Fascinating secrets of one of America's most beautiful national parks - including hidden cave you can explore and mysterious cross carved near peak of stunning mountain

Maine's Acadia National Park has been a sight of wonder for Americans and tourists alike for many years. 

Running along the mid-section of the coast, the park is famed for hosting the tallest mountains on the eastern seaboard and acting as a home to diverse plants and animals. 

But even with nearly 4 million visitors per year, there are still some well-kept secrets about the Park including its historic name and a hidden cave that can only be visited during low tides. 

Here are some lesser-known legends about one of America's most beautiful national parks: 

1. Acadia is not is its actual name

This 47,000-acre park was not named 'Acadia' at first. Instead, local legend suggests French-Italian explorer Giovanni de Verrazzano had first named the area as 'Arcadia' - after the Greek gods Hermes and Pan's home in mythology. 

Local legend suggests French-Italian explorer Giovanni de Verrazzano had first named the area as 'Arcadia' - after the home to the Greek gods Hermes and Pan in mythology

Over time, new settlers in the area began to drop the 'r' from its name and began to call the park the name we know today. 

But other legends around the area suggest that the name 'Acadia' is actually Europeanization of a Wabanaki word from either the Mi'kmaq or Passamaquoddy language. 

In Mi'kmaq, the word is 'academ,' which means 'we dwell' or 'led-lacadem,' which means 'where we dwell.' In Passamaquoddy, the word is 'aquoddiauke,' which means 'a place for pollock.'

According to the park's website, the Wabanaki people traveled to this area overland and in seaworthy birchbark canoes and set up temporary camps near places like Somes Sound.

But other legends around the area suggest that the name 'Acadia' is actually Europeanization of a Wabanaki word from either the Mi'kmaq or Passamaquoddy language

Some of the Wabanaki people called Mount Desert Island 'Pemetic' which means 'range of mountains.' This 'naming' was documented by the Wabanaki people guiding French colonizer Samuel de Champlain who first came to Mount Desert Island in 1604. 

'Confronted with attempts to displace and erase them by European colonizers starting in the 1500s, Wabanaki people resisted and remained resilient. They shaped the history of their people and the place we now call Acadia National Park in the face of the colonial onslaught of guns, disease and attempted genocide,' the website explains. 

2. Somes Sound isn’t a true fjord

One of Acadia's most loved spot - Somes Sound has been proven to not be a true fjord by the Maine Geological Survey. 

Somes Sound is a long, deep trough down the center of Mount Desert Island, stretching nearly 5 miles from the village of Somesville to the towns of Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor at its mouth. 

Somes Sound is a long, deep trough down the center of Mount Desert Island, stretching nearly 5 miles from the village of Somesville to the towns of Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor at its mouth

Due to its depth, the trough was long known as a fjord but a report by the Geological Survey concluded that the Sound lacked many properties of a true fjord coast like that of Norway. 

Although the report also noted that the Sound's seafloor geology revealed that it has experienced a complex history and has some fjord-like aspects. 

A fjord is defined as a 'deep, narrow and elongated sea or lake drain, with steep land on three sides. The opening toward the sea is called the mouth of the fjord, and is often shallow. The fjord's inner part is called the sea bottom'. 

3. A secret cave that can only be visited during low tide

Anemone Cave, a sea cave located just south of Schooner Head Outlook, a few miles south of Bar Harbor is one of Acadia's most well kept secrets.

The cave, which has now been removed from the park's map, is the largest of the six sea caves located on Mount Desert Island. 

Anemone Cave, a sea cave located just south of Schooner Head Outlook, a few miles south of Bar Harbor is one of Acadia's most well kept secrets

Anemone Cave was formed after several thousand years of constant wave action. 

At mid-tide the cave entrance is about 35 feet wide and 15 feet high and extends back 60 feet. By high tide, the pools and the cave are awash but the water level is well below the ceiling. 

Visitors can only visit Anemone during low tide by walking along the beach. 

4. Granite carving at Cadillac mountain

The summit of Cadillac Mountain is one of the most-loved destinations within Acadia National Park. 

Local legend suggest that the cross was carved by members of French explorer Samuel de Champlain’s party when they first came to the area and began colonizing the area

But those who have been able to hike to its very top have reported seeing a cross shape carved into the granite. 

Local legend suggest that the cross was carved by members of French explorer Samuel de Champlain’s party when they first came to the area and began colonizing the area. 

But according to the Bangor News Daily, the cross was instead carved by surveyors in sometime around 1908. 

The peak was also renamed to Cadillac from its original name, Green Mountain in 1918 to honor Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, another French explorer. 

Antoine is also the same Cadillac for whom the car company was named.