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(1) The coast of the State of Maine is one of the most irregular in
the world. A straight line running from the southern-most city in Maine, which is Kittery, to the northern-most coastal city,
Eastport, would measure about 225 miles. If you followed the coastline
between the same two cities, you would travel more than ten times as
far. This irregularity is the result of what is called a drowned coastline. The term
refers to the results of the glacial activity of the Ice Age. At that
time, the whole area that is now Maine was part of a mountain range
that towered above the sea. As the glacier descended, however, it
expended enormous force on those mountains and they sank into the ocean.
(2) As the mountains sank, ocean water charged
over the lowest parts of the remaining land, forming a series of twisting
inlets and lagoons, of contorted grottos and nooks. Once the glacier receded,
the highest parts of the former mountain range that were nearest the shore
remained as islands. Although the mountain ranges were never to return,
the land rose somewhat over the centuries. On one of the islands that
the glacier left behind, marine fossils have been found at 225 feet above
today's sea level, indicating that the island was once part of the shoreline.
(3) The 2500-mile-long rocky and jagged
coastline of Maine keeps watch over nearly two
thousand islands. Many of these islands are tiny and uninhabited, but
many are home to thriving communities. Mt. Desert Island is one of the
largest—sixteen miles long and nearly twelve miles wide—and one of the most
beautiful of Maine's coastal islands. Mt. Desert Island very nearly formed as two
distinct islands. It is split almost in half by Somes
Sound, a very deep and very narrow stretch of water seven miles long. On
the east side of the island, Cadillac Mountain rises fifteen hundred and
thirty-two feet, making it the highest mountain on the Atlantic seaboard.
(4) For years, Mt. Desert Island, particularly its major
settlement, Bar
Harbor,
afforded summer homes for the wealthy. Recently, Bar Harbor has made a name for itself as a
burgeoning arts community as well. But there is much more to Mt. Desert Island than a sophisticated and
wealthy playground. A majority of the island is unspoiled forestland,
which makes up the greatest part of Acadia National Park. Mt. Desert Island sits on the boundary line
between the temperate and sub-Arctic zones. The island, therefore,
supports the flora and fauna of both zones, as well as beach, inland, and
alpine plants. In addition to its geological treasures, Mt. Desert Island lies in a major bird-migration
lane; all kinds of migratory birds pass over the island.
(5) The establishment of Acadia National Park in 1916 means that this
diversity of nature will be preserved and that it will be available to all
people, not just the wealthy who once had exclusive access to the island's
natural beauty. Today, visitors to Acadia may receive nature instruction
from the park naturalists, in addition to enjoying the beauty of the island
by camping, hiking, cycling, or boating. Or, visitors may choose to
spend time at the archeological museum, learning about the Stone Age
inhabitants of the island. The best view on Mt. Desert Island, though, is from the top of Cadillac Mountain. From the summit, you can
gaze back toward the mainland or out over the Atlantic Ocean and contemplate the beauty
created by a retreating glacier.
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