In Maine, is it Illegal to be Intoxicated in State & Nat’l Parks?

Let's be real...

We all know how rules work, right? They're meant to be broken! Hahaha... Not really. Well actually, people break rules all the time. But normally, it depends on what level you can handle yourself. I've always sort of lived by the motto that it's easier to apologize than to ask for permission.

But normally, when flaunting the rules, it requires a certain amount of decorum. Like, if you want to break the rules, don't be an idiot about it. For instance, if you're trying to sneak a beer while your mother-in-law isn't paying attention, it's probably not a good idea to get wasted and tell her exactly what you think, hahaha. But sneaking a little drinkie-poo to brace yourself for her visit, is a different story.

One could argue the same logic applies to Maine's natural wonders.

You've booked a weekend away with your friends up in Baxter State Park to do some fishing or whatnot. Your inclination is to bring a bunch of beers and do a little partying while you're not slaying brookies in the river. But... That isn't going to fly. Maine has some pretty specific rules about drinking/drugs in our state and national parks.

For real... At Maine.gov, it's spelled out pretty plainly.

Intoxicating beverages are not permitted in historic sites, day use areas, or in the common public areas in campgrounds. Disorderly conduct is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, indecent acts, intoxication or coarse language.

So getting drunk and yelling the F word at the top of your lungs, while running naked through Baxter is wildly prohibited. Now, I'm not telling anyone to bypass the rules, but I imagine if you're keeping things out of sight and acting like an adult, you probably won't draw a lot of attention to yourself.

What about Acadia National Park?

Now, Baxter's rules apply at the state level, in every way. But, we also have a national park in our state, being Acadia National Park. Are the rules any more relaxed in there? Nope. Not at all. In fact, one could probably even make the argument that they're a bit more strict.

Their rules go so far as to say, that legally, you can't even be under the influence of anything in the park. Now, I don't wanna be controversial, but I'm willing to bet the rest of this year's paychecks that someone at some point, has snuck some weed into the park. Maybe even a beer or two. But they seem pretty hardcore about you not doing it.

Again, I'm not telling anyone to break the rules. I'm just saying people have done it for decades, and the only ones getting busted are the ones who can't handle themselves. The pros are just sitting back watching the greenhorns take all the heat. So I take it back... You go be a menace to society, I'll sit back and sneak my beer quietly.

Just remember, drinking is not one of the things on this list...