Baxter State Park Things to Do

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The main activity at Baxter State Park is to climb Mt. Katahdin. Baxter Peak is the east end of the Appalachian Trail.

If you take the Hunt Trail, which begins and ends at the Katahdin Stream Campground, the trek will be approximately 17 kms in length, round-trip. For this reason, people are encouraged to start around 6:00 am.

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If you are looking for wildlife viewing this is the place. We saw moose, bear , a bald eagle, birds, squirrels, chipmunks etc etc. The best places are those less travelled pull offs on the Golden Road, Marshy areas on the road between Millinocket and Baxter State Park and in the Park itself.

The summit of Katahdin (Baxter Peak) and the Knife Edge were spectacular, but it was Hamlin Peak that appealed to us most. We were pleasantly surprised to do the first half of our hike without seeting a soul and then to have Hamlin Peak to ourselves as well. To have such a popular destination to ourselves just because we were a little off the beaten path was a real treat.

It wasn't until we were closer to the Baxter Peak, that the people started appearing.

If you've ever considered hiking in Baxter State Park, you have probably heard of the Knife Edge. From the summit of Katahdin, this trail wraps around the bowl containing Chimeny Pond. At best, the trail is couple feet wide, at worst it is kind of like hiking on a stone wall...3000 feet from the ground.

This trail is not for the faint of heart nor should it be attempted during bad weather. However, if the heart and weather conditions are just right, the Knife Edge is a hike to remember for ever!

For most visitors - especially first-time visitors - the highlight of a trip to Baxter is climbing Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine.

At 5,267 feet (on Baxter Peak, the taller of the mountain's two official peaks, the other being Hamlin Peak), Katahdin isn't the tallest mountain in the Northeast, but it's probably the most spectacular, rising to a pinnacle in a relatively flat area, and with sheer granite cliffs dropping away thousands of feet on several sides.

In addition, unlike Mount Washington (the tallest Northeast mountain), there's no road to the top, no cog railway, no cable car, and no switchback trails, so you do this one the old-fashioned hard way. The park is never going to add any of those shortcuts, so get out some sturdy walking shoes if you want to climb Katahdin.

It's worth every bit of the energy it takes, since, on a clear day, you have astonishing views in every direction, with the sparkling Allagash waterway, and other lakes, especially high points.