Baxter State Park

Location: Piscataquis County Map

Area: 209,501 acres (847.8 km²)

Camping:

Reserve sites at least 5 months before a trip.

Tel. (207) 723 5140

Fee: $6 per person per night

Description of Baxter State Park

Baxter State Park is a small pristine stretch of forest in the Piscataquis County of Maine state. It covers a total area of 209,501 acres (847.8 km²). . Baxter State Park is named in honor of a former Maine Governor Percival P. Baxter who formed the park in 1931 by donating first 5,960 acres to the state. The highest peak in the boundaries of Baxter State Park is Baxter Peak that raises to an elevation of 5,267 feet (1,605 m) as part of cluster of mountains known as Mount Katahdin.

Baxter State Park is particularly popular among climbers who come here to scale the cliffs. Aside of numerous small rivers and streams the park contains several lakes including Grand Lake Matagamon, Webster Lake, and Nesowadnehunk Lake. Additionally there is a network of hiking trails in Baxter State Park with a total length of over 200 miles. The hardest trail is a climb to Baxter Peak, while the easiest and less strenuous are hikes to the Big and Little Niagara Falls. Additionaly there are 10 campgrounds within boundaries of Baxter State Park, which include Roaring Brook, Abol, Katahdin Stream, Nesowadnehunk, South Branch Pond Trout Brook Farm, Chimney Pond, Russell Pond, Daicey Pond and Kidney Pond.

Trail	Route	Miles
Appalachian Trail	Park line to Katahdin Stream	4.95
Abol Trail	Abol to Thoreau Spring	2.76
Hunt Trail	Katahdin Stream to Baxter Peak	5.19
The Owl Trail	Katahdin Stream to the Owl	3.00
O.J.I. Trail	Perimeter road to O.J.I	2.71
Sentinel Mt. Trail	Kidney Pond to Sentinel Mt.	2.60
Doubletop Mt. Trail	Nesowadnehunk to Kidney Pond	7.80
Marston Trail	Slide Dam to North Brother	4.24
Webster Lake Trail	Black Brook to Webster Lake	7.20
Freezeout Trail	Webster Lake to Second Lake Matagamon	9.0
Freezeout Trail	Second Lake Matagamon to Trout Brook Farm	6.10
Trout Brook Mt. Trail	Trout Brook Farm to Trout Brook Mt.	1.30
Horse Mt. Trail	Perimeter road to Horse Mt. Tower	1.35
Fowler Pond Trail	Perimeter road to Fowler Pond	2.00
Middle Fowler Trail	So. Branch Pond to Middle Fowler Pond	4.10
So. Branch Falls Trail	So. Branch Pond road to the falls	0.43
So. Branch Mt. Trail	So. Branch Pond to Pogy Notch Trail via Black Cat. Mt.	4 06
North Traveler Trail	So. Branch Pond to North Traveler	2.55
Center Ridge Trail	Pogy Notch Trail to the Traveler	1.75
Pogy Notch Trail	So. Branch Pond to the Traveler	9.61
Lookout Trail	Russell Pond Campground to The Lookout Ledge	1.25
Grand Falls Trail	Russell Pond to Grand Falls via Inscription Rock	2.75
Wassataquoik Lake Trail	Russell Pond to Wassataquoik Lake	2.70
Wassataquoik Lake Trail	Wassataquoik Lake to Nesowadnehunk Field	8.30
Russell Pond Trail	Russell Pond to Roaring Brook	7.00
Howe(north) Peaks Trail	Russell Pond to Hamlin Peak	6.85
Northwest Basin Trail	Russell Pond to The Saddle	7.96
So. Turner Mt. Trail	Roaring Brook to S. Turner Mt. via Sandy Stream Pond	2.00
Whidden Pond Trail	Sandy Stream Pond to Whidden Pond	0.90
Helon Taylor Trail	Roaring Brook to Pamola	3.16
Knife Edge Trail	Pamola to Baxter Peak	1.10
Chimney Pond Trail	Roaring Brook to Chimney Pond	3.30
Dudley Trail	Chimney Pond to Pamola	1.25
Cathedral Trail	Chimney Pond to Baxter Peak	1.70
Saddle Trail	Chimney Pond to Baxter Peak	2.17
Hamlin Ridge Trail	Chimney Pond to Hamlin Peak	1.95
North Basin Trail	Chimney Pond Trail to No. Basin Ponds	1.25

Appalachian Trail to Mt. Katahdin

Distance: 46 mi (74 km)

Duration: 6 days

Difficulty: medium- hard

Start/ End point: Lake Nahmakanta- Katahdin Stream Campground

Infrastructure

There is no electricity, running water, or paved roads in the park. The use of radios, stereos and cell phones is also prohibited, in keeping with the “forever original” philosophy. Winter hikes are strictly regulated but increasingly popular. The park is open for camping (overnight stays) from May 15th to October 15th. Only northbound Appalachian Trail hikers can stay in the park without a reservation; stay will be limited to one night at The Birches campsite, limited to the first twelve hikers. You have to register in advance at the information kiosk. It is many kilometers further south. In addition to hiking and camping, the park allows limited hunting and fishing, snowmobile access. He also maintains a small scientific forest project.

Police and fire protection in the park are provided by the State of Maine; Garbage removal and recycling is largely done by those who visited the park. Maintaining it is done by many volunteer workers and paid employees of the park. The current park director is Jensen Bissell.

History

The park was a gift to the people of Maine from Governor Percival Baxter, who used his personal wealth to purchase and donate the park's original 2,000 acres (813 km²). Since his death in 1969, the park's area has increased to its current size, with the addition (2006) of a 19 km² parcel and the spectacular Katahdin Lake. The headquarters are located over 20 miles from the current park in the small town of Millinocket. There are no shops or gas stations in the park. Access and use are strictly regulated, in keeping with Governor Baxter's desire to keep the park "forever pristine."

Geography

Baxter Park has an area of 847 km2 located in the unorganized territory of Northeast Piscataquis, itself located in Piscataquis County, with the exception of a small section to the northeast located in the unorganized territory of North Penobscot, in Penobscot County.

Relief

The relief of the park is dominated by a massif to the south and a mountain range to the north. In the center-south we find the massif of Mount Katahdin whose summit, Baxter Peak, is at 1,606 m, making it the highest point in the State of Maine. Further to the north-east we find the small Traveler Range whose summit, The Traveler, rises to 1,079 m. The rest of the park is a plain whose altitude varies between 180 m and 300 m.

Natural environment

Wildlife
The ungulates that frequent the park are the moose (Alces alces) and the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). The carnivores found in Baxter are the black bear (Ursus americanus), the river otter (Lontra canadensis), the American mink (Neovison vison), the American marten (Martes americana), the fisher (Martes pennanti), the weasel (Mustela sp.), the Coyote (Canis latrans), the Bobcat (Lynx rufus) and the Raccoon (Procyon lotor). Among the small mammals we find the Canadian Beaver (Castor canadensis), the Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), the Common Marmot (Marmota monax), the Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus), the Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), the red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), the eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus), the flying squirrel (Glaucomys sp.), the mouse, the vole and the lemming vole (Synaptomys sp.).