When you want to do more than just visit Acadia National Park with your dog, a new program could be barking right up your tree to make your dog happy and make the park more enjoyable for other pet owners. The popular BARK Ranger program is now available at this massive Maine park that is one of the most dog-friendly in the nation. Does your dog have what it takes to be a good example for other dogs? This is one of the trending ways to make your dog happy.
What Is a BARK Ranger?
Playing off the popularity of the Junior Ranger Program for children visiting national parks with their families, BARK Ranger celebrates the goodest boys and girls with a special treat.
The BARK Ranger title means your dog has earned the title after you both abide by four simple rules in Acadia National Park.
- Bag Your Poop
- Always Wear a Leash
- Respect Wildlife
- Know Where to Go
BARK Ranger: Step 1 – Bag Your Poop
The first rule answers the call of nature with responsible and sanitary practices with pet poop. Even the best of intentions with bagged poop being strewn to the side can cause health issues, leak into stormwater that runs into drinking water areas, or cause more people to follow this bad habit.
“It is not fun nor glamorous to walk about carrying bags of poop, but it is the responsible thing to do.” – Patt, Acadia Park Visitor
The only acceptable disposal of dog poop is in the closest designated disposal container. This also follows the seven principles of Leave No Trace all two-legged park visitors are expected to follow.
“We were just there with our puppy. His first national park and I carried his poop-filled bags out. It’s easy if you bring a designed extra bag attached to your backpack for the poo bags. He became a BARK ranger because he followed the rules.” – Lucia, Acadia Park Visitor
Instead of planning to “pick it up on the way back,” take it with you and make that a good habit that gets your dog one step closer to being a BARK Ranger.
BARK Ranger: Step 2 – Always Wear a Leash
All BARK Rangers must stay on a leash no more than six feet in length for the duration of the dog-friendly hike at Acadia National Park. That’s a federal law on top of being park policy.
The park offers a new sensory overload for your best buddy, with the medley of smells and sounds, and letting a dog off leash poses risks for your dog, other people on the trails, and wildlife.
FACT: In August 2019, three dog attacks happened at Acadia within one week due to owners not following the leash rules.
No matter how friendly your dog is, some people will have a negative experience if a free-roaming dog approaches them. The more positive experiences guests have with dog-friendly Acadia National Park, the longer dogs will be welcome (and the more envious those Rocky Mountain National Park dog-owning visitors will be.)
Dogs being allowed in this national park is a privilege, not a right.
BARK Ranger: Step 3 – Respect Wildlife
Acadia National Park doesn’t have the deer and moose concerns as in some other parts of Maine, but there are still some critters creating chaos for dog owners if they don’t respect the park’s “residents.” Homeward Bound movie lovers will remember the moment Chance tried to boss around a porcupine and bellowed, “He bit me with his butt!”
Alexandria Zboyovski experienced a real-life moment when her dog pulled the waist harness too close to a perturbed porcupine in Acadia.
“Truly, this was the most horrific scene I could ever have imagined as a watched my boy suffer and struggle immensely. I was not sure Bane was going to make it as we waited for the park rangers to arrive and get us to the vet,” Zboyyovski recalled.
Porcupines have more than 30,000 quills that pack a painful punch. When your dog is on a leash, you control its safety. Other risks in Acadia National Park for dogs include:
- Brown-Tailed Moth: Unless a dog’s human is from New England, they might not know about the toxic brown-tailed moth and the health risks that come with its caterpillar form. Acadia National Park is one of the few national parks in the country to issue a health advisory about this invasive species.
- Ticks: Deer ticks call Acadia home, and they’re roaming through all that thick brush that dogs can’t access if they’re on a leash. Ticks carry several diseases, including Lyme disease, that can be dangerous for people and pets.
- Skunks: These stinky suckers hide in the darker hours between sunrise and sunset. A dog’s nosy navigation can lead it right to the suffocating and palpable stench of a skunk warning shot.
BARK Ranger: Step 4 – Know Where to Go
Dogs have more than 145 miles of leashed, poop-scooping, wildlife-respecting space to explore in Acadia. The only parts of the park off-limits to dog owners are for the safety of pets, owners, and residents.
To make you feel better, you are not allowed to swim in any of the lakes in the park any more than your dog is. People who live in that region rely on lakes for tap water. You do have two swimming holes for your dog, but they are not dog-approved during certain seasons.
- Sand Beach: No Dogs June 15 – September 8
- Echo Lake: No Dogs May 15 – September 15
Dogs aren’t allowed at the Duck Harbor Campground throughout the year, but they are allowed at the other three locations. Keep your dogs out of public buildings as well.
Pets are also not allowed on certain trails, and when you look at the slideshow below you can see why. Sharp drop-offs and dangerous paths with slick rocks are just too risky for your favorite friend.
The trails closed to dogs are:
- Precipice
- Beehive
- Ladder Trail to Dorr Mountain
- Beech Cliffs Trail
- Perpendicular Trail (Mansell Mountain)
- Jordan Cliffs Trail between Penobscot East Trail and the carriage road
MORE: What is a Carriage Road?
How to Become an Arcadia National Park BARK Ranger
Raise your right paw and promise to follow the rules of the B.A.R.K. Ranger guidelines to earn a special collar tag and well-deserved belly rub. It’s easy and free. You can take the BARK Ranger Pledge and pick up an activity guide at your campground ranger station, the Sieur de Months Nature Center, or the Hulls Cove Visitor Center from late spring through early fall.
In winter, the visitor’s center is located at the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce near Cottage Street and Main Street. You can get your BARK Ranger activity sheet there. Once you’ve completed the tasks, return to the center for a celebration, and you can purchase a BARK Ranger Dog Tag.
You’ll be so proud you found a new way to make your dog happy and be included in the BARK Ranger Photo Album of Excellence
Bark Ranger Activity Guide
