Anemone Cave

Sea Anemone Cave - Devils Den

Useful Information

Location: Acadia National Park, below the Schooner Head overlook, Mt. Desert Island. From Boston I-95 north to Augusta, Route 3 east through Ellsworth to Mount Desert Island. I-95 north to Bangor, Route 1A east to Ellsworth, Route 3 to Mount Desert Island.
Open: Hulls Cove Visitor Center: 15-APR to JUN daily 8-16:30. JUL to AUG daily 8-18. SEP daily 8-17 OCT daily 8-16:30 [2005]
Fee: Vehicle 7 days USD 20, Person 7 days USD 5. [2005]
Classification: ExplainSea cave
Light: n/a
Dimension: L=27m.
Guided tours: n/a
Address: Acadia National Park, P.O. Box 177, Eagle Lake Road, Bar Harbor, ME 04609-0177, Tel: +1-207-288-3338, Fax: +1-207-288-8813.




Image: Anemone Cave, Mt. Desert Island, Me. Photograph from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920.
Image: Schooner Head from Anemone Cave, Mt. Desert Island, Me. Photograph from the Detroit Publishing Company, ca. 1900.

Anemone Cave is named after sea anemones that live in tidal pools inside the cave. The most important sight of this small sea cave is a large, clear pool inside. To see its green crabs, purple snails, starfish, sponges, sea urchins, sea anemones, and many other ocean creatures, it is necessary to wait quietly for some time and peer into the water.

This cave was an official part of the sights of Acadia National Park for a long time. But some years ago Park officials removed the cave from most publications, to protect the cave from too many visitors. The more visitors go into the cave, the bigger is the impact on the plants and animals inside the cave. Even if people are careful, there are no paved paths and so the visitors walk on the cave floor, destroying the unique habitat.

There are various seldom used paths to the cave. At low tide the most easy path goes across wet and seaweed-covered rocks. It is possible for visitors to access the cave with some scrambling At high tide, the only route involves clinging to ledges half-way up the south wall of the cavern that had been sculpted into the cliff wall by the sea.