National Park Zine: Autumn in Acadia

Acadia National Park is a rugged coastal sanctuary encompassing Maine's Mount Desert Island, Isle au Haut, and the Schoodic Peninsula: some 47,000 acres where the Atlantic collides with ancient rock. Acadia is defined by its splendid granite summits, dramatic headlands, wave-battered shorelines, and the blending of northern coniferous and eastern hardwood forests. It has a complex geological history of ancient sediment deposition, tectonic collision, granite intrusion, and glaciation. Hiking Acadia's trails is both a physical and emotional experience, involving rock scrambles, rock climbing, ascending iron rungs, edging along narrow ledges, and emerging onto summits that feel timeless. Exploring the shoreline and headlands with its thunderous waves and luminous granite is equally stirring, as are the walks along the valley floor and the edges of lakes and wetlands. The photographs in this issue capture these moments: the intensity of coastal sunrises, the golden hour of light that sweeps across the headlands, the explosive power of ocean swells, the quiet reflections of lakes and ponds, the intimate textures of mountain and valley, and the astonishing blaze of autumn foliage.