Katahdin Vistas: Autumn Hiking in Baxter State Park, Maine

The Trip

Mighty Mt. Katahdin is Maine’s highest mountain and the “showpiece” of Baxter State Park. Established in 1931, the park was the gift of a single person, Percival Baxter. He purchased the land -- 5,960 acres, including Mt. Katahdin -- using his own money and then gave it to the people of Maine. Baxter, who served as Maine’s governor from 1921-1925, continued to purchase additional tracts of forested land. By 1962, his gift amounted to a grand total of 201,018 acres of northern Maine woods, rivers, lakes, ponds, and mountains.

Unlike Acadia National Park on Maine’s coast, Baxter State Park has never been developed into a “tourist destination." No inns, no restaurants, no gift shops. Rather the “Park has been reserved to be maintained for the most part as a wilderness environment similar to that which pre-dated the arrival of Europeans in this part of Maine. It has been reserved as a wildlife sanctuary for the recreational use of the people of Maine and their guests.” (Baxter State Park Authority, Katahdin: A Guide to Baxter State Park, 2017).

While the most famous, and hence, most heavily used, trails in Baxter lead to the summit of Mt. Katahdin, this trip will focus on lesser known, uncrowded, moderate-level trails that will lead us to stunning views of the park’s mountains, including Katahdin. We will hike through lush forest, past lovely ponds and streams, and summit one of the lower peaks for a 360-degree view of the landscape. Some of our routes will contain segments of the well-known Appalachian Trail where we will likely encounter some of the thru-hikers of this trail on their way to the finish line atop Mt. Katahdin.

We will stay in lovely lakeshore cabins just outside the park, where we can enjoy sunrise or sunset over Millinocket Lake, and take a “moose tour” one evening in hopes of spotting this iconic animal. We will also have access to kayaks at the Outdoor Center and take a kayak paddle one day on the lake, if there is interest among the participants.

The following itinerary is tentative and subject to change due to the weather or other factors.

Day 1: Participants should plan to arrive at our lodge no later than 3:00 p.m. to check into our cabins. We will have an orientation meeting at 4:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 5:00 p.m. at one of the nearby restaurants (this dinner covered by the trip price).

Day 2: After breakfast at our cabins, we will venture into Baxter State Park to hike some of the moderate trails in the southwest corner of the park. The individual trails in this area are relatively short, but they can be linked with other relatively short trails to give us a hike of moderate length (5-6 miles total). Here are some of the possibilities. Kettle Pond Trail (1.8 miles one-way, minimal elevation gain) “weaves through a series of small but scenic ponds formed by huge isolated chunks of glacial remains…forming “kettles." From Kettle Pond Trail, we can continue on either the Abol Pond Trail (1.5 miles one-way) or the Rum Pond Trail (1.9 miles one-way) or the Cranberry Pond Trail (1.4 miles one-way). From the north end of the Abol Pond Trail, we could hike a segment of the Appalachian Trail as it winds alongside the West Branch of the Penobscot River. Dinner at our cabins.

Day 3: We will continue our exploration of the southwest portion of the park on these trails: Daicey Pond Trail (1.7 mile loop), and perhaps add the Elbow Pond Trail (1.6 miles one-way) or the Grassy Pond Trail (0.7 mile one-way), which connect to the Daicey Pond Trail. We will also add a hike along the Appalachian Trail to Big and Little Niagara Falls (1.2 miles one-way). (Yes we are still in Maine, not New York!) Dinner at our cabins.

Day 4: This will be “choice day." Participants can choose to go kayaking on Millinocket Lake with the leader and/or go into Millinocket to the park visitor’s center or visit art galleries there. If there is interest, we could also drive about 45 minutes to Patten, Maine to visit the Lumberman’s Museum, which contains exhibits about the history of the lumbering industry in Maine. Dinner will be “on your own” (this dinner is not covered by the trip price).

Day 5: After breakfast, we will hike the Trout Mountain Trail in a Nature Conservancy property near our cabins. This three-mile (one-way) trail leads to a fire tower that is open to the public. From the top of the tower, one can see Mt. Katahdin and other features of the surrounding area in a 360-degree panorama. In the evening, we will set out with a guide from the Outdoor Center on a wildlife tour in hopes of spotting a moose (or beaver, otter, eagle, loon, or other wildlife). Dinner will be at our cabins.

Day 6: We will conclude our hiking adventure in Baxter State Park with another hike in the Kidney Pond area. Trails here include: Celia and Jackson Ponds Trail (1.6 miles one-way) and Sentinel Mountain (2.4 miles one-way, 786 feet elevation gain). The view from the summit of Sentinel includes unrestricted views of these mountains: Doubletop, O-J-I, Barren, The Owl, and the entire west side of Mt. Katahdin. The guidebook says that climbing Sentinel Mountain is an easier “climb for those who wish to attain the heights without the greater effort required by the high peaks.” We will have our farewell dinner at one of the local restaurants. (This dinner is covered by the trip price).

Day 7: The trip officially ends after breakfast.

Getting There

The closest airport to Baxter State Park and our lodge is Bangor International Airport, an approximately 2-hour drive one-way. Due to the distance from the airport to the lodge and other factors, the leaders will not be providing transportation from the airport or around the park. We encourage participants to arrange for carpools among themselves. Having a car for this trip could also enable participants with some extra time to visit Acadia National Park either before or after this outing in Baxter.

Accommodations and Food

We will be staying in beautiful waterfront cabins on the grounds of the New England Outdoor Center located on Millinocket Lake. Each cabin has separate bedrooms that each sleep only two people. Each participant will have only one roommate in their room (unless the party is a couple). The larger cabin can accommodate from 4-7 people in three bedrooms and has two bathrooms. The smaller cabins can accommodate between 2-4 people in separate bedrooms, with one shared bathroom. “All of (the) cabin rental options exemplify quality Maine lodging and include a variety of amenities: wireless internet, full kitchen, linens, towels, coffee, and on-site dining.” (Source: NEOC website)

We will supply all breakfasts and fixings for participants to make their own sack lunches. The trip price will also cover two restaurant dinners and three remaining dinners that will be cooked at the cabins. For one night, participants will be on their own for dinner.

Trip Difficulty

The hiking routes on this trip are all rated moderate. While some individual trails will seem easy by themselves, they will be strung together to create a longer hike of 5-7 miles each day. Many will have minimal overall elevation gain, but may be rolling, and have rocky and rooty surfaces, which can present a challenge. There may be some rock scrambling in some spots. We will not be hiking any of the extremely strenuous, but also very crowded, mountain trails, but rather will use lesser-known, moderate level trails that are equally beautiful but much less populated. Many of the trails that we will hike will provide outstanding views of the majestic Katahdin mountain range.

Participants are urged to prepare for this trip by taking regular hikes on uneven, rocky, rooty trails that provide some elevation gain (e.g. up to 1,000 feet). While going to the gym or taking daily walks on roads or in the mall can help promote some level of fitness, the best way to get in shape for a hiking trip is to get out and hike!

Equipment and Clothing

Accepted participants will receive a detailed list of the equipment and clothing they should bring to the trip.

References

• Baxter State Park Authority, Katahdin: A Guide to Baxter State Park (8th edition). 2017. 
• Baxter State Park website: https:// baxterstatepark.org
• Patten Lumberman’s Museum website: https://lumbermensmuseum.org/

Conservation

Maine is the most forested state in the Lower 48. Its forests have been used by humans for centuries for firewood, masts for sailing ships, building lumber, and pulp for paper. They provide many different natural habitats for a wide variety of plant and animal species. Large tracts of forest are recognized as important “carbon sinks” where carbon dioxide is removed from the air and used by the trees to make their own “food." Maine’s forests face many serious challenges, including drought; invasive plants like Japanese barberry and bittersweet; and forest pests like the hemlock wooly adelgid, the spruce budworm, the emerald ash borer, and the brown-tailed moth. The Sierra Club has made the protection of the Maine Woods, the largest expanse of contiguous northern forest east of the Mississippi River, one of its highest national conservation priorities. The Sierra Club (Maine Chapter) seeks to protect Maine's wilderness heritage through efforts to link existing public lands and unprotected areas, create new opportunities for wilderness recreation, and allow forests to return to a mature and natural state. (Source: Maine Chapter of the Sierra Club website)

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.