twenty years, according to Rotarian Ron Wrobel.
“The original event was to raise funds to help Rotary member Bob Noonan who was fighting esophageal cancer,” Wrobel said. “Ever since we typically earmark the funds raised for cancer causes. This year all funds raised are being donated to the MDI Hospital oncology department.
Along with the golfers, there were about 36 business sponsors. The event raised approximately $5,000 for the hospital. Wrobel thanked Pirates Cove, which has donated the site for the event year after year. He also thanked Scott Hammond and Steven Boucher for their hard work on the event.
Rotary is also a big reason there is an annual seafood festival on the town athletic fields on July Fourth. It takes a lot of volunteers to make the event happen and Wrobel and the club are looking for volunteers. Those interested can call Ron Wrobel @ 207-841-5162 or email him at ron@costonandmcisaac.com
DOG PARK STATEMENT FROM ITS ORGANIZERS
The potential dog park on the town’s athletic fields has gathered a lot of supporters and detractors lately. On May 10, we posted a story about the Parks and Recreation meeting where it was discussed. Neighbors and others were against the park’s proposed location. Others spoke out in support. That story has images and details and a letter from the Hanscom family who have property abutting the area. The proposal has also been generating a lot of discussion in the Friends of the Bar Harbor Dog Park Facebook group and other local groups that are worried that Facebook comments are being removed from the discussion.
People against the project have expressed concern about maintenance needs that would fall on the town’s public works department, insurance, noise, the site’s proximity to housing and local lodging businesses, and the brook. Proponents are in favor of a place in-town where dogs can socialize off leash and say that it also builds community among humans. More about those statements are in our previous story.
Friends of the Bar Harbor Dog Park (the organizers of the potential park: Enoch Albert, Liz Cutler, Sharon Knopp, and Jeff Miller) have a statement that I’ve pasted in below.
Emails supporting or indicating a lack of support can be addressed to the following members of the Parks and Recreation Committee, the town’s public works director and the town council (all of these emails are public and on the website and meant for public comments and concerns about this and other town business):
John Kelly: jkelly0709@gmail.com
Jeff Dobbs: jdobbs@jeffdobbs.com
Greg Veilleux: vfamilymdi@gmail.com
Desiree Sirois: desiree.sirois@mdirss.org
Bob Huff: operations@mdiymca.org
Bethany Leavitt: pwdirector@barharbormaine.gov
Town Council: council@barharbormaine.gov
The friends of the Bar Harbor Dog Park request that if supporters email, that they be cc’d at barharbordogpark@gmail.com
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
Want more tips on visiting Acadia National Park? Check out the Top 5 things to know before visiting Acadia.
Did you know that there are four National Parks in Maine? If you’re looking for a new place to explore this holiday weekend, consider checking out Saint Croix International Historic Site, Kahtahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, or Roosevelt Campobello International Park.
For more information on Acadia National Park, please visit nps.gov/acad or call 207-288-3338.
Join online conversations on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram.
The next Parks and Recreation meeting (where dog park discussion could occur) is currently scheduled for June 5. Those meetings typically start at 4:30, which is the same time as the Conners Emerson School board meetings.