Acadia National Park, Maine

Established in 1919 and originally named Lafayette National Park, Acadia was the first U.S.national park east of the Mississippi.  The rocky shoreline, hidden ledges, and fog posed treacherous hazards for boats and ships until after the Civil War. By that time foghorns and lights were installed to make navigation generally safe.  The romance of the often lonely life of lightkeepers and their families is a thing of the past. Modernized lighthouses are run by remote control.