Acadia CLOSED For Business (Mexico, Southwest Harbor: house, gated, campgrounds)

[birdinmigration]

Just in case anyone is wondering.

Which will likely NOT be good fr businesses in the area catering to the Leaf Peeper crowd

[CoastalMaineiac]

In the meanwhile, Maine's state parks remain open for business, and we have quite a slew of them. So if you are in need of an alternative destination, please do give consideration to some of Maine's beautiful state parks.

The foliage up at Baxter State Park should be about peak colors this time of year. Perfect for leaf peeping.

[slyfox2]

While the park is technically closed, its not really closed.

Its not illegal to be in the park. You just won't be able to get any help if you fall down and hurt yourself, and you can't take most of the loop roads. But there are lots of trails that are accessible from roads that are not closed, and lots of carriage trails that are accessible from roads that are not closed. You can even get into Jordan Pond House on the Jordan pond Road(don't know if the Pond house is open, but then its not run by the park).

So.... you just can't get up Cadillac by road.

We hike and ski and ride the carriage roads all winter, even though technically the park closes on October 15, when almost all the roads close. I think you can get on the Loop at Sieur du Mont and ride down the loop road to Otter Creek Road. We do it all winter even though the park is actually closed.

[Maineguy04654]

You can drive up Cadillac pretty easy. Even when the gates are closed.

[Newdaawn]

I saw that the road up Cadillac Mt will be gated off as well for this Gov. shutdown. Also the Ocean Drive will be baracaded off. Really seems rather stupid that they will be doing this - as it doesn't cost the Gov. anything to let someone drive on Ocean Drive. They are city officials are worried how this is going to affect those coming into town on the tenders from the cruise ships, expecting to board tour busses for a trip through the Nat'l Park. I suppose those busses will just have to take them over through Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor which IMO are just a pretty.

Slyfox - this time closed really means "closed"

[8635angelvalley]

Jordan Pond House is run by the Nat Park Service.

[slyfox2]

Originally Posted by Newdaawn

Slyfox - this time closed really means "closed"

All their rangers are gone, so there is nobody to keep anyone out of the park. Even if its closed, its not closed. I don't believe they have any way to enforce it.

[slyfox2]

Originally Posted by 8635angelvalley

Jordan Pond House is run by the Nat Park Service.

Jordan Pond House is run by the Acadia Corporation under contract to the Park Service. Although, the idiots in Washington just gave the contract to some high lobby group in New Mexico after Acadia Corp has run it for 80 years. ACADIA Corp is a local business, with several more other businesses in town. However Getting to the Pond House requires taking the Jordan Pond Road, through Seal Harbor, which is restricted to local traffic. Unlikely that its open.

[slyfox2]

Well... it looks as if the park really is closed.

However, its not stopped many many hikers who have parked in many places along major routes which are not part of the park and taken trails in. As far as I've heard there are no rangers on trails telling people to go home. One did tell a biker on the Loop road to turn around. But generally rangers don't go on the carriage roads,and they can't take their vehicles there, so you can probably still ride and hike the carriage roads. I'm pretty sure no one is going to be taken to jail for being in the park.

However, the easy way around all the road fixing traffic in Southwest Harbor is now lost due to the fact that the bypasses took us through the park.

According to the Jordan Pond House website, the Pond House is closed. People were given 48 hours to get out of the campgrounds run by the Park, with refunds given.

[Maineguy04654]