Nature
Sand Beach is the only sand beach along Acadia National Park's rocky shores. Over 15,000 years ago glacial ice carved out this valley, and melting glaciers and rising sea waters flooded it, creating a protected cove. A headland and a rock shelf offshore divert and diminish the power of the ocean, allowing fine particles to settle in the cove. The beach sand consists mostly of bits and pieces of crushed shells, an unusual composition for a northern beach, along with sparkling quartz, pink feldspar, and a high percentage of shell fragments and other remains of marine animals. In the protected waters of Newport Cove, slower-moving water drops sand that waves may deposit on the beach. Even on warm summer days, the water temperature may be a chilling 50°F (10°C).
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Bar Harbor, Maine · United States
