Things to do / Travel Guide
With large areas of forested land and an almost 3,500-mile-long coast, the Maine Coast region offers visitors a fantastic opportunity to see and enjoy nature. A wide and varied habitat is provided for everything from moose to lobster, from chickadees to blue heron. There are even puffins to catch a glimpse of! For a visitor to see these species, the Maine Coast provides a lush landscape of natural growth and beauty. The state of Maine has done itself proud where tourist infrastructure is concerned, offering a safe and comfortable environment and easy access to most relevant sites. In terms of flora and fauna, however, there's one spot in the region that really stands out; one of the true gems of the U.S. National Park system - Acadia National Park.
Acadia National Park
This is one spectacular park, designated a National Park in 1913 by Teddy Roosevelt. For those looking for birds and other wildlife, look no further. Each September-November, thousands of hawks and falcons pass through Acadia. Visitors can see the golden eagle, broad-winged hawk, American kestrel, and sharp-shinned hawk. The best viewing points for watching the hawks are Cadillac and Beech Mountains. Early spring brings an assortment of ducks found in waters around the island. There are golden eyes, scoters, and oldsquaws. The largest of the sea ducks, common eiders, always float offshore from Sand Beach to Otter Cliffs. Loons displaying full winter plumage can be spotted at Otter Cove and Ship Harbor. The sweet sounds of the songbirds are pretty harbingers of the spring. There are also 21 species of wood warblers that make their nests in the park: black-throated green warblers, Nashville warblers, yellow warblers, and magnolia warblers coma calling, just to name a few. A real treat is to spy the peregrine falcon. These small, but hearty, birds of prey were once common in the northeast, but became almost extinct by the early 1960s because of DDT. A successful reintroduction program has brought the peregrine falcon back to Acadia's sky. Since 1991, a mating pair of peregrines has raised chicks on precipice cliffs of Champlain Mountain. The Precipice Trail parking area allows excellent viewing in the spring and summer (morning is best), but it is closed when the Peregrines are nesting so as not to disturb them.
As for flora, Acadia is a virtual encyclopedia of plant life, with sugar maples, beech, birch, aspen, white pine, white and red spruce, and many other trees providing the canopy of shade that fill out this glorious park. Also, there are many flowering species to see, such as the trailing arbutus, blooming as early as mid-April, which can be found with small clusters of pink and white five-petaled flowers. On the sun-facing cliff ledges, the stalked early saxifrage makes its home. In open areas, wild strawberries and delicate four-petaled blue flowers called bluets show themselves. White star flowers and purple violets make their way to the surface in cool, shaded areas. The shadebush tree displays one of the most beautiful spectacles of white flowers found in the park. If you want to make the most of your visit, be sure to stop in at the Park Ranger's office at the entrance to get specifics as to what's blooming in the park at that time.
As for the larger animals, you may catch a glimpse of white-tailed deer, moose, eastern coyote, red fox, snowshoe hare, and beaver. At water's edge, visitors are treated to playful harbor seals. However, the real treat is to spot whales such as finback, humpback, and the smaller minke. Whale watching season can vary, so check with the Park Ranger for best viewing times.
Nature Spots in Portland, Bangor, Acadia, Bar Harbor and the Maine Coast
Nature-Wildlife
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