From the summit of Beech Mountain, you can see Echo Lake
Located along Maine’s picturesque coastline, Mount Desert Island is the home of Acadia National Park. There are many trails to explore in this 49,075-acre park. There are also summits providing beautiful landscape views. The tallest mountain along the Atlantic Coast of the United States is Cadillac Mountain.
The summit of Cadillac Mountain is the first place you can see the sunrise on the east coast of the United States (only true for part of the year). The summit of Beech Mountain is where this photo was taken. From the summit of Beech Mountain, you can see Echo Lake, Somes Sound, the Atlantic Ocean, and a scattering of green islands along the coastline. Beech Mountain is just a 839-foot peak. The benefit of Beech Mountain is that it provides the best views for the least amount of time (including a great view of Cadillac Mountain). Hikers can take the Beech Mountain Loop Trail which is only 1.2 miles in total length. Half of the hike is relatively flat; the other half is all uphill. I’ve done this hike a few times, and it never disappoints.
Occasionally, the National Park Service has the fire tower at the summit staffed. The original fire tower on Beech Mountain was built in 1941. It was made of wood. The summit weather conditions destroyed this wooden tower throughout the 1950’s. In 1962, a steel fire tower was built in its place. The three-story steel tower was flown in via helicopter.
This part of Maine is known for its landscapes, but it should also be known for its nightscapes. Far from light pollution, this area can provide great astrophotography. I took advantage of the new moon skies while camping Acadia in September of 2022. Typically, astrophotographers want to shoot in less than 20% moon. The lower the amount of moonlight the better. This allows the fainter light of distant stars to be picked up in the photograph.
This area, known today as Acadia, has had multiple names over the years. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the area “Sieur de Monts National Monument” in 1916. In 1919, the park was renamed “Lafayette National Park”. Finally, in 1929 the park was renamed to its modern name “Acadia National Park”.
The original fire tower on Beech Mountain was built in 1941.
Did you know?
- Over 2 million people visit Acadia National Park each year!
- Acadia has long been a place humans have gathered. Perhaps the first of these people were the Wabanaki people who inhabited the area ~10,000 years ago!
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