A bull moose steps onto the shoreline of Baxter State Park’s Russell Pond, site of one of Maine’s most remote campgrounds.
Category Archives: Baxter State Park
Rocky Pond
Rocky Pond is just a short hike from Kidney Pond in Maine’s Baxter State Park. The lush forest in this area of the park, with acres and acres of thick moss-covered conifers and granite boulders, inspired my wife and I to name our son “Forest Baxter.”
Northwest Basin
Davis Pond is in the remote Northwest Basin of Katahdin in Maine’s Baxter State Park. My hike proved to be a true “adventure,” as I planned to continue hiking from the Northwest Basin to Chimney Pond. I woke up in the lean-to only to discover that what was originally forecast as a sunny day turned out to be rainy, complete with thunder and lightning — certainly not a good day to be on the summit of any mountain. The only safe option was to retrace my 14-or-so mile trek back to my original starting point at Roaring Brook. As the Baxter staff emphasizes, the mountain will still be there for another day.
Baxter Moose
Mom and baby in Sandy Stream Pond in Baxter State Park. You can help support the park by joining Friends of Baxter State Park.
Katahdin from KWWNM
Late afternoon view of Katahdin from overlook in the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.
A Walk in the Park
Getting to Green Falls in the remote center of Baxter State Park requires about a 26-mile round trip hike — either from the west (via Wassataquoik Lake Trail from the Nesowadehunk campground) or the east (via the Russel Pond Trail from Roaring Brook, then the Wassataquoik Lake Trail). Worth the walk? I did it both ways, so I think so! (Wassataquoik Lake itself is worth the walk.)
It’s Raining Rocks
In The Maine Woods, Henry David Thoreau described Katahdin as “… a vast aggregation of loose rocks, as if sometime it had rained rocks, and they lay as they fell on the mountain sides, nowhere fairly at rest, but leaning on each other, all rocking-stones, with cavities between, but scarcely any soil or smoother self. They were the raw materials of a planet dropped from an unseen quarry….”
This view from the tableland shows Chimney Pond (lower right) and clouds forming over the North Basin.
View from Horse Mountain
Horse Mountain is an easy hike in Baxter State Park’s northeast corner. Its trailhead is just past the Matagamon gatehouse. While the summit is tree-covered, a short spur trail about 0.3 mile below the summit provides great views to the north and east.
Billfish Pond
Billfish Pond in northeastern Baxter State Park viewed from the summit of Trout Brook Mountain. While it’s far from being one of Baxter’s highest mountains, at just under 1800 feet it has some great views of the Five Ponds area and surrounding higher peaks.
South Turner from KWWNM
An early fall view of Baxter State Park’s South Turner Mountain from the new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.
light on the trail 