2.  As the third-largest island on the Eastern Seaboard
and the home of Acadia National Park, Mount Desert
Island is one of Maine’s most popular tourist
destinations. Every summer, the local population of
roughly 10,000 people swells with visitors, including
such notables as Martha Stewart and the Rockefeller
heirs, keen to absorb the island’s rich history and
culture and explore its natural beauty.
In fact, tourism has been a major industry on Mount
Desert Island for over 100 years. In the late 1800s,
artists flocked to the island, living simply in rustic
accommodations and bringing the beautiful scenery
to life in their work.

3.  They were followed by a wave of affluent
tourists, including families like the Vanderbilts
and Carnegies, who transformed the island by
building luxurious and elegant estates to serve
as summer homes for their families and friends.
Today, visitors to Mount Desert Island can hike
more than 120 miles of national park trails;
enjoy the view from Cadillac Mountain, the
tallest peak on the U.S. Atlantic coast; bike
around the island’s historic carriage trails; and
enjoy the boutiques, restaurants, and hotels of
the island’s four towns.