A Maine transplant is helping fill an online void for Acadia National Park, which, run by the federal government, has never had an extensive digital footprint.
That’s become even more apparent with the recent funding cuts and staff layoffs under the Trump administration, perhaps most explicitly with the springtime decision to eliminate the park’s spokesperson.
But in today’s modern age, when many visitors and locals rely on social media and websites for national park information, Acadia’s online void leaves a gap in advice. Although the park has its own website, it sometimes lacks up to date information. Instead, people lean on park rangers for advice. Yet with funding cuts and trouble filling open positions, having fewer park staff has resulted in less in-person guidance.
Amid the park’s shrinking online and in-person presence, an army of social media users have appeared to offer advice and lessons on all things Acadia. Amy Faber, a New Jersey-born blogger who moved her family to Ellsworth four years ago explicitly for her love of the national park, is among them, and arguably their most enthusiastic voice.
Faber, who had vacationed in Acadia since 2008 before she made the move, consistently answers park-related questions on various Acadia Facebook pages — often sending long, comprehensive messages on the best ways to enjoy the park despite the large crowds.
“People always ask questions, and I was one of those people at some point that didn’t know the trails or didn’t know what I was getting into,” Faber said. “I don’t mind helping people figure out alternative things to see besides Beehive, Sand Beach and Jordan Pond. Sometimes I’ve been in the park on July 4th and had a summit to myself [but] then driven through the Ocean Drive and [it’s] totally chaotic. I’ve been on the Triad and haven’t seen anybody.”
Faber estimated she’s hiked roughly 90% of Acadia’s trails.
In a recent Facebook post inquiring about a short to medium-length hike for a pregnant woman, roughly 25 people responded with suggestions. Faber was one of those commenters, as she often is.
She recommended Hunters Beach, but advised the hikers to be mindful of fallen leaves that can hide roots and rocks this time of year. She also linked to her blog, Faber Adventures, where the mother of 13-year-old twins chronicles her weekly visits to the national park.
Faber’s suggestions are intended for visitors and locals alike. She urges out-of-towners to embrace the crowded spots, and not to be discouraged by bad weather, when fewer tourists are likely to be hiking even though rain and fog brings about a mystical, fairy tale-like aura.
She also encourages visitors to invest in their own map — not the one distributed for free by park officials, which tends to highlight main roads and popular attractions. Instead, Faber recommends the one produced by Map Adventures, which outlines the entirety of Mount Desert Island’s interconnected roads, trails, carriage roads and parking lots.
Faber, whose plans of moving to Maine were expedited after the sudden death of her sister in New Jersey, often advises visitors to check a summit’s weather forecast in addition to Bar Harbor’s, noting that mountain temperatures can drop substantially with windchill.
Faber’s suggestions always account for variables, including the inquirer’s age and fitness level.
In a late September social media post asking about recommended paths up Cadillac for a family with two large-breed dogs, Faber replied with a detailed summary of how her own hound mix fares on the various summit trails. After explaining the conditions of the north and south ridge trails, she settled on recommending the south ridge, qualifying that the day’s weather should also be considered.
For locals, Faber’s advice is simple: take advantage of the park.
“I would just say appreciate what an incredible place Acadia is and the fact that you get to live so close by. Even if you don’t visit in the summer because it’s too crowded, visit in the spring and late fall,” Faber said. “Embrace the trails that people don’t visit. For the carriage roads, go early. Be off of them by 10 a.m.”
Faber — who recently completed the MDI Marathon, her fourth 26-mile, long-distance race, after training throughout the summer on the park’s sprawling system of gravel roads — suggests early morning trips to the carriage roads as rental bicycles typically begin pouring into the park by late morning.
Sergeant Mountain, Acadia’s second highest peak, is among Faber’s favorite hikes in the park, as is Cadillac Mountain, though specifically during the winter months when the road leading up the summit is closed, she said.
“Acadia is a healing place for me. [It’s] where I go to find balance,” Faber said. “I don’t need to go to church, I just need to go there. I feel it so much in my soul, so I don’t mind helping people because it’s given me so much.”