Each season, the Friends of Acadia’s Stewardship Crew, volunteers, and park staff collaborate to complete important work on Acadia’s trails and carriage roads. This year, they tackled a wide range of projects that improved visitor safety and enjoyment, protected fragile ecosystems, and preserved Acadia’s historic character.

Here are five highlights from the 2025 season:

In collaboration with Emily Owens with Acadia National Park, the Stewardship Crew and volunteers led a major vista-clearing effort to bring back overgrown historic viewsheds along the carriage road system. Over eight volunteer days, drop-in volunteers and service groups helped restore 12 scenic vistas, reclaiming beautiful views at Bubble Pond, Chasm Brook Bridge, Around Mountain Loop, Gilmore Meadow, and Breakneck Pound.

This summer, the Stewardship Crew hosted a week-long service project with Wilderness Volunteers to complete work on a relocated section of the Great Meadow Loop. Volunteers finished work initiated by the park’s trail crew, which included re-graveling trail surfaces and revegetating disturbed areas. Their efforts will eventually help reduce interruptions on the Great Meadow Loop, improving the trail experience for hikers.

To create a safer, more durable hiking experience, the crew installed new bogwalk on portions of the Hadlock Ponds Trail. This section of the trail is prone to flooding. In the past, this has led to trail widening and social trails as visitors try to avoid puddles and muddy spots. Volunteers helped elevate sections of the trail, helping to keep visitors’ feet dry, prevent slips on roots and uneven surfaces, and protect the fragile vegetation vital to keeping the streambank from eroding. The new bogwalk will help ensure the trail remains safe and sustainable for years to come.

One of the season’s most unique projects involved supporting the park’s Vegetation Crew in protecting rare boreal blueberry plants on Cadillac Mountain. In May, volunteers helped craft and transport “Charlie Rope” stanchions to safeguard restoration areas. In June, they carried soil to restoration plots in the same area near the summit. This project supports the long-term health of a fragile alpine ecosystem found in only a few places in the Northeast.

The Stewardship Crew and Drop-in Program’s yearly maintenance work is vital to the health of Acadia’s trail system. The team—and countless volunteers—completed “brushing” (cutting back overgrown vegetation), drainage clearing, and “flossing” (removing overgrown vegetation from between carriage road coping stones) across miles of trails and carriage roads. This behind-the-scenes effort protects trail structures, prevents erosion, and ensures safer, more enjoyable experiences for park visitors.

This year, in addition to other trails throughout the park, the Drop-in program focused on Ocean Path, Cadillac North Ridge Trail, Ship Harbor Trail, Penobscot Mountain Trail, Spring Trail, and Parkman Mountain Loop. During the government shutdown, volunteers and Friends of Acadia’s Stewardship Crew continued to spruce up trails outside of park boundaries, including the Trenton Trail in Trenton, Duck Brook Connector Trail in Bar Harbor, and the Giant Slide Trail in Mount Desert.

From vista restoration to alpine plant protection, each of these projects reflects the dedication, skill, and partnership that define Friends of Acadia’s stewardship mission. We’re deeply grateful to all the volunteers, partners, and park staff who made this season such a success—and we look forward to many more accomplishments in the years to come.

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