A Short History of Acadia National Park

Acadia’s story is a little unusual for a U.S. national park: it began not with a single sweeping land set-aside, but with a patchwork of donated properties, determined local champions, and one big idea—protect this rare place where granite mountains rise straight out of the Atlantic.

Before it was a park

For thousands of years, this region has been part of the homelands of the Wabanaki peoples. Centuries later, European exploration reached this coast early; in 1604, French explorer Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts visited the area—his title would eventually become part of Acadia’s earliest federal designation.

The movement to protect Mount Desert Island

By the late 1800s and early 1900s, Mount Desert Island drew more visitors each year—and with that came development pressure. One of the most important figures in the park’s origin story is George Bucknam Dorr, often called the “father of Acadia National Park.” In 1901, Dorr and others helped form the Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations to preserve land for public use. By 1913, the Trustees had assembled thousands of acres that would become the core of today’s park.

From National Monument to National Park

Acadia’s official journey includes a few key milestones—and a couple name changes:

• 1916: Sieur de Monts National Monument is established.
• 1919: Congress redesignates it as Lafayette National Park, the first national park east of the Mississippi River.
• 1929: The park is renamed Acadia National Park.

Carriage roads, trails, and a designed landscape

Acadia isn’t just spectacular scenery—it’s also a carefully shaped visitor experience. A major reason is John D. Rockefeller Jr., who helped create the park’s famous network of motor-free carriage roads. Built to harmonize with the landscape, these routes (and their stone bridges) became one of Acadia’s signature ways to explore by bike, foot, or carriage.

The Fire of 1947

One of Acadia’s most dramatic chapters came in 1947, an exceptionally dry year in Maine. A massive wildfire burned across Mount Desert Island and affected surrounding communities, reshaping forests and opening views that had been hidden for decades. Recovery took time—and the landscape that returned helped define the Acadia many visitors recognize today.

Acadia today

What makes Acadia especially remarkable is how it came to be: it was built through civic will—local stewardship, philanthropy, and relentless advocacy. The result is a national treasure where mountains meet the sea, and where every sunrise, shoreline, and winding carriage road carries a bit of history.

Quick Timeline

• 1604: Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts visits the area.
• 1901: Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations formed.
• 1916: Sieur de Monts National Monument established.
• 1919: Redesignated as Lafayette National Park.
• 1929: Renamed Acadia National Park.
• 1947: The Fire of 1947 reshapes forests and communities.

Rob Decker is a photographer and graphic artist with a single passion for our National Parks! Rob is on a journey to explore and photograph each of our national parks and to create WPA-style posters to celebrate the amazing landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history that embody America’s Best Idea!

Click here to learn more about Rob & the National Park Poster Project!

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