Hiking Trails Management Plan ACADIA National Park • Maine U. S. Department of the Interior • National Park Service RECOMMENDED: Paul F.Haertel, February 7, 2002 Superintendent, Acadia National Park APPROVED: Marie Rust, February 14, 2002 Regional Director, Northeast Region Cover: Historical view of the stepping stones at the Tarn, Mount Desert Island, near four memorial paths; the Jesup Path, Kane Path, Kurt Diedrich’s Climb, and the Beachcroft Path (Acadia NP Archives). Printed on Recycled Paper HIKING TRAILS MANAGEMENT PLAN February 2002 ACADIA National Park • Maine U.S. Department of the Interior • National Park Service An implementing document of the 1992 Acadia National Park General Management Plan. iv SUMMARY The purposes of this Hiking Trails historical information is available about Management Plan are to determine MDI trails based on recent research. The which trails within Acadia National Park goals and general philosophy outlined in will be rehabilitated1 and maintained in the plan for managing trails and trail use the park's trail system, set general stan- will apply to managing trails on the dards for trail rehabilitation, and define Schoodic Peninsula, Isle au Haut and the basic management philosophy that other park islands. will guide park management of hiking trails and trail use. Trail use will be managed for natural and cultural resource preservation and to pro- This plan was developed based on vide a diversity of safe, high quality visitor several public workshops and following experiences. public review and comments on the Draft Hiking Trails Management Plan and A modestly expanded network of trails Environmental Assessment (NPS 2001a) that will be rehabilitated and maintained on was published in February 2001. Four Mount Desert Island. The future MDI alternatives for rehabilitating trails and trail system will include several trails or managing trail use were described in the trail sections that are currently aban- draft plan. doned, some of which have high cultur- al value. A few new trails or trail sec- This Hiking Trails Management Plan tions will be added, and a few trail sec- directs current and future National Park tions that are currently maintained will Service (NPS) managers to preserve the be abandoned. Each trail included in outstanding design and craftsmanship of the system will be rehabilitated, main- park trails while protecting park natural tained, and managed on a case by case resources. It also prescribes working basis with consideration given to pro- with neighboring towns, communities, tecting both natural and cultural state government, and other organiza- resource values. tions to perpetuate the original intents of the historic hiking trail system on Mount Trails on Isle au Haut and Schoodic will Desert Island. These original intentions be evaluated to determine their historic were to provide an opportunity for significance, rehabilitated to protect natu- recreation and to connect local villages ral and cultural resources, and managed with features of interest that are now to meet the goals prescribed in this plan. within Acadia National Park. Before rehabilitation, each trail will be This plan applies to hiking trails through- evaluated to determine if it is feasible out Acadia National Park. It focuses on and appropriate to rehabilitate it to meet managing trails administered by the NPS standards established under the on Mount Desert Island (MDI) because Americans with Disability Act (ADA). 1Unfamiliar terms used in this document are included in a glossary on page 32. v SUMMARY If so, the trail will be rehabilitated in In general, the following guidelines will such a way as to provide access to those be used to implement actions within this with disabilities. plan. Education and protection efforts relative • Actions will be divided among build- to trail rehabilitation and use will be ing new trails, rehabilitating and main- enhanced. This will include efforts to taining existing trails, and reopening increase compliance with dog leash regu- abandoned historic trails. Because exist- lations, to reduce hiker impacts through ing trails comprise most of the system, education, and to enhance understanding emphasis will be placed on rehabilitating, of the history and importance of the trail managing, and maintaining existing trails. system. In addition, the NPS will contin- ue to work to improve the accuracy of • Of existing trails, those with safety information related to park trails. concerns and those with the most severe natural and/or cultural resource The implementation of this plan is expect- impacts or threats will be given the ed to take 10 years or more. Implementing highest priority for management. the plan will require funding to support actions related to education, natural and • Accessibility will be considered cultural resource protection, administra- in all trail rehabilitation and construction. tion, and enforcement of park regulations, as well as trail rehabilitation and mainte- • Additional funding and partnerships nance. One-time costs, most of which are will be sought to support complete associated with trail rehabilitation, are esti- implementation of this plan. mated to exceed $12.2 million. In addi- tion, annual recurring costs are estimated at $520,000 per year (2002 dollars, not adjusted for inflation.) Acadia Trails Forever, a joint program of the NPS and Friends of Acadia (FOA), was a fundraising effort to support trail rehabilitation, management, and mainte- nance. Friends of Acadia raised $9 mil- lion, which will be matched by $4 mil- lion of federal funding. Half of the Acadia Trails Forever funding will be committed to trail rehabilitation; the remaining $6.5 million will establish endowments to fund trails maintenance and FOA sponsored Acadia Youth Conservation Corps and Ridgerunner programs. However, funding will be insufficient to implement this plan. Kane Path (Acadia NP Archives). vi CONTENTS Introduction 1 Park Setting 3 Park Mission, Purpose, and Significance 3 History of Hiking Trails at Acadia National Park 6 Historical Character of the Hiking Trail System 8 Recreational Significance of the Hiking Trail System 9 Current Use of the Hiking Trail System 10 Guiding Laws and Policies 10 Planning Direction 11 Management Goals 13 Management Actions 14 Actions Related to Protecting Natural and Cultural Resources 14 Actions Related to Providing High Quality Visitor Experiences 26 Actions Related to Public Education 28 Actions Related to Trail System Sustainability 29 Implementation Strategies 31 Glossary 32 References 34 Preparers 36 Appendix 1: Relevant Excerpts from the General Management Plan 38 Appendix 2: Trails Evaluation Process 39 Appendix 3: Activities Related To Rehabilitation, Maintenance, and Managing Use of Trails 51 Appendix 4: Estimated Costs of Implementing Plan 53 Figures Figure 1: Acadia National Park and Vicinity 5 Figure 2: Planned Trail System, East Side of Mount Desert Island, Acadia National Park 19 Figure 3: Planned Trail System, West Side of Mount Desert Island, Acadia National Park 20 Figure 4: Trail System, Isle au Haut, Acadia National Park 21 Figure 5: Trail System, Schoodic Peninsula, Acadia National Park 22 Tables Table 1: List of Changes to the Mount Desert Island Trail System 18 Table 2: Trails Evaluation Guideline 42 Table 3: Trail Evaluation Scores Grouped by Trail Status 44 Table 4: Trail Evaluation Scores for Trail Proposals from Draft Trails Plan Comments 50 vii Precipice Trail on Champlain Mountain, Mount Desert Island, Maine, circa 1920, with iron railings and cut granite steps (Acadia NP Archives). viii INTRODUCTION A management plan for Acadia National ments were considered carefully in the Park's hiking trails has long been need- formulation of this final Hiking Trails ed to protect natural resources adjacent Management Plan. to hiking trails, preserve and protect cul- tural resources associated with the trail The plan applies to hiking trails system, and assure high quality visitor throughout Acadia National Park. It experiences under increasing levels of focuses on managing trails administered visitor use. by the NPS on Mount Desert Island (MDI) because information is available This Hiking Trails Management Plan (here- about MDI trails based on recent histori- after referred to as the plan) is the result cal research. This research is document- of a planning process initiated in 1999. ed in a draft report entitled Historic This plan describes how the NPS will Hiking Trails System of Mount Desert Island. rehabilitate,2 maintain, and manage hiking Cultural Landscape Report for Acadia National trails throughout Acadia National Park. Park, Maine. Volume 1: History, Existing Conditions, and Preliminary Analysis (NPS in In February 2001, following five public prep. a). The goals and general philos- workshops as well as meetings with ophy outlined in the plan for managing advisors and NPS staff, the Draft Hiking trails and trail use apply to managing Trails Management Plan and Environmental trails on the Schoodic Peninsula, Isle au Assessment (Draft Plan/EA) (NPS 2001a) Haut, and other park islands. was released by the NPS for public review and comment. The Draft The plan also addresses trails on private Plan/EA provided four alternatives for MDI lands that were originally construct- rehabilitating and managing trails ed to connect local communities with the throughout the park, and addressed a park. It will be essential for the NPS to number of issues that had been identi- work cooperatively with landowners, fied