BAR HARBOR — The National Park Service on Tuesday officially launched a first-in-the-nation pilot program that will make entrance passes at Acadia National Park available for sale online. 

“With the launch of this pilot program at Acadia, the National Park System is entering a new era of accessibility,” U.S. Sen. Angus King, who began lobbying for the service a year ago, said in a prepared statement Tuesday.

“Electronic park passes will not only make it easier for the American people to visit and enjoy our most treasured places, but they’ll also help the Park Service maximize sales and generate new revenues. I applaud the Park Service for embracing the power of this technology and am delighted that Acadia is leading the nation in piloting it.”

Acadia will be the first of three national parks to test a new website called “Your Pass Now.” With the official launch of the pilot program, visitors to Acadia will be able to purchase at no additional cost annual and seven-day entrance passes online. Two other national parks will soon be testing a different electronic entrance pass program.

“After an entrance pass is purchased online, it can be printed or reside on a mobile device for use at the park on the date of purchase or at a specified future date. Park staff can validate the entrance pass using a Quick Response code that is generated for each pass,” according to a National Park Service statement.