ACADIA NATIONAL PARK (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- The Friends of Acadia invites the public to join them in celebrating the 102nd birthday of Acadia National Park this Sunday.
President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation in July 1916 accepting the gift of land for Sieur de Monts National Monument. In January 1929, the name was changed to Acadia National Park.
The Friends of Acadia are celebrating with three Facebook Live streams throughout the day, to talk about the importance of the park, what it means to Mainers, and to fundraise to keep it prosperous.
Watch the live streams: click here.
Friends of Acadia preserves and promotes stewardship of the natural beauty, ecological vitality, and cultural distinctiveness of Acadia National Park.
In 2017, Acadia National Park had over 3 million visitors.
Right in the middle of tourist season, the park is flooded with visitors Sunday to mark the special day. Some choose to drive, some walk, and others, like Chicago attorney Sam Stempel, choose to bike up Cadillac Mountain, a constant draw for Bar Harbor visitors in the summer months.
"We're here with four couples," says Stempel. "We were on a bike trip from Bar Harbor and we were just lucky enough to be biking up Cadillac Mountain on the 102nd birthday."
A view from the top of Cadillac Mountain provides the perfect photo opportunity.
"We are so proud to be visiting on the 102nd birthday," adds Stempel's group.
Stempel and his friends are spending the day biking 39 miles, up and down the mountain, with their local guide, Lexie Dorn.
"It's perfect weather," says Dorn. "Beautiful, nice breeze, and just the perfect trek up. Then, to find out it's the birthday of the national park, all the more reason to celebrate."
"It's beautiful," says Stempel. "You know, it's like nothing I've seen, and we happen to have a perfect day as well."
Looking out over the ledge at the tall green trees, the deep blue water, and Bar Harbor, makes even these travelers "from away," appreciate what the park and Maine have to offer.
"As much as it's important to appreciate this kind of thing, I think now even more than ever we need to appreciate our national parks," adds Stempel.
"Its been amazing," says Dorn. "Acadia's an amazing national park to visit. I love visiting all national parks in general, but it's great to just have this a couple hours away to come up, go camping, go biking, or whatever you want to do on your time off."
"We're coming here from Chicago and I now wish I were a local Mainer," says Stempel.
Biking up Cadillac Mountain and looking out at the view from the top can make you feel like a local Mainer, at least for a little while.
"We just try to take literally the back roads and try to get out of the way of where most of the tourists are so that we can still get to the beautiful views, such as biking up Cadillac instead of driving," says Dorn.