I wrote this review just before sunset on Sunday night.
A couple of months ago, the folks down at Chimani, a Maine mobile development company, asked me to write a review of their Acadia National Park app. They sent me a promo code so that I could download it for free, take a look, and do my trademark rambling about it.
Frequent readers of my blog should realize by now that I really enjoy visiting Acadia. It’s one of my favorite areas of the world, and in fact I’m writing this post while sitting on top of Cadillac Mountain on my iPad. I wanted to write a fair review of the app, so I’ve brought it with me to the park three times since I downloaded it in June. I can honestly say that Chimani’s Acadia app has improved my trips to Acadia.
The first thing you’ll notice about the Acadia app is its comprehensiveness. If you want to know something about Acadia, chances are it’s in the app: hiking trails, ranger events, parking, and much more. Many of the most popular spots have in-depth descriptions as well as additional helpful information (for example, Thunder Hole’s info page has a link to the tide charts for the day so that you can see the best times to visit). I’ve learned a ton about the park in the last couple of months through the app, including new places to visit and bits of history about some of my favorite spots.
One of my favorite features is the built-in Island Explorer schedules. The Island Explorer is a fleet of free-with-park-fee buses that follow routes around the island. The app provides you with route information as well as upcoming times for individual stops. It even calculates how much time you’ll have at a stop before the next bus arrives.
As a developer myself, I really appreciate the extra touches they’ve put in throughout the app. The in-app auto tour features audio versions of each spot’s summary, making it really easy to follow along with the tour. The included map is incredible as well; it puts a marker on all the spots for a number of relevant points (parking, trail heads, etc.) on a zoomable map of Mount Desert Island that works just like the iPhone’s included Maps application. The search on the home page allows you to quickly find anything you need within the application as well.
Granted, the app does have a few downsides. It’s a hefty app, weighing in at around 260 MB; that’s by far the largest app on my iPod touch. That size is put to good use with all the stored information, photos, and audio within the app, but it does slow down syncing when an new update comes down the line. It’s a fairly new application, so there are still a few bugs to work out (for example, the app doesn’t seem to show any afternoon times for one of the Island Explorer routes). I’ve noticed a few usability quirks and some crashes, too, but the app is constantly being revised and I’m sure it will continue to be improved in coming releases.
So should you buy the app? If you’re heading to Acadia for a weekend and just want to hit the well-traveled spots (Thunder Hole, Sand Beach, and the Jordan Pond House, for example), you might find a bus tour or a simple drive around the Park Loop Road suits your needs. If you’re a serious traveler who wants to spend some time and truly explore and experience the park, or if you’re someone like me who displays his annual Acadia pass on his windshield with pride, then there’s no question that you should buy Chimani’s Acadia app. It’s well worth the price.
Thanks to Chimani for letting me play around with the app. If you’ll excuse me, the sun’s about to set over Blue Hill. According to the app, sunset is at 7:57. I have to go.