ACADIA NATIONAL PARK — A key 500-foot portion of the Ocean Path, situated near Otter Point Overlook, has undergone significant improvements aimed at increasing accessibility for park visitors with disabilities and bolstering its resilience for future use. This initiative focuses on a heavily trafficked section of the national park, which annually draws approximately 4 million visits.
The Ocean Path itself spans 2.2 miles, extending from Sand Beach, past Thunder Hole, and running alongside the Park Loop Road. Friends of Acadia's Perrin Doniger reported that the Appalachian Mountain Club, collaborating with Acadia National Park’s trails program, completed the enhancements on the section west of Otter Point Overlook this past fall. Doniger indicated the project enhances the trail's durability and makes the ocean views from Otter Point more accessible.
Funding for the majority of this work was provided by Friends of Acadia (FOA) through its Acadia Trails Forever endowment. Acadia National Park Management Assistant John T. Kelly confirmed FOA's partial funding, adding that the National Park Service is committed to ensuring visitors with disabilities have equal opportunities to enjoy and benefit from all park facilities, programs, and activities, both indoors and outdoors.
Kelly further explained that the park’s trail crew worked with the Appalachian Mountain Club to repair and enhance the 500-foot southern segment of the path. These improvements are designed to boost accessibility for visitors with disabilities and enhance the overall park experience. The process involved bringing in substantial quantities of rock material, which crews then spread and compacted to help preserve the trail for future generations.
The National Park Service’s Director’s Order 42, issued in 2025, estimates that between 10 and 20 percent of visitors across the park system have a disability. The order also highlights that even more visitors face physical, cognitive, and sensory limitations which, while not always meeting the legal definition of disability, can still significantly affect their park experiences.
This project on Ocean Path is part of broader, ongoing efforts to improve accessibility throughout Acadia National Park. The park already offers accessible areas, including its 45 miles of carriage roads, which are wide, gravel surfaces suitable for wheelchairs, walkers, bikes, and other assisted devices. Other recent accessibility projects include the new East-West Cadillac Connector Trail at the summit of Cadillac Mountain, an accessible viewing overlook at Bass Harbor Head Light, and the Hemlock Path boardwalk in the Great Meadow.
Doniger noted that the Hemlock Path boardwalk was completed last fall by a dedicated team of skilled volunteers, including Jerry Hopcroft, Mark Munsell, Gary Stellpflug, Terese Miller, and Bill Shaw.
In related news concerning accessibility, MDI Wheelers had a successful season, according to Doniger. This nonprofit provides free rides on special electric-assist trikes along the Eagle Lake carriage road system for individuals needing assistance. MDI Wheelers operates under a special use permit from Acadia National Park. The organization reported providing 157 rides on the carriage roads, representing approximately a 20 percent increase over the previous year.
