What

A three-day, multi-activity tent camping holiday weekend.

Where

Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island, a 108 square mile island off the coast of Maine.

When

Our campground reservation begins at noon on Friday, May 24 and ends at noon on Monday, May 27, 2019.

Action Dates

• Wednesday, May 1: Trip sign-up begins at noon
• Friday, May 10: Trip sign-up closes and lottery runs at noon
• Saturday, May 18: Trip fee payment deadline at noon for participants that cleared the lottery on May 10 or were promoted from the waitlist to the cleared list before noon on Thursday, May 16.
• Monday, May 20 to Wednesday, May 22: Trip fee payment deadlines, specific per participant, for participants that were promoted from the waitlist to the cleared list after noon on Thursday, May 16.
• Wednesday, May 22: Mandatory Pre-Trip Meeting at 6:00 pm in 1-190.

Prerequisites

You must be a MITOC member to participate in this trip. If you are not yet a member, click here to join.

About the Lottery

The trip has a capacity limit of 80 participants. When the lottery runs at noon on Friday, May 10, an initial population for the trip will be selected and placed on the cleared list by the lottery. Anyone not selected by the lottery will be placed on a waitlist. As participants withdraw or are removed from the cleared list (as always happens) during the next ten days, participants from the waitlist will be cleared to replace those who have withdrawn or been removed.

Cost

The $40 non-refundable trip fee includes 3 nights of camping at our reserved campsite. The trip fee does not include food or transportation, nor does it include rental fees for gear (tents, sleeping bags and other gear available for rent from MITOC at below-belief prices). To provide transportation, we organize a rideshare through which members who have cars share space and operating costs of their cars with members who need rides to, from and on the island. MIT students, faculty and staff can rent cars for the rideshare under an MIT corporate discount program as described here. If the trip fee and/or gear rental fees prevent you from participating in this trip, please click here.

Activities

Popular activities during this tent camping weekend may include hiking, climbing, biking, boating, surfing, sailing, swimming (if you dare), bird watching, whale watching, sky watching (mostly at night), people watching (anytime), eating, sleeping, and invent-your-own activities in the company of 80 other outdoor-driven MITOC members. MITOC will provide the organizational energy and resources necessary to make the Acadia Weekend Trip happen, including participant registration, rideshare organization, and a reserved group campsite (with hot showers), but scheduling activities and deciding what to do on a day-to-day basis will be left to you and other participants to develop either individually or collaboratively. More information about activities and opportunities for collaboration will be provided at the pre-trip meeting on Wednesday, May 22nd.

About the Island

Acadia’s bold mountains and stunning coastal scenery make it one of the most unique hiking and climbing destinations on the East Coast. Only in Acadia can you scale sheer cliffs that rise precipitously out of the sea. From an ecological standpoint, Acadia is one of the most diverse national parks in America. With elevations ranging from sea-level to 1,500 feet, the landscape boasts rugged mountains, forests, lakes and wetlands. Outside of a tropical rainforest, there are few places in the world with so much natural diversity packed into such a small space. Check here for updated information from the National Park Service, including maps, regulations, temporary trail closures, and current conditions for specific activities. Check here for a map of the island with links to points of interest and commercial support services and facilities.

Questions?

Bring your questions to the Pre-Trip Meeting on Wednesday, May 22, or email chris@chrissummerfield.com