Sand Beach, Acadia National Park, Maine

Visitors traveling to Acadia may appreciate having access to an ocean beach, although they may not be prepared for the cold Gulf of Maine waters that lap at its edge. Sand Beach is one of only two beaches on the Atlantic sea coast north of Cape Hatteras that features both sand dunes and sediment made almost entirely of calcium carbonate particles (shell fragments).
The waters of the region are home to an abundant community of creatures like barnacles and mussels that provide the shell material that makes up 70-80% of the material found on the beach.
The small offshore rocky ledge called Old Soaker (visible from Sand Beach or Great Head) helps break up the surf entering Newport Cove just enough to allow the finer sediments to accumulate and to prevent wave action from carrying those sediments away.
Beaches are dynamic places, constantly changing both daily and longer term. Acadia’s Sand Beach is experiencing long-term changes due to climate change and other factors.