From Acadia to Yosemite, as camping seasons approaches, a lot of folks are going to want to bring firewood into the National Parks. And informed people are probably going to be thinking, "Is this legal? Is this a good idea?" Well, here we go!
Dear Don't Move Firewood,
I will be camping in Acadia in August,on the way there I will be visiting relatives in New Harbor ME. Am I able to bring firewood from Pemaquid Point into Acadia?
Thank you,
Toby
Dear Toby,
Excellent question- you bring up three crucial points in this simple idea.
1) Is the within-state movement of wood from "Pemaquid Point into Acadia" too far? Or is it OK?
2) Can within-state wood be brought into National Parks?
3) Can within-state wood go into Acadia, specifically?
So let's do this one at a time
1) Is Pemaquid Point into Acadia National Park too far? Simple answer; Too far. I asked Google Maps, and the road distance is listed as 119 miles. As the coastline of Maine is quite convoluted, with the roads being very twisty, I'll allow that maybe as the bug flies it is more like 80 miles. That's still far more than the recommended upper limit (50 miles) for within-state movement of firewood. The 50 mile limit is our rule of thumb here at Don't Move Firewood, and it is also what the Maine Forest Service uses on its website (maine.gov/firewood).
2) Can within-state wood be brought into National Parks? Complicated answer; Really depends on the park. For instance, Yosemite discourages firewood from more than 50 miles away, while Great Smoky Mountains has some very strongly worded regulations that prohibit the entrance of firewood from most places. The best advice I can provide is if you are coming from within 50 miles of the park, and feel strongly that you want to bring your own wood, then you should use the power of the internet to figure out if it is permissible or not. The best idea is to just leave it at home, of course.
3) Can within-state wood go into Acadia, specifically? Simple answer; They want you to leave firewood at home. The Acadia National Park website says, "Firewood brought in from other areas may contain non-native insect species that pose a serious threat to Acadia National Park's resources… Please leave your firewood at home." So that's a pretty strong statement. Park officials do not want you to bring firewood into the park.
So Toby, here's your final answer. Pemaquid Point is too far away to safely bring firewood to Acadia. Also, Acadia's staff ask that you do not bring firewood. Therefore- please do not take firewood from your relative's place all the way to Acadia. Buy it in-park, or near the edge of the park, instead.
Thanks!