Access Acadia: Inclusive Descriptions of Park Destinations
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LINK TO WAYSIDE IMAGE IN NPGALLERY
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LINK TO RECORDED AUDIO DESCRIPTION
Acadia National Park
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Access Wayside: Cadillac Highlights
An image and audio description are provided for "Cadillac Highlights," an interpretive wayside at Acadia National Park.
Credit / Author:
NPS Photo
Date created:
08/17/2023
Audio Transcript
The wayside exhibit on the right features an upright panel atop a stone base. The Cadillac Summit Loop Trailhead is nearby.
This exhibit's title, "Cadillac Highlights," appears in a blue sky over a view from Cadillac Mountain's summit, showing forested mountains and islands in the ocean in the distance. A low sun casts its golden rays over the scene.
Introductory text reads: "You have arrived at Cadillac Mountain. At 1530 feet, it is the highest mountain on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States and the only mountain in Acadia with a motor vehicle road to the top. On a clear day you are rewarded with incredible views of outer islands, Schoodic Peninsula, fertile forests, rugged coastline, and the powerful Atlantic Ocean.... Cadillac sunsets are glorious and between October 7 and March 6 the summit is the first place in the United States to see the sunrise."
An inset features a map showing trails leading to the mountain. An arrow pointing to the edge of the parking lot says "You Are Here."
A photograph shows a manmade cairn, a carefully constructed pile of stones. "Do not add to or build cairns." These are historic markers built to guide hikers. "Adding to or building cairns detracts from the natural landscape and misleads hikers."
Text invites visitors to "Experience Cadillac": -Walk the half-mile, paved Cadillac Summit Loop Trail to experience panoramic views. The trail, rated easy, has dips and rises and is steeper clockwise. -Experience the summit before dawn to see the sunrise. -Enjoy the sunset and stargazing from Blue Hill Overlook. -Join a ranger-led program and learn more about Cadillac's natural and cultural history. -Hike one of the challenging trails. -Scan the sky for birds.
A note urges visitors to Protect the Summit: "Stay on the established trails or step on rock to protect fragile subalpine plants."
A photograph shows a metal circle embedded in rock. "Look on the rocky surface for the true-summit marker.
A quote: "On Cadillac you can feel all of Mount Desert underfoot." - Christopher Camuto, Time and Tide in Acadia: Seasons on Mount Desert Island, 2009
Access Wayside: Cadillac Highlights
An image and audio description are provided for "Cadillac Highlights," an interpretive wayside at Acadia National Park.
Credit / Author:
NPS Photo
Date created:
08/17/2023
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service