FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS When is the best time to see Thunder Hole? At mid-tide rising (about 3 hours before high tide), though crashing waves are best seen during stormy weather. During much of the summer, Thunder Hole gurgles rather than thunders. How do you pronounce the name of the Island - Mt. Desert or "Mt. Dessert?" Most local residents pronounce it "Mt. Dessert" though certainly it is spelled Mt. Desert. The name for the Island was given in 1604 by Champlain - Isle des Monts-deserts - and referred to the barren, rocky summits. Perhaps the French pronounciation has survived despite the English translation after the Island came under English influence. Either pronounciation is accepted. How many visitors come here annually and where does it rank in visitation in the Parks? For the past several years we have had about 4 million visitors ranking us #2 in visitation for all National Parks (does not include National Recreation areas, etc.) behind only Great Smoky Mountains. The large visitation in the parks in the East is generally attributed to their close proximity to the large population centers. Is this where the story of "Evangeline" took place? No, it took place in Nova Scotia. The poem "Evangeline" is born out of the strife between England and France as they fought for control of North America. The tension of war prompted the English in 1755 to expell simple French farmers and their families when they refused to sign an oath of loyalty. Since historic Acadia included Maine and the Maritime Provinces these French farmers were referred to as Acadians. Many of the Acadians were sent to English colonies or escaped to Louisiana. In Louisiana, their descendants are known as "cajuns." Where does the name "Acadia" come from? According to Samuel Eliot Morison, the historian, the name Acadia was first coined by Giovanni da Verrazano, an Italian navigator. After reaching North Carolina in 1524, he recorded that the sylvan beauty of the new land reminded him of discriptions of ancient Greece. Verrazano probably never sailed this far north but by 1600, European cartographers, ignorant of North American geography, showed "Arcadia" centered in what is now Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Early French colonists referred to this area as Lacadia, L'Acadie or LaCadie. Why does Acadia National Park have no entrance fee like so many of the National Parks? Congress has prohibited by law the establishment of new entrance fees or the raising of existing fees. Besides, it would be too hard to administer, given the checker- board nature of park and private boundaries. Many parks have a continuous boundary either you are in the Park or you're not. Here, you are in and out of the Park as you travel across the Island. Currently, entrance fees (and campground fees) collected in the National Parks are diverted to a general fund (the Landland Water Conservation Act Fund) used to purchase new lands. These may or may not return to the parks. Our current director hopes to increase park funding by increasing entrance fees if these fees can be earmarked for NPS purposes. But first he'11 have to convince Congress to change the law. How much land has the Rockefeller family donated? Do they still live on the Island? The Rockefellers have donated approximately 11,000 acres to the Park. (Almost one third of the total acreage in the Park.) Various members of the Rockefeller family are still summer residents and they still retain a couple thousand acres here. Where can we see puffins? There are no breeding colonies of puffins close to Mount Desert Island. Two islands on the coast of Maine have established breeding colonies which can be seen by taking a boat trip out. One is Machias Seal Island, offshore from Cutler, about 90 miles farther up the coast. The other, off the coast from the city of Rockland, is called Matinicus Rock. Puffinwatching trips run early in the visitor season (mid-June to mid-July) while the birds are still on the nest. See information book for more specific information on these trips. Puffins are also being introduced on Eastern Egg Rock (not the Egg Rock in Frenchman Bay) debre a project being sponsored by National Audobon Society. Can you see whales here? Very rarely whales are seen from the shores of the Island or from local sight- seeing cruises. The only dependable way to see whales here is to take the whalewatching boat cruise that operates from Northeast Harbor. They go out daily in the summer. The cruise is a day long trip focusing on whales and pelagic birds, and costs $25.00 per day. Whales in our area include minke & finback most commonly. Some humpbacks, and rarely right whales. See whale- watch brochure for more information. Are bald eagles year round residents of the Island? Yes, eagles may be seen any time of year. On the other hand, osprey are migratory. Did someone plant the lupine? Lupines seen on the Island are a cultivated lupine that has "escaped" from formal gardens. They are frequently found on old homestead sites and surrounding open meadows or roadsides. Most of the stands of lupine on the island were not planted but spread naturally. Are there any moose on the Island? Very rarely a moose will wander onto the Island, but they usually don't stay long. They are almost never seen by park visitors, or the staff for that matter! There was a report of a moose seen near Somesville during the summer of 1985. Are there any bear on the Island? There are a very small number of black bear on the Island. They are rarely seen, though tracks are found occasionally. Park visitors almost never encounter one. The creatures that sound like bear invading trash cans in camp- grounds are actually raccoons. no matter what visitors tell you! What is a great pond? In Maine, great ponds refer to any body of water over 10 acres in size. They are considered to be public property and are administered by the state. Some of the great ponds on the Island are Jordan Pond, Eagle Lake, Long Pond, Echo Lake, Seal Cove Pond. Great ponds were established when Maine was still part of Mass. in the late 1700's - an early conservation law designed to protect water rights for all nearby residents. Can the public walk on the carriage roads still on Rockefeller land? The Rockefellers allow the public to use the carriage roads, but ask that people stay on the roads and don't wander across their land. We do not advertise their carriage roads as places to go but you can tell folks the policy if they ask. VISITOR CENTER OPERATIONS Why do I pay tax on books bought from the Park? The sales area is operated by Eastern National Park and Monument Association -- not the Park Service. ENPMA is a non-profit, educational corporation and is required by law to collect and pay sales tax. Why do you require $20.00 deposit on a tape when it can be purchased for $8.95 + tax? We require a $20.00 deposit for those who rent a tape and cassette player. By maintaining the same deposit for tape rentals only, we simplify our accounting procedures and reduce the chance of error. Why must I take a bag with my purchase? By bagging, we maintain control over sales. I'm afraid that our sales area is not immune to pilfering. Several years ago, before it was our policy to bag all sales, shoplifting was a bigger problem than it is today. How long does the ferry to Nova Scotia take? About six hours. What are the mountains seen from the Visitor Center looking across the bay? The Gouldsboro Hills. Schoodic Mountain is the most "obvious" mountain in the range. What are the Ovens? The Ovens is the name given to a rocky headland undercut by wave action, located between Hulls Cove and Salisbury Cove. It is on private property. Where are the bathrooms on the Park Loop Road? Visitor Center Fabbri Memorial Picnic Area Cadillac Mountain Jordan Pond House Bear Brook Picnic Area Sand Beach Sieur de Monts Spring All bathrooms in the Park are listed on the Park map in the upper left corner, next to the key. Why is the Visitor Center "way up here?" The Visitor Center was built on :top of the hill to take advantage of the view across Frenchman Bay. It was built in 1969, before there was a general awareness of making public buildings accessible to all members of the population. We apologize for the inconvenience it may have caused. Where is the closest place to buy film? The Hulls Cove General Store, 1/3 mile north on Route 3, towards Ellsworth. Film may also be purchased at the gift shops on Cadillac Mountain and at Thunder Hole and at any of the local towns. Where did the pictures on display come from? Are they available for purchase? Many of the photos were taken by local professional photographers. The pen & ink sketches were done by a member of the NPS eshibit team from Harpers Ferry, W.Va. None are available for purchase. Framing prints are available in our sales area, and there are several stores in Bar Harbor that feature similar photos. Were is the closest place to get gasoline? Diesel? Hulls Cove General Store, or in Bar Harbor (most gas stations are on Cottage St.). Diesel is available from Fernald's in Somesville.