QUICK LINKS FOR OLD MAPS OF ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK'S MOST DANGEROUS CAVE

OLD MAPS OF ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

MAPS I CREATED IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

BEACHES  IN  &  AROUND  ACADIA  NATIONAL  PARK

THE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE

SIEUR DE MONTS SPRING - A WONDER OF NATURE OR MAN MADE

TRAGEDY  AT  THE  BAR  HARBOR  TOWN  PIER

PHOTO'S OF MOUNT DESERT ISLAND

FIRST E-BOOK OF ABANDONED TRAILS OF ACADIA

THE HOMANS TRAIL

THE MISSING GATE HOUSE

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK IN 1932

 MOUNTAIN RAILROAD PATH

EATH ON NEWPORT MOUNTAIN

THE STORY OF THE GREAT CAVE

THE BEAR DEN

COMPASS HARBOR AND OLD FARM

ANEMONE SEA CAVE AT SCHOONER HEAD

THE STONE ARCHES OF EAGLE LAKE

REAL HAUNTED PLACES IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

EARLY HISTORY OF MOUNT DESERT ISLAND

SIEUR DE MONTS SPRING - A WONDER OF NATURE OR MAN MADE

BAR HARBOR TIMES

JULY 21, 1960




To the Editor;

Visitors at Sieur de Monts Spring may at times wonder about the early history. One standing on the large flat rock in the brook and watching the water bubble and gorgie from beneath it may think he is beholding a natural event, when in fact, he is looking at the result of human planning and effort.

In the summer of 1907 John Prescott, owner of the property developed the spring at the upper end of the Harding Farm, so called, which was originally known as Red Rock Spring, and later, Mt. Kebo Spring, undertook to do the same thing with what is now the Sieur de Monts Spring.

I learned this quite by accident. One day in the summer above mentioned I was walking with a friend of my parents through the woods in that section. As a boy I had fished in the brook that flowed out of the meadow - now known as the tarn - and I knew that area very well.

Near the brook at that time was a small boiling spring with a much larger one several yards away.

As we came into the path off the Seal Harbor Road we heard from the valley below us the sound of horses and a stone drag. Coming into the clearing at the foot of the hill we found Mr Prescott with a team of horses dragging a large flat rock towards the smaller spring, and learned that he was planning another bottling plant similar to the one at Red Rock (Mt. Kebo). He told us he was setting that flat rock over the smaller spring in the attempt to force the water back into the larger one which he planned to deepen and enlarge.

The bottling plant, as such, did not prove to be the success had hoped, and in course of time the property passed to other hands and now has been developed into the beauty spot we have today. But that rock is the same one we saw put in place over 50 years ago.

What we see today is not a freak of nature but a deliberate attempt to improve on what nature has provided.

I can vouch for this as I am the only living person who was present when that stone was set in its present position.

Sincerely,

Rev. Charles S. Mitchell, DD

SIEUR DE MONTS SPRING HOUSE
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

WHO WAS THE REV CHARLES S. MITCHELL




A piece I found in an article in the Bar Harbor Times dated August 2, 1922 states in part;

"Mr. Charles S. Mitchell served Long Island till cold weather, than he moved his family to Bar Harbor and spent the winter assisting in special services at Cranberry Isles, Matinitus, and other places. It seemed best to locate Mr. Mitchell at Corea where he can be of help in the town of Gouldboro, as there is not a minister in the town."

In the December 6, 1922 Bar Harbor Times, upon the passing of Rev. A.P. MacDonald, who had been the head of the Sea Coast Mission. A piece in that same paper was written by the Rev. Charles S. Mitchell, whose title states the following;

"Rev. A.P. MacDonald; A word of appreciation by Rev. Charles S. Mitchell, who was for some time associated with Mr. MacDonald as Assistant Missionary."

In a copy of the Bar Harbor Times dated July 26, 1922 an article begins with the following;

"BAR HARBOR MAN IS ORDAINED AT COREA

Charles S. Mitchell after service in Sea Coast Mission is now Baptist Minister.

A council of churches of Hancock County, was called by the church at Corea Wednesday, July 19th, to set apart by ordination to the Baptist ministry, Charles S. Mitchell who has been serving this church for the past two months, after nearly two years in the Sea Coast Mission work."

An article from the Bar Harbor Times in 1915 states that "Charles S. Mitchell expects to enter Gordon Theological School in Boston the middle of next month."

CAR PLUNGES OFF BAR HARBOR PIER

I have this accident posted on my website, STORIES FROM THE PAST, and though it doesn't deal with a trail or with Acadia National Park, I thought it would post it on here, because I am not sure how many people are aware that at different times, two cars have accidently gone off the end of the Bar Harbor Town Pier over the years, resulting in the drowning death of four people.  In the last accident, in April of 1947, a car with five people ended up going off the pier, two escaped, one being a young school teacher from Emerson Grammar School, but sadly three others in the car that day did lose their lives.

CAR PLUNGES OFF BAR HARBOR PIER
Bar Harbor Times
April 10,  1947

Three Young People Drown When Car Slews On Municipal Pier And Goes Into 25 Feet Of Water
George W. Dolliver Jr., Carroll E. Frost Jr., of Bar Harbor and Elinor Talbot of West Haven, Conn., lose lives in accident.
Three lives were lost by drowning when a car allegedly operated by Elliot Sawyer of Bar Harbor slewed on the municipal pier Wednesday evening just after 11 o'clock and went over into about 25 feet of water.  Those dead are;  Carroll E. Frost Jr., age 23;  George W. Dolliver Jr., age 23, both of Bar Harbor, and Elinor Talbot, anout 22 years of age, of West Haven, Conn..  Sawyer and the fifth occupant, Miss Barbara Curry, a teacher at Emerson Grammar School, were able to swim to0 the pier and climb the ladder to safety.
According to Sawyer, he didn't realize the pier was a glaze of ice until the felt the car slew and when he realized it, was going over the edge.  He opened the door and as it sank, he and Miss Curry, who with Dolliver were riding in the front seat, were able to extricate themselves, but due to the depth of the water were unable to reach the others.  The bodies  of Miss Talbot, and Frost were found in the back seat where they had been riding while that of Dolliver was located near the ouitside of the car clutching a fender guide.  The bodies were recovered at 8;15 a.m. by a diver and were taken in the Sherman Funeral Parlor.
This was the second accident with the loss of life to happen on the head of the pier in recent years, the other being a visitor who drove off of the head of the pier a few years ago and the car was not recovered until the next morning.

Having read of these deaths, it got me thinking about the Sand Bar connecting Bar Harbor to Bar Island, how many times have I seen people wading across in deep water or attempting to drive across while sections of the bar were under water.  I did some research and was only able to find one recorded death along the Sand Bar;

Bar Harbor Times
June 19, 1915

Sad Accident Of Bar Harbor Boy On Bar Sunday

Francis Hamor, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ansel A. Hamor of Bar Harbor, was drowned on Sunday afternoon on the bar leading to Bar Island, as he and another small boy - George Landers, where making their way to their camp on the island.  He was 7 tears, 6 months and 24 days of age.  The boy's mother is suffering severly from the shock.
Many conflicting stories are told as to how the accident happened but it appears from information secured by Chief of Police Gerry, who was called to the scene, that the happenings were as follows;  The tide had not wholly left the bar as the boys started to cross and the Hamor boy began to wade across the strip next to Bar Island which had not been left bare.  The Landers boy refused to go and returned to the Bar Harbor side.  He threw rocks into the water and killed some time until the tide went out.  Then it was that he joined some other boys on the other side and asked them if they had seen the Hamor boy.  They said they had not.
Then the search began.  Some of the boys went to the camp but failed to find him.  Cecil Hodgkins, a young man who happened to be some distance away on the beach, inquired of the boys if the one who had started across had arrived safely and sent the Landers boy to get the Hamor boy's father - Bert Hamor, as he is generally known, at his home on Strawberry Hill.  Mr. Hamor rushed to the scene.  A man in a row boat soon put in an appearance and when his services were asked, rowed around Bar Island to get on the other side of the bar and began searching up and down the length of the bar.  The body was found in about three feet of water and brought ashore.  Mr. Hamor than went and notified Mr. Gerry who at once sent for doctors.  In the meantime Dr. Fremont Smith's son began to administer first aid.  Doctor's who arrived found a flutter of the heart and at once rushed the boy to the hospital.  Everything that could be done was done but without avail as the boy had been in the water for about two hours.
Scratches were found about the face but according to those who examined the body there appeared to be no badbruises which would indicate that the boy had been stunned by striking his head in a fall.  It is rather the opinion that he walked into a deep hole and was unable to get back within his depth and that the scratches were those received from sharp shells as the tide rolled him over the beach.  The fact that it was about two hours from the time the boy must have fallen into the water until he was taken out  is thought to bear out the theory that he had fallen into a deep hole, the lapse of time accounting for the receding of the tide to the depth of about three feet.  The fact that no one saw the accident and that no one knew that the boy was in the water seems to be accountable for the tragedy.  The police feel that they should always be notified immediately in all such cases.  Funeral services were held at the home on the May Drive, Strawberry Hill on Tuesday afternoon, Rev. Dr. F.A. Leitch officiating, and internment was at Ledgelawn Cemetery.


Bar Island has its own rich history, the Bar Harbor Conoe Clulb once had their club house located over there, and for a number of years Mr. Pineo ran a fairly large dog kennel there.  There is a story in an old newspaper where a bear was seen on the island, and a group of men from Bar Harbor went over to investigate.  They located the bear and chased it into the water, then circled it with boats and killed it.

BEACHES IN & AROUND ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

SAND  BEACH;
Just under 300 years long, Sand Beach in Acadia National Park is by far one of the most popular beaches on Mount Desert Island, not to mention it is breathtakingly gorgeous.  Sand Beach is ocean water, which means it will not be warm like one would expect to find at a lake or pond, and the water is salty. 

Pros;
a large sand beach with lots of sun
Thunder Hole is not far away
Changing rooms
Flush toilets
Island explorer Free Buses service beach
Several nearby hiking trail heads, including Beehive, the bowl, Champlain South Ridge trail, Great Head,  and the Gorham Mountain Trail.

Cons;
Beach can get  over crowded
parking lots often full
Many will find the water cold

To access Sand Beach, drive along the One Way section of the Park Loop Road, just beyond the Fee Station on the left are the parking areas for the beach.
If your taking the free Island Explorer to the beach, you want to board the Sand Beach bus at the village green along Main Street in Bar Harbor.  A park pass is required, but since they can't hold up the buses to check everyone for a pass, it is on an honorary system - so at no time will you be asked to present a park pass.

Phone number to Park Headquarters;
207-288-3338



ECHO  LAKE  BEACH
Echo Lake Beach in Acadia National Park is smaller in size compared to Sand Beach, but has a few things going for it that Sand Beach doesn't have, like fresh water swimming in a warm body of water.  But like Sand Beach, this is a very popular swimming area with both locals and tourists and parking spaces can quickly fill.  To assure you get both a parking space as well as a prime spot on the fine sand beach, arrive early.  Children love this beach because they can wade out a ways  and the water doesn't get much deeper.  Nearby Beech Mountain towers over the lake and there is a fire tower on the mountain you can climb up.

Pros;
warm body of water
Restrooms
Changing rooms
fresh water swimming
serviced by free Island Explorer Buses

cons;
Parking spaces can fill quickly
smaller size beach can become crowded

To reach Echo Lake Beach in Acadia National Park, drive through Somesville headed towards Southwest Harbor along route 102.  The lake will come up on your right, just after passing the lake, look for signs directing you to Echo Lake Beach on the right.
To take the free Island Explorer buses, from the Bar harbor Village Green along Main Street in Bar Harbor, hop on the Southwest Harbor bus.

Phone number to Park Headquarters;
207-288-3338




LAKE  WOOD  POND  BEACH

On a nice warm summer day Lake Wood Pond Beach in Acadia National Park can be breathtaking with Young's Mountain rising up in the rear of the pond.  If you have never heard of Lake Wood Pond Beach it is for good reason - the National Park Service does not promote the pond at all nor does it make any upgrades to the area.  A number of blogs have labeled the water at Lake Wood Pond as the warmest body of water on the entire island to swim in, with the pond being sheltered on all four sides by forest. 
To reach the diving ledge, park at the first parking area you come to and follow a trail behind a sign, No Alcohol Allowed" sign which will lead well along the pond, when the path ends at the water, the diving ledge is along a well worn path to the right.
To reach the sand beach, park in the second parking lot you come to, past the metal gate follow the path to the beach. 
Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of Lake Wood Pond Beach is that the park does not promote it, so there are no crowds, and on average you will find between 20 to 40 people there with only half that number being at the beach itself.

Pros;
said to be warmest swimming hole on the island
location not well known
no crowds
has a nice diving area
fresh water swimming

Cons;
not serviced by free Island Explorer Buses
not well marked
day use area, must leave before dusk
some nude swimming takes place on far end of pond

There are several paths around the sides of the pond and locals seem to have their favorite spots they go to.  Most popular area of the pond is the diving area.  To reach Lake Wood Pond Beach, from Route 3 in Hull's Cove, turn onto the Crooked Road and drive about .7 miles to the blue street sign on the left that reads "Lake Wood Pond Road Pvt. - totally ignore the private part, the pond is park of Acadia National park and open to anyone with a park pass.  A narrow dirt road leads a short ways up through the woods to the two parking areas.

Phone number to Park Headquarters;
207-288-3338





HADLEY  POINT  BEACH
To locate Hadley Point Beach, from route 3 turn onto Bay View Drive and look for the Hadley Point Road and follow it to the beach.  The town of Bar Harbor owns the property and there is private property not far from the beach.  This is not a sand beach and many go there to escape the summer heat and have picnics and fish.  Just a reminder, in Maine it is illegal to do any salt water fishing without purchasing a salt water fishing license, for Mainers the cost is $1, not sure if the fee is higher for non-Mainers.  Some online sites claim you can tent at the breach or sleep in your car for free - that is false information as Bar Harbor Police regularly make the beach a part of their patrol during the summer months.  Hadley Point Campground is not too far away and the campground is serviced by the free Island Explorer Buses.  To reach the campground by bus, at the Bar Harbor Village Green along Main Street Bar Harbor, get on the Campground Bus.

Pros;
free beach - no park pass required
picnic tables & grills
good fishing location
usually a nice cool ocean breeze

Cons;
not serviced by free Island Explorer Buses
off the Main Road
not a sand beach
cold ocean water




SEAL  HARBOR  BEACH
Seal Harbor Beach is located in the village of Seal Harbor along route 3.  This beach features fine sand with ocean water for swimming.  On nice hot summer days the parking area can become full as this is a sought out beach with locals.  It is common for kids to find star fish there and to the far right hand corner of the beach in the water it is common to locate sand dollars.  What many tourists don't know is that if you stand and look outward towards the ocean, the top of the hill on your left is where Martha Stewards summer home, Skyland,  is located. On her Maine visits she is said to enjoy going into Seal Harbor to her favorite bakery there.

Pros;
might spot Martha Steward
very nice fine sand beach
cool ocean breeze on hot days
serviced by the free Island Explorer Buses
town beach - no park pass required
path leads to shops in town

Cons;
might spot Martha Steward
salt water swimming (cold)
limited parking area

To locate Seal Harbor Beach follow route 3 from Main Street Bar Harbor in direct of Otter Creek.  Route 3 passes through Main Street Seal Harbor before rounding the corner and not much further on the right is the parking area for Seal Harbor Beach, with the fine sand beach directly across the roadway. From inside Acadia National Park you can reach the beach  by way of taking the Stanley Brook Road not far from Jordon Pond. 
To reach Seal Harbor Beach by the free Island Explorer Buses, from the Bar Harbor Village green along Main Street, hop onto the Northeast Harbor bus, Seal Harbor Beach is a regular bus stop.





WONDERLAND BEACH
Wonderland beach is located along route 102A in Seawall, Maine, just down the road from the Seawall Campground in Acadia National Park.  The small parking area is marked by a large sign - WONDERLAND, and the beach is located at the far end of a old fire road.  It is a fairly easy walk but in a couple places, if pushing a stroller, you will need to carry the stroller across a couple rough areas.  To the far right of the beach is a tiny cove where lobster traps and buoys often wash ashore.  I have never seen anyone swim here but people do lay on towels or blankets in the sun.  The beach itself is made up of crushed shells and sand, and if you run the hands through your finfers you can often find pieces of smooth sea glass.  The main path continues past the beach to where nice pieces of smooth drift wood often washes up on shore.

Pros;
sand beach
cool ocean breeze on hot days
some nice areas to fish
serviced by free Island Explorer buses
(they stop by request only)

Cons;
no restrooms
no changing rooms
very limited parking

To reach Wonderland from Southwest Harbor, follow route 102 out of town in the direction of Manset, as your coming to a sharp curve in the road, look for route 102A to the left and follow it until you come to the sign for Wonderland on the left.  To reach Wonderland on the free Island Explorer buses, from Main Street in Bar Harbor, get onto the Southwest Harbor bus at the Village green, and tell the driver you want to get off at Wonderland.  To catch the bus back, simply wave it down as it approaches the Wonderland Parking area.

Phone number to Park Headquarters;
207-288-3338

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK'S MOST DANGEROUS CAVE

If we were having a conversation on which of the two climbs in Acadia National Park are considered the most dangerous, there would be no debate, it would be Champlain Mountain's Precipice followed by a close second with the Beehive trail.  No one knows for certain just how many lives have been lost on those two trails because according to the National park Service, they don't keep those kind of records, but judging by old newspaper articles a number of hikers have met a most tragic fate on those two climbs.
If on the other hand we were to have a conversation on what is the most dangerous cave in all of Acadia National Park, we may not see eye to eye, since several of the caves in the National park on Mount Desert Island have taken a life or two.  At Schooner Heads Anemone Cave, college of the Atlantic student Douglas Rose was the last person to have died there by drowning after becoming trapped in the cave by rapidly rising waters, and a bad coastal storm approaching did not help matters any.  The cave on Great head claimed a teens life as he attempted to enter the cave and a rogue wave swept him off the rocks and out to sea.
Clearly the caves that are easy to access pose a danger unique to themselves, but the most dangerous of all the caves are the ones very little, if anything is written about, caves whose past are so dark only a handful of explorers have dared venture into them.  One such Maine explorer, Matthew Marchon, described as a death cave, the kind of cave where one can easily lose their life in.  The cave I am speaking of is the ancient Sporting Horn Cave, and while you will find some writings on the Sporting Horn, you will come up short when it comes to the Sporting Horn Cave.  That was not always the case, back in the mid 1800's to early 1900's crowds would gather nearly every day to make their way out on the dangerous cliffs just to look down at the mouth of this mysterious cave, all lured there by the spectacular show the mouth of the cave put on, for as each onrush of wave advanced toward the mouth of the cave, a hugn shower of white water would shoot upward into the sky.
I had come across a very old story that told how a few island school boys had accessed the mouth of the cave by rowboat at low tide and how two of the boys ventured a short ways into the cave.  The cave reached its heigth of popularity when a couple films used the cave in a motion pictures, but with the passing of years and the property where the cave is located on changing hands, the cave faded into time and nearly became forgotten altogether.
Today's land owners, unlike the ones of the past who welcomed the crowds, would rather not see anyone on the property, and the less written about the Sporting Horn Cave the better.  This is a true cave in every sense, it runs pn some distance, and earns its nickname, the death cave, simply by the fact that the further back you venture into the cave, the more it slopes, go too far in and you risk sliding downward to a certain death.  Due to how dangerous this cave is and the potential for loss of life, I will not give instructions as to how you can reach the mouth of the cave by land, but I will post a few photos and maps.  In his book, The Acadia You Haven't Seen, explorer Matthew Marchon gives specific directions on how to reach the cave, listed under the name "Meadow Brook Sea Cave,"  which is also known as the Sporting Horn Cave.  Needless to say, you DO NOT want to get caught in the cave as the tide is rising, and only enter the cave at low tide.  Good footing is a must and flashlights strongly recommended.

MAP OF SCHOONER HEAD
SPOUTING HORN CAVE
Acadia National Park

SPOUTING HORN CAVE
Schooner Head - Acadia National Park

THE MYSTERIOUS SPOUTING HORN CAVE
Schooner Head
Acadia National Park

PEOPLE GATHERED TO VIEW SPOUTING HORN CAVE
Schooner Head
Acadia National Park

REAL HAUNTED PLACES IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

A GUIDE TO HAUNTED LOCATIONS IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

In some cases a demonic spirit can seek a person out for one reason or another, as countless stories attest to, but one can also attract a spirit to show itself in various ways, anywhere from a ghost-like sighting to strange, unexplained sounds, such as a voice around the corner or footsteps coming up behind you, only to turn and find no one there.  In some cases we encounter these restless spirits when we seek them out, by visiting the site where their grim deaths occurred.
it should not come as a surprise to anyone that restless spirits, or ghosts, are rarely if ever encounter during bright sunny conditions, that is simply not how the spirit world operates.  Restless spirits seem to be mostly at home under conditions they find most favorable, during a storm, when fog creeps in, in a dark place with candle light of a burning fire, and at those prime times at dusk or early dawn.  Many times people encounter those from the spirit world not by a sighting or through strange sounds, but through their senses, you will suddenly feel a chill come upon you, perhaps the hairs on the back of your neck will stand up, and you will suddenly find yourself focusing on an area, sensing something, or someone there.
Your best chance of encountering the spirit world is by visiting a location where a horrific death has occurred, at dusk or dawn, preferably when a fog is present or just coming in, and watch and wait for a sign to show itself.



TWELVE YEAR OLD MEETS MOST HORRIFIC DEATH
In August of 1853 one of the most tragic deaths to ever occur on Mount Desert Island took place on the cliffs of the Precipice, and it was perhaps the earliest recorded death on that trail, the most dangerous in all of Acadia National Park.  This death of a young girl who was about to turn 12 occurred in an area just above a site known as The Great Cave.  Some women from town had taken a group of young girls up by the Great Cave for a picnic and to pick wild blueberries, as the baskets were filled  with nice plumb berries, the women gathered up the girls to head back down the mountain side, but two girls, Lucreatia K. Douglas, going on 12, and Almira Conners, a few years younger, had spend the entire time talking with one another, so as the group prepared to depart, the two girls begged to remain behind so they too could fill their baskets with berries.  No one knows why, but the women consented and the group was soon out of sight as the two girls began picking berries.  At some point, one of the girls spotted a nice clump of berries not far away, and the girls made a dash for them, not realizing the clump of berries was perched on the edge of a high cliff.  They no sooner reached the berry bush when a section of the cliff gave way, carrying both girls downward.  The Conners girl ended up landing in the upper branches of a tall tree and had broken bones, cuts and bad bruises , she was the lucky one and would live to tell of the horror which followed that tragic accident, for the pain and suffering had only just begun.

For the Douglas girl, it was not a question of rather she would die, but when, for as she rolled on the ground from the fall a large boulder rolled on top of her.  Both girls were badly injured and one was being crushed by the weight of a huge boulder, and as duck came on all each girl could do was cry out in pain, as well as for help.  The Conners girl would later recall how the Douglas girl continued to cry out in pain nearly throughout the entire night, her voice finally going silent and her body limp just before dawn, for her the fight for survival was over.
It was the Uncle of the Conners girl who discovered the two girls and raced back to town for help.  One story recalled how the parents of the Douglas girl was poor and how her body was brought back to town and buried in an unmarked grave in a cemetery along Mount Desert street which lies between two churches.  For years she lay in that unmarked grave, until one day her brother returned to the village and purchased a headstone to mark his sisters grave.
There are those that say to this day she in one of a few ghosts in that tiny cemetery that make their presence known at duck or early dawn, when a haunting fog stretches out over the cold gravestones there.
Still others have said her young spirit still roams the narrow ledges of the precipice, and that as the fog has come creeping in hikers have heard a young girls voice ahead, or sensed some one coming up behind them, to turn and find no one there.  And as strange as it may seem, the dead girls family lived in a house at Compass Harbor, a site others have written about of ghost sightings and strange sounds on foggy evenings.

PULLED TO HIS DEATH BY WATER LILIES
On July of 1896, one of the most strangest  deaths to have occurred on Mount Desert island took place at Witch Hole Pond.  Two boys, Jimmy Elkhorn and Guy Bunker had ventured out to the pond one day and decided to row out to the center of the pond in a home made rowboat Jimmy had build and kept by the shore of the pond.  They rolled out to the center of the pond when Jimmy began to rock the small boat.  The bunker kid did not like this at all, but dispute his protests Jimmy continued to rock the boat until it overturned.  The Bunker kid clung to the boat, and begged the Elkhorn kid to stay with the boat with him, but Jimmy took off swimming toward shore.  Now what makes this case so strange  is the fact that not only was Jimmy a good swimmer, everyone who knew him said he was a great swimmer, yet as Jimmy got close to shore, he suddenly stopped swimming and began thrashing about, as if something in the pond had a hold of him. Jimmy finally sand below the water.

 After a rescue party arrived and got the Bunker boy out of Witch Hole Pond, they went to the area where Jimmy was last seen and were able to retrieve his body from the pond.  What they found shocked everyone involved, for Jimmy's legs were entangled in a mass of water Lillie stems which had prevented him from making it safely to shore, and it was the way Jimmy died that so shook the entire community.  Jimmy earned spending money from that very pond, going out early in the mornings in his boat to pick water lilies which he would take to town and sell out front of the motels in the summertime.  Jimmy died at age 15 in one of what is today one of the more beautiful areas of Acadia national Park.  Some say if you stand on the banking of witch Hole Pond on a calm summers evening and watch the water, you will catch the sight of a disturbance on the pond, in the area where the lilies grow to this day, some say its just fish coming up to feed off passing bugs, but others swear its the spirit of Jimmy, still entangled in a place he loved.

MURDER AT OTTER CLIFF
Some say on a foggy evening, just around dusk, one can hear the lone blood curdling scream of a young bride plunging to her death from the eerie cliffs at Otter Cliff.  One thing is certain, if such screams are heard there, it is for good reason, for a new bride meet with a horrific death there one evening - plunging 88 feet to the rocky shore below.
Dennis R. Larson, one might say, seemed on a run of bad luck when it came to wives, with his first wife meeting an untimely death by drowning in a creek, and a second wife soon leaving him.  He placed an ad in a Maine newspaper in search of a third wife and 25 year old Kathy Frost answered his ad and soon married seven weeks after that.  The day after she said "I do," Mr. Larson took out a $200,000 life insurance policy on her, though his new bride had no idea of the keen interest her new husband had just taken in her health.

MURDER AT OTTER CLIFF
Acadia National Park

The marriage was on the skids almost from day one and Kathy wanted out of it, but Mr. Larson talked her into taking a trip to Bar Harbor so they could work things out.  She reluctantly agreed to go, but with the intend of telling him she wanted to end the marriage, while friends and family members pleaded with her not to go on the trip.  Mr. Larson had his own reasons for the quickly planed trip to Maine, and once the couple arrived in Bar Harbor, Mr. Larson suggested they take a drive into nearby Acadia National Park.  At Otter Cliff, the couple walked out to the high towering cliff where Mr. Larson pushed her off the edge to her death, her final scream echoing off the granite wall of the cliff.
At his trail, Mr. Larson admitted to having drown his first wife, also in order to collect the insurance policy and as it turned out, and as it turned out marriage was simply a business deal for Mr. Larson, and there's no telling how many young brides might of meet an untimely death at his hands had he not been convicted of murder.

THE NINE YEAR OLD GHOST THAT HAUNTS EAGLE LAKE
Ghosts come in many forms, the one that haunts the shores of Eagle lake takes on the form of a nine year old child, who vanished from sight on Christmas Day in 1909 while onlookers could only watch in horror.
The day had started out like any other Christmas Mornings, with nine year old Adren Peach in a hurry for him and his mother to start out from Southwest harbor and make the trip over to his Cousin's house in Bar Harbor, where the two families were to unwrap gifts.  In a house on Forest Street in Bar Harbor, 12 year old Clarence Suminsby paced back and forth as he kept an eye on the street, anticipating the arrival of his cousin..  As the car pulled into the yard and gifts were carried inside, the two boys had but one thing on their minds, for each had repeatedly asked for the same gift, a pair of new ice skates.  The two sisters, wanting to spend some time together, had the two boys open a gift, and to their elated surprise, both unwrapped a new pair of skates and immediately began to beg to go to the lake to try them out.  The sisters agreed to let them go, the other gifts could wait to be unwrapped later that day.
The two boys headed for Eagle lake, with their brand new ice skates hung over their shoulders.  Once at the lake they skated for a bit before noticing a group of other skaters on the far end of the lake.  The two decided to head to the other end of the lake and join the others, with the nine year old skating down one side of the lake while the twelve year old skated down the other side of the lake.  At one point as they neared the other group of skaters, Clarence began skating across the lake to join up with his cousin, as he got nearer there was a screams as first one, two, than three skaters fell through the ice.  People on shore scrambled to try and rescue the skaters from the freezing waters of the lake as the nine year old continued in the direction of the horrific scene playing out before him, when the ice opened up below him, in a heartbeat he was gone, his cousin Clarance turning and racing for the safety of the nearby shore.  The three that had first fallen through the ice were soon pulled to shore and the focus was now on helping young Adren Perch, yet the surface of the lake was eerily still.  A rescue party arrived at the scene and hours later the body of the nine year old was recovered from 69 feet of water, as they pulled him from the frigid waters his tiny mittens were still frozen to his hands, and his brand new skates still laced to his feet.

THE DEVIL'S OVEN LIVES UP TO ITS REPUTATION
Anemone cave got its most recent name from the anemones, tiny sea life, which make the cave their home, but the cave has a dark past and was known as far back as the 1800's as The Devil's Oven.  It is not the only place on Mount Desert Island so named, but it is the only sea cave that lives up to its name, for as others have found over the years the Devil's Oven below the cliffs at Schooner head can turn deadly in a heartbeat.
Books have been written and stories told of cries for help coming from the ancient sea cave, which the National Park Service claims was abandoned as a park attraction in order to protect the Anemone that live there, but truth be known, deaths by drowning and countless accidents and injuries from falls in the wet sea cave also played a key role in abandoning the cave.  As one Ranger put it, "we were called to assist tourists at the cave too often who were either injured or becoming trapped by the rising tide."
So were the books and stories of cries for help and blood curdling screams heard coming from the cave over the years true?  I set out to investigate if there was any such records of people becoming trapped in the Devil's Oven and meeting a horrific death at the hands of a brutal rising tide.  At first I could not find any such proof, in part because the National park Service doesn't keep such records.  Finally one evening, after pouring over countless newspapers, I came across one such tragedy, that of a local college student, Douglas Rose.
On an evening in 1993, Mr. rose and another college student used ropes to climb down to the mouth of Anemone Cave, not knowing at the time that only one would make it out alive.  While the two were inside the cave a storm approached, causing the sea to become rough, and soon threatening waves began to crash against the rocks outside the cave as the water inside the cave began to rise alarmingly so, to the point where the two students knew they had to exit as quickly as possible, leaving their climbing gear behind a struggle between life and death unfolded.  Exhausted and beaten by waves, the two students finally exited the cave, to be met by heavy downpour and thrashing winds and waves.  One student made it to the rope they used to reach the cave by and began to climb up it toward the cliff above, stopping along the way to look back at the other student and encourage him to also climb up the rope, but Rose was too exhausted and his body soon sank below the surface of the sea.  The following day a rescue team ascended upon the scene and the body of Douglas rose was found floating inside the cave.
Because no records were kept, we will never know how many others have met the same fate, or what the exact body count is for the Devil's Oven, but clearly Mr. rose was not the first, nor will he be the last to meet an untimely death in a place so names, "the Devil's Oven.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

For those who are into exploring abandoned and lost trails, or discovering secret places with Acadia National  Park, this  is a quick take on such places along with links to the blogs on each piece.






People killed in the park;  You would think this would be a no brainer, you pick up the phone and make a simply inquiry, "Could you tell me how many people have been killed in the park from falls?"  Sounds simple enough, however you quickly learn that the park service doesn't keep such figures.  They usually point to a well reported death in the park and follow that up with a statement that there really aren't many deaths that occur in the park.  It has been their attempts to down play the deaths in the park which prompted me to begin my blog on Deaths In Acadia National Park.  Falling to your death can happen at any time, as too many have already learned, and a moment taken to poise for a photo on the rocky shore can become a life changing ordeal.

 DEATHS IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK





The Green Mountain Railroad Trail;  Now to be honest, this was not a trail but the route the cog train used to go from Eagle Lake to the summit of than Green Mountain, today named Cadillac Mountain.  However, once the Railroad Company went out of business and the tracks were torn up, locals took over the route and it quickly became a popular hiking trail. 
What many don't know is the secret of the Green Mountain trail, as most of the time it is reported that all the railroad spikes and rails were taken up and removed from the side of the mountain.  This is not true, in fact the majority of the railroad spikes still remain all along the route, sticking up out of the granite.  as for all the rails having been removed, this is also not true.  As you get about two thirds of the way up the trail you come to one long section of rail that was never removed.

 THE GREEN MOUNTAIN RAILROAD TRAIL



The Great Cave;  The Precipice Trail was constructed but not enough people were going there, so it was decided the area needed an attraction to lure more people to the area.  A plan was formed to build a Lopp from the Precipice Trail, beginning near the lower section, to a cave that locals called The Great Cave.  Once at the Cave entrance, the trail would continue off to one side of the Cave, and run upward and over the cave by way of a long series of stone steps.  A metal bridge was built near the top of the loop to help get hikers from one ledge to another safely, where soon after the Great Cave Loop connected to the Precipice trail near the upper section. 
The Great Cave must of done its job too well, because years later the Park Service abandoned it.

STORY OF THE GREAT CAVE



The Hanging Steps;  Some refer to these hanging steps as one of the great wonders of the National Park, but most have never heard of them, let along been to them.  They are located along a section of the Orange and Black trail, a section the Park Service abandoned years ago.  They thought by many to be a wonder because the huge stone slabs that make up each step are held in place using iron rods, to make the steps seem to "hang in mid air."  and when a park ranger first saw them after their construction, he replied just that, "They seem to hang in mid air," and thus they were named the Hanging Steps.
The abandoned end of the Orange and Black Trail began along an unmarked trail that the Rock Climbing Schools use to go to in order to practice their rock climbing skills.  The trail continued past the Hanging steps, making its way upward to the edge of some dangerous cliffs, before entering the woods.  Once through the woods the trail came out onto open granite, making its way downward to join up with the Precipice Trail at a spot known as the "Turn Around."

 THE HANGING STEPS



The Turn Around;  The secret of the Turn Around is how it came to be in the first place, and why the park service see's it as doing its job.  The secret is that one place a short ways up the Precipice Trail was designed to get many unexperienced hikers to turn around and go back to the parking lot, and it does that well.  The Turn around is a very large boulder with some iron rungs in it, designed to make it hard on people to get up and over that boulder.
With a little knowledge you could get past the Turn around simply by walking up the Park Loop road from the Precipice parking lot and taking the Orange and Black Trail to the Precipice Trail, which joins that trail just above the turn around.



Anemone Cave;  Once a popular attraction in Acadia National Park, it was also abandoned years ago.  All signs were taken down, map makers were asked to remove it from newer maps, and the railings that once safely helped people down the cliff to the caves openning were removed.  So today people risk life and limb to reach the cave which can be entered at low tide.  And even though the way to the cave can be slippery, it is even more dangerous inside the cave, which is slimy and extremely slippery.
The ancient sea cave was why Schooner Head Overlook exsists, from its parking lot is a narrow paved path which winds through the woods down to a high cliff.  Once you reach the top of the cliff, you are standing on the roof of the cave.
But this sea cave also has another secret, two hikers from the local college became trapped in it as the tide rose, one managed to escape but the other drowned and his body was removed from the cave the following day.

ANEMONE CAVE



The Lost House of Eagle Lake;  For many years only the Park Service, its volunteers and their friends knew of this house and its location.  It is actually not a house at all, but a huge foundation with a huge arched doorway over looking the waters of Eagle Lake, and large arched windows.
So how did such a majectic foundation come to be, and what ever happened to the house?
There never was a house, only plans for a house.  As the foundation was completed, it was George B. dorr, often called the father of acadia National Park, who approached the home builders and convinced them to abandon their dream home.
they did, but left their majestic foundation in place where it sets today, overlooking the lake.
Dorr took this victory and went to the legislature to push for a law to protect such bodies of water as Eagle lake, the Bubble Pond and Jordan forever protected from development.  The legislature agreed with Dorr's vision and several bodies of water on the island became protected from development.

LOST HOUSE OF EAGLE LAKE



The Bear's Den;  This old Bear's den shows up on old maps long before there was a National Park here, in fact its trail dates back to the days when Bar Harbor was called Eden.  When Acadia National Park built the One Way section of the Park Loop Road, a big chunk of the trail was destroyed, but a tiny section remains and leads to the Bear's den, or cave. 
The amazing thing is that nearly everyone passing through the park has either driven, hiked or biked through the park has passed right by it and never seen it, yet its hiding in plain sight.    Once on the One Way section of the Park Loop Road, drive until you come to a large pond on the right hand side of the road - Champlain Mountain towers over the pond.  Continue until you reach the curve in the road up ahead where you will find a pull over, park there.
Now cross the roadway so your on the same side of the road as the ledge wall, and walk a short distance in the same direction as the traffic.  Once you reach a spot where the ledge ends and the woods begin, look into the woods and you will see a black area further back with a worn trail leading to it - that is the Bear's Den. 
It is so close to the road that when you kneel inside the cave you can see the cars passing by on the Park Loop Road.  Back in the days beofre the Park Service put into place a policy of removing bears from the park, it is likely this den was once a home to a bear or two.  Than the Park Service began to remove bears from the park and bear sightings were rare.  Today, that policy is nolonger in place and bears are as welcome as everyone else, but because the cave is as close to the road as it is, it is very unlikely any bear would reclaim it.

 THE BEARS DEN



Compass Harbor;  It may well be one of the parks biggest secrets yet it is a mystery why the park service continues to treat the area of Compass harbor like an abandoned area of the park.  You won't find any signs there, even though it is perhaps one of the most important areas in the entire national park - it was where the home of George B. Dorr was located.  The home was named Old Farm, and to this day the brick floors of the rooms remain in place, along with some sections of crumbling walls. 
Not only are there no signs at compass Harbor, the parking lot is tiny and hard to see from  route 3.  To reach the parking lot you drive down Main Street in Bar Harbor, pass the YMCA and town ball fields, round a curve, and continue a short ways until the road begins to go up a hill, right there on the left is a tiny unmarked parking lot.  If you drove past the Schooner Head road or Jackson Labs, you missed it.
The Old Farm Road is just past Compass Harbor, and it has a tiny pull over just large enough for two cars, with a path leading into Compass Harbor.
The only other way to reach it is to go onto the Schooner Head Road and park by Jackson Lab.  The Schooner Head Trail begins right by their rear entrance.  A short ways down the road is a connector trail which leads through the woods, past a pond, and to Compass Harbor.
So what is the park service hiding there, besides the remains of Dorr's estate?   Just before the start of a very long stairway which makes its way up to the top of the hill is a tiny cove.  Locals often go there on hot summer days to swim.  Compass Harbor itself also has an area where you can swim.

 COMPASS HARBOR AND OLD FARM


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The secret of Lake Wood;  Lake what, you might be asking, because many have never heard of Lake Wood, and for those who go there in the summer time, it is in fact one of the parks best kept secrets.  Lake Wood is a large lake whose warm waters are a perfect invitation for swimmers.  But un like many lakes that offer swimming, lake wood is a bit different.  Instead of swimming at the open area below the parking lot, most prefer to walk along either side of the lake to his or her own favorite swimming spot.
Lake  Wood also holds another secret, for running along one side of the lake, high up along a ridge, is the start of the Fawn Pond Trail.  It may be near impossible to find this trail from the Breakneck Road end, but from Lake wood the trail is well worn and easy to follow.
So where is lake Wood?  From Hull's cove, drive out along the Crooked Road, and look for a narrow dirt wood entering the woods with a small park sign by it.  The narrow road makes its way to the lake.

 LAKE WOOD AND FAWN POND





The Mysterious Stones of Little Hunters Beach;
Is there such a place in Acadia National Park where there are perfectly round and oval stones?  If you have ever found your way to the rock strew beach of Little Hunters Beach, than you know the answer already.  This is not Hunters beach, which is a larger beach, but Little Hunters Beach, unmarked and easy to miss.  I can only tell you the one way you can't miss it, and that is to arrive at Blackwoods Campground.  You can take the Free Island Explorer bus from the Bar Harbor Village green, board the Sand Beach bus.
Once you get off the bus, walk up along the camp loop to the far left, you will pass several tant sites on the right, with just woods on the left.  A short ways in and you will come to an ocean path which takes you quickly to the one way section of the Park Loop Road.  Now walk to the right, its about a twenty minute walk, passing a couple pull overs before you come to a small stone bridge with a wooden stairway leading down the left side of the bridge to a stony beach below.  It is un marked, but off in the trees at the top is a sign telling of the beach.
Twenty or thirty years ago when I went there you could find these perfectly shaped and smooth stones all over the place, but people have broken the law over the years and carried the stones home with them, which will get you a date in federal court if you get caught.  We were there several months ago and found several nice large ones, perfectly round, the size of bowling balls.

 LITTLE HUNTERS BEACH



OLD MAPS OF ACADIA NATIONAL PARK;  You asked for them, we went out and tracked them down, a collection of old maps showing abandoned and lost trails in Acadia National Park which no trail explorer should be without.

OLD MAPS OF ACADIA NATIONAL PARK



Acadia National Park in 1932;  Ever wonder what was here back in 1932, where people stayed and ate and what prices were back in those times?  This gives you a good feel for what it was like back than.

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK IN 1932


George B. Dorr Bike Path and Wild Gardens;  
if George B. Dorr had a passion for anything beyond building hiking trails ad creating a National Park, it was for bike riding.  It is said he could often be spotted riding his bike along his favorite bike path he created along a section of Indian Pass.  He loved his bike path so much he created what would go on to become his famous Wild Gardens of Acadia next to the path.  Today only sections of the bike path he built remain, and his Wild Gardens were dug up and relocated to where they are today.

 GEORGE B. DORR BIKE PATH AND WILD GARDENS
 



The Lost Homan's Trail;  Okay, to begin with, I am not the one who claimed this trail was ever lost, in fact, for the many years it lay abandoned by the Park Service, I was hiking it a number of those years, so as far as I am concerned, this trail was never lost.  That aside, a few years ago the Park service announced the once lost Homan's Trail had been found, a news story was done on it, and even a painting was made.  Now if you have ever hiked Dorr Mountain and not done so by means of the Homans Trail, than add it to your bucket list, and be sure to bring along a camera.  Once you have hiked it and had a moment to take it on in, ask yourself how such a trail could of ever been abandoned in the first place - it simply boggles the mind.

THE ONCE LOST HOMAN'S TRAIL



YOUNGEST PERSON TO DIE ON THE PRECIPICE; 
This is a tragic story of two school girls, both age 12, who climbed up the Precipice one day and how that decision  cost one of them their life.  This took place in the mid 1850's long before there was a Precipice trail, but even back than people were finding ways to climb the Precipice.

YOUNGEST PERSON TO DIE ON THE PRECIPICE






CAPTAIN KIDD'S LOST TREASURE
Yeah, go ahead and laugh now, but years ago people were not laughing, in fact they were heading for the woods with anything they could dig with in search of this buried treasure.  Was any ever found?  If it was, no one let it be known.  Many years ago I visited the site, now a part of Acadia National Park, and found many signs of old dig sites scattered throughout the woods there.  Today, the use of medal detectors is banned in the park as is any digging, so any lost loot still hidden in the woods there will have to remain lost.

CAPTAIN KIDD'S LOST TREASURE



2017 edition Of Our Free E-Book;
Yup,  it's finally complete and up for free download.  You may find a few blank pages in it, I am still trying to get use to using the free software program.  Our 2018 edition will include more trails and more photos, as well as new maps, some of which have begun to appear on some of my blogs.  And is always the case, any maps I design are placed into the public domain, free for anyone to repost or use.

2017 EDITION OF ABANDONED TRAILS OF ACADIA NATIONAL PARK E-BOOK



Abandoned Witch Hole Pond Marsh Trail;
Once again yet another abandoned trail hidden in plain sight.  This trail is a quick short cut from the Park Loop Road,  to Witch Hole Pond and the Carriage road.  So easy is it to find, once you do locate it you will never forget how to get back to it again.

ABANDONED WITCH HOLE MARCH TRAIL






THE OLD BUCKBOARD ROAD;
It goes without saying that at one time cars were banned from the island.  During those years the only way to reach the summit of Cadillac Mountain was either by way of the Buckboard Road, or by way of the cog train that the Green Mountain Railroad Company operated.    The Buckboard Road was also where a gunman dubbed The Gentleman Bandit operated along, robbing from the men only while allowing the women to keep their watches, rings and money.

THE OLD BUCKBOARD ROAD




  BEAR BROOK PICNIC AREA TRAIL
Not so much a trail as a connecting path between Jackson Labs, or the Moust Factory as locals call it, and Bear Brook Picnic Area in Acadia National Park.  It's about a 3 to 5 minute hike from the lab to the picnic area.

BEAR BROOK PICNIC AREA TRAIL




ABANDONED BRACKEN TRAIL
Once this trail served as a major connecting point, allowing hikers to reach trails in Acadia National Park from the gorge Trail end all the way up to the Lake Wood and Fawn Pond End.  Than on day the Park service abandoned the Bracken Trail, along with all of the trails to the right of it.


BRACKEN TRAIL




ABANDONED FERN TRAIL
The old gurnee Trail may of once served as a village connector trail between the villages of Bar Harbor and Hull's cove, but it was the Fern Trail that connected those villages to the trail system in Acadia National Park.


ABANDONED FERN TRAIL






EXPLORING BREWER MOUNTAIN
Brewer Mountain has a number of secret and hidden sites on it, just waiting to be found.  There is the Stone Tower, as well as two large foundations that served as a sand filtering system for the Bar Harbor Water company, remains of old buildings along with foundations hidden in the woods, and than there is the two granite mining sites.....

EXPLORING BREWER MOUNTAIN





THE STONE TOWER
Imagine walking out of the woods and entering a small field and finding a large stone tower rising up out of the center of the field - that is what happened to me one afternoon and this is the story of the Stone Tower.

THE STONE TOWER





THE WATER PIPE TRAIL
The Water Pipe Trail use to follow the water pipeline from the Park Loop Road up past Great Hill.  In recent years the old Cast Iron pipeline was replaced with a more modern pipeline, and you can still locate and follow this  route today.  As you hike along one side of Duck Brook you will be treated to some nice views of rapids along the way.

THE WATER PIPE TRAIL





ABANDONED GREAT HILL SUMMIT TRAIL
You would not know it today but at one time Great Hill was one of the more popular hiking areas in the in Acadia National Park.  There was once several hiking trails on the hill where today there are no official hiking trails.  You will also find views on Great Hill that you can't find anyplace else in the park.

ABANDONED GREAT HILL SUMMIT TRAIL




THE GURNEE TRAIL
Abandoned and for a long time thought to be lost, a large section of the Gurnee Trail can still be located and hiked along today, if you know where to look.  The Gurnee Trail is not a trail as much as it was once a Village connector path, connecting the villages of Eden, now Bar Harbor, with the village of Hulls Cove

THE GURNEE TRAIL





THE GREAT HILL WATER TOWER
Once the new Bar Harbor Water Company water system went on line, there was no longer a need for the huge water tower, thus it was abandoned and lies hidden in the woods on the side of great Hill.  It is a short hike and fairly easy to find once you know where to look for it.

THE GREAT HILL WATER TOWER




THE GREAT HILL RESERVOIR
In the woods on the side of Great Hill, over looking the Duck Brook Bridge Road, lies an abandoned reservoir.  It is about a two minute walk up to it, yet few have ever seen it.

THE GREAT HILL RESERVOIR




THE LOST RUDOLPH  BRUNNOW TRAIL
This abandoned trail took a bit of leg work to track down, but it was well worth the time and effort.  Old maps don't give this a name, so we did, though recent research suggests this may of once been a section of the Orange and Black Trail which may of been abandoned due to rock slides, with the main trail being rerouted.

THE LOST RUDOLPH  BRUNNOW TRAIL




MOUNT  DESERT  ISLAND  PHOTO  COLLECTION
Some of the photos I have taken over the years of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park. 

MOUNT DESERT ISLAND PHOTO COLLECTION




ABANDONED SECTION OF GORGE TRAIL
This is the original start of the Gorge Trail, most likely abandoned by the Park Service because the trail passed along private property, in some areas over private property, and the land owners did not want people crossing their land.  This trail is not hard to locate and today comes out onto the official extended Gorge trail, close to the Cadillac North Ridge Trail.

ORIGINAL START OF GORGE TRAIL



ABANDONED  BASS  HARBOR  LIGHTHOUSE  TRAIL
I first located this abandoned trail on an old map, which has a small stony beach the locals call Whistlers Beach.  There is also a nice stretch of the trail where nice pieces of drift wood wash ashore.

ABANDONED BASS HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE TRAIL




DUCK  BROOK  TRAIL
An old trail that most likely connected to the old Gurnee Trail at one time.  The widening of route 3 and the building of two bridges pretty much erased a large section of this trail,  yet some sections of this trail can still be located today for the adventurous explorer.  After doing further research we discovered the secret behind how the early hikers of this trail were able to get past the really rough sections, a series of wooden covered bridges criss crossed the brook in different areas, without the aid of those bridges, today hiking the length of this old trail is a real challenge.

DUCK  BROOK  TRAIL





ABANDONED CRASH SITE OF CEDAR SWAMP MOUNTAIN
For reasons only known to the experienced Air Force Captain and pilot of the plane, he decided to fly into bad weather, into rain and fog,  when the plane suddenly vanished.  Three months later his body was recovered, but the wreckage of the plane still remains on the side of the mountain.....

ABANDONED CRASH SITE OF CEDAR SWAMP MOUNTAIN


THE SHIP WRECK SITE AT SEAL COVE
The wreckage of a large ship is discovered in a small cove and a mystery begins on what the name of the ship was and how did the large ship get to where its remains lie today.  Seal Cove is the setting for this mystery and the ship wreck has been documented, yet the mystery of the ship still remains.

THE SHIP WRECK AT SEAL COVE


KEBO MOUNTAIN GRANITE MINING SITE
Not so much an abandoned trail as it is an abandoned road,  I had come upon this old road many years ago and never followed it.  Today we now know from evidence found near the end of the road that it was once a granite mining site.  The photos show what appears to be rusting parts from some type of equipment used at the location.

KEBO MOUNTAIN GRANITE MINING SIRE


ABANDONED MCFARLAND MOUNTAIN SKI SLOPE
When I first read that Bar Harbor was once the home to a ski slope I found it hard to believe, but after doing some research I learned more about the operation and what remains of it on McFarland Mountain in Acadia National Park.  By one of the supports for the chair lift that was used at the site is a large power box, as can be seen in the photos.

 ABANDONED MCFARLAND MOUNTAIN SKI SLOPE




 BUILDING OF THE ARTS
Long before the great fire of 47, there was the Building of the Arts, a building in which serious lectures and art shows was held at.  It also was a place were many very famous people of that time came to perform on stage.  In fact a young and upcoming actor named Henry Fonda performed on stage, and president Taff golfed in the shadow of the building.  The photos at the link below show just how grand and majestic the building of the Arts was, yet no one back than could of known just how big of a role World War 2 would play in the buildings future.

THE BUILDING OF THE ARTS




THE   ROCKEFELLER   BOAT   HOUSE
I came across the Rockefeller Boat House one day while hiking in the rain some forty years ago, it was an amazing building than and it still is today.  At the time I thought I was approaching some one's house, and once I realized what it was, even in the rain it was a beautiful sight.  There is a kind of poach or walkway along the sides of the building with railings where visitors can walk out along, with beautiful views of the pond.  Even though the site is open to the public, I believe they may not publicize the site much because they may want to keep the number of people visiting the site down, but that's just a guess.  It is not a very long hike to reach the boathouse and if your in that area put it on your to do list.


THE ROCKEFELLER BOAT HOUSE



THE DEER BROOK TRAIL AND STEPHEN KING
The Deer Brook Trail, one may say, has deep roots as part of its history in Acadia National Park.  I can make that statement with certainty because it was the large old twisted roots found along this trail that caught movie producers eyes and found their way into a very popular Stephen King movie.  The name of the movie most would recognize, Pet Cemetery. 
sadly today those roots no longer exist, they were removed by the national park Service during a trail rehabilitation project.  Check out the link below to see exactly where in the movie the old roots appeared in...

THE DEER BROOK TRAIL AND STEPHEN KING




"Schistostega Cave."
I learned about this little known cave while reading a very old copy of the bar Harbor Times.  It stated that while many of the children in the area knew about the cave, very few adults knew about it.  Some people also call the cave by another name, Goblins gold.    The cave itself is on Bald Porcupine Island, and can only be reached with the aid of rope.  The opening is small, and the further you go into the cave, the smaller the space in the cave becomes.
A group of scientists visited the cave to gather samples of a very rare moss that grows in the cave, a moss that glows with a very bright green light.  One scientist in the articles stated, "Once you have seen this strange glowing moss, you will never forget it."  The moss samples were gathered with the aid of children who had to go deeper into the cave in order to gather the moss.  The moss was than taken to Jackson Labs to be examined.  when asked how deep the cave was, one scientist said it was at least 100 feet deep, and at that point a flashlight was aimed down into the cave and the end still could not be seen.

 "Schistostega Cave."



GHOSTS HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT - Acadia National Park

What determines when some ones soul passes on to the world beyond or gets left behind, trapped in a place with no way out?  And do such places exist in a places as beautiful as acadia National Park?  Many know Anemone Cave as a site to explore at low tide, but most do not know the caves first name, or the many deaths connected to it.

GHOSTS HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT


THE DORR MOUNTAIN CREVICE CAVE

It may be hard for many who have hiked up along the Dorr Mountain Trail, but there is a crevice cave hidden in plain site that many hikers never see.  This cave clearly was once a part of the Dorr Mountain trail, as the top opening of the cave has two large stone steps leading down into the entrance of the cave.  I first discovered this old cave from a video that was placed on Youtube.

DORR MOUNTAIN CREVICE CAVE




STORIES FROM THE PAST

A collection of old newspaper stories from the past, from automobiles first being allowed on Mt Desert roads to vandals removing a section of Tilting Rock to a brutal murder.

STORIES FROM THE PAST




MAINE  HOUSING  REVIEWS

Looking to move to the state of Maine or looking for a new apartment in Maine, than check out some of the apartment reviews in this blog.    Some of the reviews even have the floor plans of the apartment and photos to help you decide which apartment is best suited for you.

MAINE HOUSING REVIEWS



THE POETRY OF J.R. LIBBY

Over the years I have had four chapbooks published and a number of my works have appeared in over a dozen small press publications.  Many of my poems are drawn from real life experiences with a number of my poems having a tongue in cheek feel to them.  Some of my favorite works are the ones that deal with rural Maine and rural living.

THE POETRY OF J.R. LIBBY


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