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Adapted from
Scenic Driving
New England
by Stewart M. Green
Baxter State Park
Scenic Drive
A Tour Through Wild Maine
Mount Katahdin lifts its glacier-sculpted crown high above Maine's North Woods, a dense boreal forest that blankets the state's unpopulated upper half. The lofty 5,267-foot mountain and its surrounding satellite peaks tower above the horizon, their old, glaciated ridges etched against the pale sky on a clear day and visible from most of Maine. While the procession of seasons changes the mountain's outward appearance—leafy green forests spreading across the lower slopes in springtime, the blaze of summer wildflowers in a forest clearing, autumn trees papering the peak with gaudy colors, and a dazzling carpet of snow enveloping them in winter—the colossal mountain seems unchanging, eternal, and aloof as seasons pass across its face.
A Moose Quenching Its Thirst
Desk calendar available from Kennan Ward.
Mount Katahdin is the centerpiece of Baxter State Park, the fourth-largest state-owned preserve in the United States and the largest public parkland in New England. Baxter is an immense swath of magnificent wilderness that stretches across Maine's North Woods region. The pristine park, covering 201,108 acres or 314 square miles, is rightly called Maine's Yellowstone. This park, a Katahdin-guarded realm, is a forest primeval that has recovered from the ravages of logging, a wildlife sanctuary filled with moose, deer, and bear and a place, said its creator Percival Baxter, "where nature rules and where the creatures of the forest hold undisputed dominion."
Drive at a Glance General Description: A 94-mile, back-roads route around Mount Katahdin and Baxter State Park in northern Maine. It takes about 2 1/2 hours to complete, and there is an $8 entrance fee for non-Maine-residents.
Special Attractions: Baxter State Park, Mt. Katahdin, Katahdin Stream Falls, Doubletop Mountain, The Travelers Pond, South Branch Pond, Sandy Stream Pond, Roaring Brook Nature Trail, Appalachian Trail, Little Niagara and Big Niagara falls, Daicey Pond Nature Trail Visitor Center, camping, backpacking, hiking, fishing, wildlife observation, ski touring, canoeing, mountaineering, rock climbing, fall foliage.
Location: North-central Maine.
Drive Route Numbers: Park Tote Toad, Grand Lake Road, Maine Highway 159. The north park gates are open from 6AM to 9PM, and the south park gates are upen from 6AM to 10PM. The park roads are closed to motorhomes, trailers, motorcycles, and off-road vehicles. Vehicles may not be over 9 feet high, 7 feet wide, or 22 feet long for a single vehicle or longer than 44 feet for a combined vehicle.
Travel Season: Mid-May through mid-October.
Services: All services in Millinocket. Limited services in Patten and Island Falls at the north end of the drive.
Nearby Attractions: Gulf Hagas, Hermitage Preserve, Katahdin Iron Works, Moosehead Lake, Mount Kineo, Moose River Valley, Kennebec River, Lily Bay State Park.
The Baxter State Park Scenic Drive threads 94 miles through the western and northern edge of the park on the Park Tote Road, a dusty narrow track that leads to quiet campsites, ponds, waterfalls, tumbling brooks, and spectacular scenic views. Travelers need to remember that recreation is a mere secondary use of the park. Travelers should also be advised that Baxter does not cater to motorists and parking lots often fill up very quickly, especially in September. Expect a bumpy ride on a narrow dirt road. As one man said, "Baxter is heaven, but its roads are hell."The drive, easily approached from Interstate 95, is open from mid-May to mid-October. Late summer and early fall are ideal times to drive the route, although expect unsettled and unpredictable weather at times with cool temperatures and prolonged periods of rain and clouds. Hikers and climbers need to be especially cautious and prepared for inclement weather. Wear proper waterproof boots or shoes; carry a rain parka and an extra coat or sweater; carry a flashlight; bring at least 2 quarts of water for a day hike and treat all park water before drinking; and stay on trails. The majority of park fatalities and accidents are caused by hikers leaving the trails and becoming lost.
Baxter State Park is one of the great success stories of American conservation and owes its existence to the efforts and vision of one man— Percival Baxter. Baxter, as mayor of Portland and later as a two-term governor of Maine, lobbied the Maine state legislature to take action and preserve the Katahdin area from further devastation at the hands of the powerful logging industry. None of his bills or lobbying efforts panned out, although the legislature did create a game preserve on 90,000 acres of the mountain. Baxter, with a stubborn Yankee streak, refused to let his noble idea go. He later remembered, "I was attacked as a dreamer and branded as a socialist" for his efforts. So as a capitalist, Baxter began acquiring the land, piece by piece, from the lumber companies and turning over each precious parcel to the state with deed restrictions to preserve its wild nature. Over the next few decades he gift-wrapped more than 200,000 acres along with some operating funds and turned them over to the state of Maine as a nature preserve to be kept in its "natural wild state." Today the park is operated by the Baxter Park Authority, a state entity distinct from the state parks department.
This is a place for people to return to nature simply, or go somewhere else. Speed limits range up to only 20 miles per hour on the axle-breaking dirt roads. No motorhomes, trailers, motorcycles, trail bikes, pets, radios, TV's or other fancy recreational paraphernalia are allowed in the park. Mountain bikes are allowed in the park, but may be ridden only on the Park Tote Road. Motorboats cannot be used on any lake or pond within the park. Neither are there any fast food joints, hotels, or tacky souvenir shops anywhere in the park. Camping is closely regulated and restricted, and no more than 1,000 people can spend the night in the park. This is a place, Baxter said, for people to return to nature simply, or go somewhere else.
The drive begins on the west side of Millinocket. Follow signs out of town to Baxter State Park. The paved road runs northwest through undulating, wooded hills. Smith Pond is passed at 3 miles. As the road swings by Hammond Ridge, an overgrown clear-cut lines the road. At 6.8 miles the road crosses a narrow neck that separates Ambajejus Lake (on the left) from Millinocket Lake. The mostly level asphalt, paralleled by a forest access road on the left, runs through dense hardwood forest. After 11 miles mighty Mount Katahdin towers above the surrounding hills. At 13.8 miles is a turnoff to the New England Wilderness Center and Penobscot Outdoor Center, both wilderness outfitters. A massive boulder alongside the highway says "Keep Maine Beautiful" and has a mural of mountains, forest, a bear, a leaping trout, and flying geese painted on its flank.
The road enters Baxter State Park at its south entrance 14.5 miles from Millinocket. Deciduous forest encloses the road and large glacier-deposited boulders scatter beneath the trees. At 15.9 miles is a small visitor center on the left. This is a mandatory stop for maps, camping, and park information. Only 0.1 mile past the center, the pavement ends and the gravel road begins. Togue Pond Picnic Area sits on the left alongside Togue Pond. The road gate is just up the road and the Togue Pond Gatehouse is a little farther along. Non-resident visitors must stop here to pay an $8 entrance fee; Maine residents are free. During summer the road is open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
The road forks at the gatehouse. The left fork is the Park Tote Road, and the right fork is a rough, dead-end road that climbs 8.1 miles to Roaring Brook Campground and allows access to several of Mount Katahdin's trails. Take the right fork for a great side-trip to the north flank of Katahdin. This narrow dirt road drops and rolls up the forested slopes, crossing a succession of brooks. At 1.4 miles is Rum Brook Picnic Area with picturesque streamside picnic sites. The road slowly climbs through the shady hardwood forest, passing glacial deposits of rough, unsorted boulders. Past Windey Pitch is Avalanche Field Group Campsite and 2 miles further is Roaring Brook Campground and day-use area. A large parking area marks the road's terminus.
This area is the main jumping-off point for hikers and climbers venturing on Katahdin and the surrounding peaks. A good, short day-hike begins at the Roaring Brook ranger station at the far west end of the parking area and follows the Sandy Stream Pond Trail about a half-mile to Sandy Stream Pond through a mixed deciduous and coniferous forest. This lovely glacial lake nestles in the woods and offers great views of Katahdin and South Turner Mountain. It's also an excellent wildlife habitat and superb wild-watching area. Moose are often spotted browsing in the waters, especially at dawn and dusk. Other animals in this area include beaver and deer as well as herons, woodpeckers, and songbirds. Those with more energy can continue around the lake or hike up 3,122-foot South Turner Mountain via a 4-mile round-trip trail from the pond.
The parking lot is also the trailhead for several trails that climb south to the almost-mile-high summit of Mount Katahdin. Katahdin is actually composed of several summits on a lofty ridge with the highest point named Baxter Peak. The imposing granite monolith, its upper treelined slopes often mantled in clouds and swept by wind, is prominent in Penobscot Indian mythology. They believed three great spirits inhabited the stormy mountain. The powerful Stormbird Pamola with the fierce beak and talons of an eagle, the arms and torso of a man, and the head and antlers of a moose, was easily angered and vented his rage by brewing up storms. Wuchowsem was the spirit of the benign night winds. And last was the Spirit of Katahdin, a giant human with stony features who inhabited the mountain with his wife and children.
The 3.2-mile Helen Taylor Trail works up Keep Ridge, to the top of Pamola Peak, a 4,902-foot spur summit before edging across the razorlike Knife Edge to the twin high points of South and Baxter Peaks. The famed Knife Edge, in places less than 3 feet wide with almost 2,000 feet of open space gaping below your boots, is a jagged, rocky arete that separates two cirques excavated by glaciers. It's not treacherous on calm days for experienced hikers, but watch out when it's windy or visibility is poor. The arete will then seem as narrow as its name suggests. Many a hiker has crawled across the mile-long ridge in foggy conditions. Many who cross the edge call it the most exhilarating stretch of trail in all New England. The 360-degree view from the mountain's rock-strewn summit, the northern end of the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, is simply marvelous.
The green mat of forest, studded with gleaming jeweled lakes, spreads out below. . . The green mat of forest, studded with gleaming jeweled lakes, spreads out below, while mountain upon mountain recede to the horizon. The Great Basin, an immense alpine cirque below Katahdin, offers some excellent moderate rock climbs along with snow and ice routes for mountaineers. Climbers and mountaineers should be competent and able to self-rescue. Helmets are required, along with proper climbing equipment and ropes, foul weather gear, and a headlamp for night descents. Bivouacs are not permitted.
To continue the drive, retrace your route 8 miles back to the fork at the Togue Pond Gatehouse and go left on the Park Tote Road. The road travels 41 miles from here around the western and northern edge of the park to the Matagamon Gatehouse, the park's northern entrance. All the mileages to the drive's end in Patten begin here. The road heads northwest on low, marshy land below the mountain flank, passing many small ponds. Look for moose here in morning or evening. The haunting cry of loons echo across these lonely ponds in summer and fall.
The first couple miles of roadway traverse the Katahdin Esker. An esker, a glacial feature, is a deposit of sediment and boulders left by streams that ran over the glacier's surface or in tunnels below. As the stream ran downhill, boulders and cobbles were deposited along the hemmed-in streamcourse. After the glaciers melted, the gravel deposits were stranded as long, winding ridges. Esker comes from the old Gaelic word eiscir, meaning "ridge."
At 2 miles the road passes Round Pond on the right. Abol Pond Picnic Area, at the west end of Abol Pond, is a mile farther. The Abol Campground turn-off sits at 5.8 miles. The Abol Trail to Katahdin's summit begins here. The path winds up the mountain's southwest flank. At 8 miles is Katahdin Stream Campground and the final Appalachian trail section up Katahdin Stream. Just over a mile up the trail hides Katahdin Stream Falls, a spectacular, four-tiered, 75-foot waterfall tucked into a mossy ravine.
The road continues past Tracy Pond to the Daicey Pond Campground turn at 10 miles. The campground sits 1.5 miles south of the Park Tote Road on the edge of Daicey Pond. The pond offers great views of the Katahdin massif towering above the forest-fringed water. A short nature trail explores the area. Another trail heads south for just over a mile through a white birch, spruce, fir, and cedar forest along the Nesowadnehunk Stream to Little and Big Niagara Falls. Both falls are short but pretty as they tumble over polished granite bedrock. They were named in jest, since both are less than 20 feet high. The stream was once the scene of numerous log runs when cut timber was floated down to the West Branch of the Penobscot River. The remains of the old Toll Dam can be seen above the falls. The dam controlled the water so logs could be sent downstream without jamming the channel. Other good hikes here include Sentinal Mountain, some outlying pond walks, and great canoeing. Just up the park road is Kidney Pond Campground with 12 wilderness cabins on a spur road to the left.
The next road section is spectacular. The narrow track, now following Nesowadnehunk Stream, turns north and enters a steep-walled valley flanked by tall mountains. To the right is Mount O-J-I, named for landslide-formed letters on its side. To the left is 3,488-foot Doubletop Mountain with long granite slabs exposed on its abrupt slope. At 13.8 miles is Slide Dam Picnic Area and a couple miles later is Ledge Falls. Park below the falls in a small parking area and walk up to this scenic spot. Here the creek riffles over granite ledges before pooling in a wide bedrock hollow. The road edges past the cascade and enters a broader valley north of the gap.
Here the creek riffles over granite ledges before pooling in a wide bedrock hollow. Nesowadnehunk Campground lies to the left at 17 miles. The road runs through thick underbrush and a conifer forest to Nesowadnehunk Lake, the origin of the creek. The 5-mile stream run from here to the campground is an excellent, easy canoe trip with deep pools and negligible rapids. The large lake is also a popular canoeing locale, although care needs to be taken when the winds quickly build up.
The last leg of the drive in the state park goes 23 miles from Nesowadnehunk Lake to Matagamon Gate. This section, paralleling Trout Brook for most of the distance, crosses low, brushy flatlands before dipping and rolling over hills above the creek. Burnt Mountain Picnic Area is at 28.8 miles and the Webster Lake Trail is a couple miles farther. After mile 33 the brook is encased in a deep, rocky gorge below the road. The South Branch turnoff is at 35 miles. This spur track leads south to a campground on the edge of Lower South Branch Pond. This scenic pond sits amid high peaks, including Black Cat Mountain on the west and Traveler Mountain, a dark gray peak composed of lava cooled from an ancient volcano, on the east.
A short nature trail explores the pond area near the site of a massive 1903 forest fire that denuded the mountains. Another good hike works up to Upper South Branch Pond. Back on the drive, the road leaves the creek and skirts knobby Trout Brook Mountain, passing Trout Brook Farm Campground at 39 miles and Littlefield Pond Trail 0.5 mile later along the way. At 41 miles the road drops alongside Grand Lake Matagamon, a large, serene lake surrounded by a rock and forest-bound shoreline. Several canoe-access sites are located on the lake's pristine shore. The Matagamon Gate, the park's northern entrance, is reached at 42 miles.
The drive leaves the park and passes under huge, dark cliffs on the north slope of Horse Mountain. At 44 miles the drive, now on Grand Lake Road, becomes smooth and paved—much to the relief of your dusty car. The road crosses the East Branch of the Penobscot River and dashes eastward through rolling hill country studded with lakes and ponds. Deep woods line the asphalt. The Seboeis River crossing is at 51 miles. Look for a river-side picnic area on the left. A short distance later is an unmarked pulloff on the right. A rough trail leads to scenic Shin Falls, a 50-foot, three-tiered waterfall over slate bedrock in a rocky gorge.
The road bends southeast and drops down to Shin Pond. Past here the road, once a lumber supply route, becomes state highway 159 and enters more open country dotted with homes and farms. Just over 67 miles from the park's Togue Pond entrance the highway makes a sharp left turn through grassy pastures and fields and enters Patten a mile later. Patten, like so many northern Maine towns, has a lumber-based economy with area wood going to paper mills or sawmills for lumber. The Lumberman's Museum in town is an interesting stop. The three-building museum exhibits the role and development of logging in Maine as well as displaying various lumbering tools that include a steam log hauler. The drive ends in Patten at the intersection of route 159 and highway 11. Continue east on route 159 a few miles across swamps to Interstate 95's Exit 59 at Island Falls.
Camping
Eight campgrounds in Baxter State Park—Roaring Brook (12 lean-tos/10 tent sites/1 eight-person bunkhouse); Abol Campground (12 lean-tos/9 tent sites); Katahdin Stream Campground (12 lean-tos/11 tent sites); Daicey Pond Campground (11 cabins); Kidney Pond Campground (12 cabins); Nesowadnehunk Field Campground (11 lean-tos/12 tent sites); South Branch Pond Campground (12 lean-tos/21 tent sites/1 six-person bunkhouse); and Trout Brook Farm (16 tent sites). Backcountry/backpacking campsites are also available at Chimney Pond and Russell Pond.Camping is by reservation only in authorized campgrounds and campsites. Most are open from mid-May through mid-October. Reservations are by mail only and can be made beginning January 1. Write to Baxter State Park Authority, 64 Balsam Drive, Millinocket, ME 04462. Phone reservations are not accepted. There are numerous private campgrounds in the Millinocket area.
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