Maine National Parks

As the first national park east of the Mississippi, Acadia National Park, on Mount Desert Island, is technically described as the only park in Maine to be on the Maine National Parks list.

However...

The United States National Park Service (NPS) maintains a few other locations in Maine that are of notable and historic recognition...

...the Maine Acadian Culture of the St. John Valley, the Roosevelt Campobello International Park, the Saint Croix Island International Historic Site, and...

..."The People's Path and America's First National Trail", the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, which traverses parts of, and terminates in, the state of Maine.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Encompassing nearly 47,000 acres of land, including conservation easements, is a Maine park, unmatched in beauty - the Acadia National Park. Most of the park...

...which borders the Downeast region of Maine, is located on Mount Desert Island, with smaller portions on nearby Schoodic Peninsula, an hour's drive east, and on the remote island of Isle au Haut, reachabable only by boat.

Acadia Park offers visitors...

...over 120 miles of hiking trails providing spectacular vistas, 4 campgrounds, 2 designated swimming beaches - one at Sand Beach on the Atlantic Ocean and the other at Echo Lake - the Wild Gardens of Acadia, at Sieur de Monts Spring, home to a wide variety of indigenous plants, and...

...the 27 mile Park Loop Road - beginning at Hulls Cove Visitor Center and winding past Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Otter Cliffs, Jordan Pond, and ending at the 1,528 foot summit of Cadillac Mountain.

Directions: Getting there... Take I-95 to Bangor, then take Route 1A east to Ellsworth. In Ellsworth take Route 3 to Mount Desert Island. Or, take I-95 to Augusta, then Route 3 east to Ellsworth, continuing on to Mount Desert Island.

Maine National Parks and Lands

Not officially classified as Maine national parks, several national historic sites and scenic Maine trails are maintained under the guidance of the U.S. National Park Service...

Saint John River Valley Acadian Culture...

Between the United States and Canada runs the St. Johns River, and along its shores, and in "back settlements", live the Maine Acadians. Shared beliefs and experiences that tie them to the river, the land, and their families, is the basis for Maine Acadian Culture.

Through the Maine Acadian Heritage Council - a group of museums, historical societies, cultural clubs, and towns - the National Park Service aids the people of the Saint John River Valley.

Directions: Saint John Valley is located 200 miles north of Bangor, Maine at the northern terminus of U.S. Route 1. From I-95 use the Sherman or Smyrna Mills exits for Route 11 to Fort Kent, or use the Houlton exit for U.S. Route 1 north.

Roosevelt Campobello International Park...

The natural beauty of Maine and New Brunswick, Canada was not lost on Franklin D. Roosevelt who made a summer home on Campobello Island, just off the United States and Canadian border, in New Brunswick's Bay of Fundy.

Maintained today by the National Park Service, the Edmund S. Muskie Visitor Center, the Roosevelt Cottage and the beautiful flowering gardens offer visitors a chance to share in the peacefulness of this unique setting.

Directions: From I-95 take Route 1A east to Ellsworth and then Route 1 to Whiting Village. Take Route 189 to Lubec and across the FDR Memorial Bridge to Campobello Island.

You may also be interested in:
Cadillac Mountain Maine, Detailed State of Maine Map, or from Amazon...

Acadia: The Complete Guide: Mt. Desert Island & Acadia National Park

Saint Croix Island International Historic Site

The site of an early attempt at French colonization by Pierre Du Gua de Monts, in 1604, Saint Croix Island - sometimes locally referred to as Dochet Island - is located in the middle of the Saint Croix River, separating the United States and Brunswick, Canada.

Visitation to the uninhabited island is discouraged by the National Park Service, and available only by private boat. However, tourists are welcome at the extensive Saint Croix Visitor Center, located on the United States mainland, and at an unmanned outdoor exhibit, operated by Parks Canada, on the opposing Canadian side.

Directions: Saint Croix Island is 8 miles south of Calais, Maine, on U.S. Route 1 and can be reached either by Route 9 from Bangor or from points north or south along U.S. Route 1.

Appalachian Trail Maine to Georgia (or, Georgia to Maine)

Approximately 2,168 miles in length, the Appalachian Trail is a National Scenic Trail, extending from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, in Maine's Baxter State Park.

Although the hiking trail, which traverses portions of 14 states, is not on the Maine National Parks list, as it makes its way through the state it is maintained by the National Park Service and protected by a public right-of-way.

Directions: A hike along the Appalachian Mountain Trail can begin at either end, or at points in between. When determining which direction to travel, hikers are mindful not only of the anticipated climate but of the mid-October closing of Baxter State Park, where the trail has its northerly end.

Both the National Park Foundation and U.S. National Park Service provide Maine National Parks information at: nationalparks.org and nps.gov. ;And, for information on Maine State Parks visit www.maine.gov/doc/parks.