When Someone Needed Help at Acadia’s Monument Cove This July, Traffic Got in the Way. The park plans a dedicated lane near Sand Beach for Island Explorer buses and emergency vehicles as officials look for ways to keep people moving. Carrie Jones Sep 14, 2026 Precipice Trail parking overflow on the Park Loop road shortly before the Sand Beach Entrance Station, August 31, 2024. File photo: Bar Harbor Story. The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Witham Family Hotels. BAR HARBOR — A new dedicated bus lane is in the works for a section of the Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park. The lane will not be just for busses, but also for emergency response vehicles. The lane will be in one of the most popular areas of Acadia National Park, which will host an estimated 4 million visits this year. It will likely begin in October. The lane will start 1,000 feet north of the Sand Beach entrance station, which is where park passes are shown and sometimes purchased prior to vehicles, bikes, or pedestrians entering Ocean Drive, which hosts Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, the Bee Hive Trail, and other major attractions. The lane will merge for 300 feet or so after the entrance station. John Kelly, Acadia National Park management assistant, gave the information to members of the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission during its meeting, September 14. A concern from those attending was whether or not the bus-only lane would cause more traffic back up at busy times. “We’ve studied this,” Kelly said. The line for other vehicles is expected to be longer, but the process time for other vehicles should be the same. “If it’s not working, there’s no point in keeping it going.” The fare-free Island Explorer system has had 40,000 more riders so far this season. Approximately 30,000 of those riders are attributed to an earlier start for some routes prior to Memorial Day. A United States Department of Transportation grant is providing funding to purchase an additional six to eight buses for the system and replace the existing buses by 2031. Those buses will be similar in accessibility, size, and function as the current fleet. The busses will also be low-emission busses, the type will be determined by whatever the park can get for the best price. New buses will allow potential new routes, consistency, and length of service throughout the day. They could also eventually allow for express buses from the Acadia Gateway Center in Trenton to the Hulls Cove Visitor Center, Southwest Harbor, or Mount Desert. “We are looking at ways to improve the way they move through the park,” Kelly explained. The express lane is one of those ways that could make an impact. The biggest choke point is the Sand Beach entrance station. Buses typically experience a 20-30 minute delay, but that can be up to one hour and 15 minutes at that site. Police, ambulance, fire, and search and rescue vehicles will also be able to use the bus lane for emergency responses, a need, Kelly said, made more poignant due to an emergency response this summer. “Vehicles could not get through Ocean Drive to get to an incident at Monument Cove,” Kelly said. Morning light illuminates Monument Cove off the Ocean Path. Ashley L. Conti/Friends of Acadia via NPS BHS file photo. BHS file photo. In July, Hannah VanDevander twisted her ankle at Monument Cove. She then fell further eventually ending up in the ocean unconscious. Efforts to get land-based emergency personnel to the site off Ocean Drive—part of the Park Loop Road which travels past Sand Beach, the Beehive, and Thunder Hole—were stymied by vehicle congestion in the popular area of the park, which hosts approximately 4 million visits each year. The woman was safely taken from the rocks on the shore as the tide was coming in and brought via the Coast Guard to the Seal Harbor pier, along with a Bar Harbor paramedic. From there, an ambulance brought her to the landing zone—a field across from the Seal Harbor Beach. In a GoFundMe for Hannah, her brother Tyler wrote, “My sister, Hannah, was in critical condition after falling from a significant height while on a hike with her fiancé, Connor, at Acadia National Park in Maine. The fall caused traumatic, life-changing injuries to her entire body before she ended up unconscious in the water below. She was rescued and brought to shore by Connor, who continued making crucial decisions to save her life. The area she fell into was extremely difficult to navigate due to the woods, the rocky shore, and the rough waters.” HELP SUPPORT THE BAR HARBOR STORY When we started The Bar Harbor Story, we didn’t know if anyone would read it. But you showed up. You shared. You sent tips. Now—over 400,000 views every month later—it’s clear: people here care about their community and each other. We’ve kept everything free because news should never be out of reach, but every one of our stories takes time to write, and your support keeps The Bar Harbor Story going. If you value our work, please consider a paid subscription, a founding membership, or a sponsorship. It truly helps us cover one more meeting, tell one more story, shine one more light. Even $5 a month makes a difference. Click here to become a one-time supporter now. Thank you so much for being here. Founding member information can be found here. Have questions about sponsorships? Just send Shaun an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you.
news

When Someone Needed Help at Acadia’s Monument Cove This July, Traffic Got in the Way.

The park plans a dedicated lane near Sand Beach for Island Explorer buses and emergency vehicles as officials look for ways to keep people moving.

Carrie Jones

Sep 14, 2026

Two hikers walking on a road lined with parked cars next to a trail sign for Precipice Trail, surrounded by greenery and cloudy skies.
Precipice Trail parking overflow on the Park Loop road shortly before the Sand Beach Entrance Station, August 31, 2024. File photo: Bar Harbor Story.

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Witham Family Hotels.

Logo of Witham Family Hotels featuring an elegant 'W' design and text in a sophisticated font on a dark background.

BAR HARBOR — A new dedicated bus lane is in the works for a section of the Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park.

The lane will not be just for busses, but also for emergency response vehicles.

The lane will be in one of the most popular areas of Acadia National Park, which will host an estimated 4 million visits this year.

It will likely begin in October.

The lane will start 1,000 feet north of the Sand Beach entrance station, which is where park passes are shown and sometimes purchased prior to vehicles, bikes, or pedestrians entering Ocean Drive, which hosts Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, the Bee Hive Trail, and other major attractions. The lane will merge for 300 feet or so after the entrance station.

John Kelly, Acadia National Park management assistant, gave the information to members of the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission during its meeting, September 14.

A concern from those attending was whether or not the bus-only lane would cause more traffic back up at busy times.

“We’ve studied this,” Kelly said. The line for other vehicles is expected to be longer, but the process time for other vehicles should be the same. “If it’s not working, there’s no point in keeping it going.”

The fare-free Island Explorer system has had 40,000 more riders so far this season. Approximately 30,000 of those riders are attributed to an earlier start for some routes prior to Memorial Day.

A United States Department of Transportation grant is providing funding to purchase an additional six to eight buses for the system and replace the existing buses by 2031. Those buses will be similar in accessibility, size, and function as the current fleet. The busses will also be low-emission busses, the type will be determined by whatever the park can get for the best price.

New buses will allow potential new routes, consistency, and length of service throughout the day. They could also eventually allow for express buses from the Acadia Gateway Center in Trenton to the Hulls Cove Visitor Center, Southwest Harbor, or Mount Desert.

“We are looking at ways to improve the way they move through the park,” Kelly explained.

The express lane is one of those ways that could make an impact.

The biggest choke point is the Sand Beach entrance station. Buses typically experience a 20-30 minute delay, but that can be up to one hour and 15 minutes at that site.

Police, ambulance, fire, and search and rescue vehicles will also be able to use the bus lane for emergency responses, a need, Kelly said, made more poignant due to an emergency response this summer.

“Vehicles could not get through Ocean Drive to get to an incident at Monument Cove,” Kelly said.

Scenic view of a rocky coastline with a clear blue sea, surrounded by pine trees and a rocky shore.
Morning light illuminates Monument Cove off the Ocean Path. Ashley L. Conti/Friends of Acadia via NPS
A waterfront scene showing several boats anchored in the water, with a dock where emergency responders are assisting individuals. A fire department vehicle and police truck are visible on the shore amidst trees and a distant coastline.
BHS file photo.
A group of law enforcement officers approaches a helicopter in a grassy field, with one officer assisting another individual towards the open door of the helicopter.
BHS file photo.

In July, Hannah VanDevander twisted her ankle at Monument Cove. She then fell further eventually ending up in the ocean unconscious.

Efforts to get land-based emergency personnel to the site off Ocean Drive—part of the Park Loop Road which travels past Sand Beach, the Beehive, and Thunder Hole—were stymied by vehicle congestion in the popular area of the park, which hosts approximately 4 million visits each year.

The woman was safely taken from the rocks on the shore as the tide was coming in and brought via the Coast Guard to the Seal Harbor pier, along with a Bar Harbor paramedic. From there, an ambulance brought her to the landing zone—a field across from the Seal Harbor Beach.

In a GoFundMe for Hannah, her brother Tyler wrote, “My sister, Hannah, was in critical condition after falling from a significant height while on a hike with her fiancé, Connor, at Acadia National Park in Maine. The fall caused traumatic, life-changing injuries to her entire body before she ended up unconscious in the water below. She was rescued and brought to shore by Connor, who continued making crucial decisions to save her life. The area she fell into was extremely difficult to navigate due to the woods, the rocky shore, and the rough waters.”

HELP SUPPORT THE BAR HARBOR STORY

When we started The Bar Harbor Story, we didn’t know if anyone would read it. But you showed up. You shared. You sent tips. Now—over 400,000 views every month later—it’s clear: people here care about their community and each other.

We’ve kept everything free because news should never be out of reach, but every one of our stories takes time to write, and your support keeps The Bar Harbor Story going.

If you value our work, please consider a paid subscription, a founding membership, or a sponsorship.

It truly helps us cover one more meeting, tell one more story, shine one more light.

Even $5 a month makes a difference. Click here to become a one-time supporter now.

Thank you so much for being here.

Founding member information can be found here.

Have questions about sponsorships? Just send Shaun an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you.

Discover more from Bar Harbor Story

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply