A.T. Hiker’s Guide to Katahdin & Baxter State Park

A good option for all A.T. hikers!

• Who: Anyone who plans to hike Katahdin and stay overnight in the park. Those with campground reservations can hike Katahdin during their reservation without a Katahdin Trailhead Pass (KTP), unless you plan to hike Katahdin the day your reservation starts – then you’ll need a KTP for that day as well (read on for more info about KTPs).
  • Southbound, section, and flip-flop hikers who plan to start south from Katahdin should reserve a campsite in the park. If you do not reserve a campsite, you will not be able to stay in the park.
  • Northbound hikers who don’t want to stay at the Birches or are worried about space at the Birches, who have friends and family planning to stay with them in the park, or just want their own space should also reserve a campsite.
• What: Baxter has many rustic campgrounds for those who want to stay in the park. There are tent sites, lean-tos, bunk houses, cabins, and group areas. Campsites start at $38/night.
• When: Campground reservations open four months in advance. It is easiest to get campground reservations for weekdays and after Labor Day.
  • Campground check-in starts at 1:00 p.m. on the day of your reservation.
  • We recommend getting a campground reservation for two nights: the night before and after you plan to summit. That way, you only have the mountain to tackle on your summit day. Otherwise, you’d need to get a ride to Millinocket for the night after you summit or hike another 9.2 miles out of the park (for a total of almost 20 miles in one day).
• Where:* When looking for camping reservations, check for availability at these campgrounds (in order of increasing distance from the A.T.).

1. 1. Katahdin Stream Campground (where the A.T. goes through the park).
   2. Abol Campground (2.4 miles from Katahdin Stream along the Park Tote Road).
      1. If you stay at Abol, you can walk to Katahdin Stream in the morning and hike up the mountain on the A.T. You can then descend on the Abol Trail, which intersects with the A.T. a mile before the summit.
   3. Foster Field Group Area (2.6 miles from Katahdin Stream along the Park Tote Road). These sites are administered by Katahdin Stream and are listed under Katahdin Stream on the reservation website.

Important note: We strongly recommend not getting a reservation at Roaring Brook Campground. It is on the opposite side of the mountain from the A.T. and would mean that you’d need to carry your full pack up and over the mountain, which we do not recommend.

*This guide assumes you will not have a vehicle. If you’ll have a vehicle in the park, you have more flexibility with where you can camp since you’ll be able to drive to the Katahdin Stream Campground the morning you plan to hike the mountain. In this case, contact us for questions about other campground options.

• Who: Anyone who plans to drive into the park and hike Katahdin as a day hike or who wants to hike Katahdin the day their campground reservation begins.
  • This is a good option for anyone who cannot get a campsite reservation in the park or stay at the Birches.
• What: A KTP reserves a parking space at one of the three Katahdin trailhead day use parking lots. A KTP is required for anyone planning to hike the mountain who is not already staying in the park.
  • KTPs are $10.
  • After your day hike of the mountain, you’ll need a ride out of the park to stay the night in town or at another campground. If you’re hiking southbound out of the park, you can get a ride back into the park the next day and head south into the 100 Mile Wilderness.
• When: KTP reservations open on April 1. KTPs are available from June 1 to October 15. It is easiest to get a KTP for weekdays and after Labor Day.
  • KTP holders must check-in at the Togue Pond Gate by 7:00 a.m. on the day they plan to hike, or else the KTP will be forfeited. You can line up at the gate starting at 5:00 a.m.
• Where: When reserving a KTP, check for availability at these the trailheads in order of proximity to the A.T.:

1. 1. Katahdin Stream Trailhead: Where the A.T. goes through the park, locally called the Hunt Trail.
   2. Abol Trailhead: about 2.4 miles from Katahdin Stream along the Park Tote Road.

• • We strongly recommend not getting a KTP for Roaring Brook Campground. As mentioned above, it is on the opposite side of the mountain from the A.T. If you do get a KTP for Roaring Brook to day-hike the mountain:
    • You should plan to get dropped off at the Roaring Brook Trailhead and then picked up on the other side of the mountain at Katahdin Stream so you can take the Hunt Trail (the A.T.) down.
    • Do not take your full pack up the mountain with you. Take a well-stocked day pack with everything you need to spend the day on the mountain.
      • Make sure you have an updated paper map of the park so you can descend via the Hunt Trail.
      • Make sure your ride out of the park knows to pick you up at Katahdin Stream Campground and be sure to take the Hunt Trail down the mountain.

For NOBO hikers with a flexible arrival date.

• Who: Any northbound A.T. hiker who hikes the 100 Mile Wilderness without leaving the Trail. This includes NOBO thru-hikers, section hikers, and flip floppers. Southbound A.T. hikers are not eligible to stay at the Birches.
  • This is a good option for northbound thru-hikers who aren’t sure exactly when they’ll get to the park.
• What: If you hike the 100 Mile Wilderness from Monson into Baxter State Park without leaving the Trail, you’re eligible to stay at the Birches, the park’s long-distance hiker campground. This means you do not need a campground or Katahdin Trailhead Pass reservation to enter the park.
  • The Birches can fit 12 hikers and is first come, first served. You can stay for one night. It is $10 to stay in the Birches.
• When: The Birches opens when the A.T. up the mountain opens.
  • It is easiest to get into the Birches outside the main northbound thru-hiker season, which is mid-July through September.
  • It is best to try and stay in the park midweek. That way, if the Birches fills up, you still have a good chance of being able to stay in another campground in the park.
  • Avoid planning to stay in the park or summit over Labor Day Weekend.
  • We recommend that northbound hikers leave Monson no later than October 1 and plan to summit Katahdin by October 15. The mountain closes each fall, and the closing is weather dependent.
• Where: The Birches is located just 0.25 miles from Katahdin Stream Campground in Baxter State Park.

For fit NOBO thru-hikers not planning an overnight stay.

• Who: Only fit northbound thru-hikers who are confident they can hike the ~20 miles and ~4,000 feet of elevation gain in a single day.
• What: Hike continuously from Abol Bridge, through the park, and up Katahdin. Summit, then get a ride out of the park the same day.
  • You do not need a campground reservation or a KTP. You must still stop at the Katahdin Stream Ranger Station to get a Long Distance Hiker permit before heading up the mountain.
• When: You should leave Abol Bridge with enough time to hike the 9.2 miles to Katahdin Stream so you reach the Katahdin Stream Ranger Station by 7:00 am.
• Where: Register at the Baxter kiosk just north of Abol Bridge and then continue on the A.T. to Katahdin Stream.

No. While entering Baxter State Park takes more planning than other parts of the A.T., it is also one of the most well-resourced places on the Trail. The park reservation staff and rangers are all there to answer your questions and want to help you have a successful visit to the park.

• The Birches: Mid-week, June, and the end of the season in late September and October. 

• Campgrounds and KTPs: Mid-week and before school lets out and after it goes back in session (so before mid-June and after Labor Day). 

We strongly recommend not planning to visit the park over Labor Day weekend. 

Yes, so long as you don’t leave the Trail. So, resupply can be brought to you (be sure to meet your resupply; do not have food left for you as this can harm wildlife). If you leave the Trail to go into town to get your resupply or spend the night, you will have to stay elsewhere in the park.

No. As mentioned above, the Birches campsite was created for long-distance hikers who have hiked continuously northward since Monson and therefore have not been able to make a reservation in advance. If you leave the Trail in the 100 Mile Wilderness, you should make park reservations while in town.

No, only during the height of the northbound thru-hiker season does the Birches fill. Even when the Birches reaches capacity, it’s rare that Baxter staff cannot find hikers another place to stay in the park. In 2025, there were only two nights out of the entire season where the Birches was full and there weren’t other park campsites available. Even when that happens, there are camping options available at Abol Bridge.

Long Distance Hiker permits are free and must be picked up in person at the Katahdin Stream Ranger Station before you head up the mountain. Permits are valid for 7 days from the date they are issued. Rangers are generally at the ranger station from 7:00 to 8:30 am and 4:00 to 5:00 pm. Rangers can often be found nearby outside of these hours.

If you have a Tramily of 5 people or more, break into smaller groups if you plan to stay at the Birches. This way, one group isn’t monopolizing the space. If you do not want to break into smaller groups, stop at the Monson A.T. Visitor Center to chat about making reservations. Northbound thru-hikers can also plan to stay at Abol Bridge or Abol Pines Campground and summit in one day. Note that the group size limit in Baxter is 12 people.

Organized and/or commercial groups (camp groups, Scouts, professionally guided groups, etc.) are not eligible to stay at the Birches.

Since implementing the permit system in 2017, the park has never run out of Long Distance Hiker permits. If permits ever run out, A.T. hikers will still be able to summit Katahdin, they’ll just need to have a reservation and enter the park via the Togue Pond Gate like all other visitors.

The date that the park closes the mountain each year depends on weather. We recommend summiting prior to October 15. The opening date for the summer hiking season also depends on weather and we do not recommend planning to summit before June 1.

See Step 4 above.

No. See Step 2 above.

Yes, and we encourage you to do so! See Step 3 above.

Northbound thru-hikers should keep in mind that reservations often fill up months in advance. Visit the park’s online reservation system or call the reservation line, which is open 7 days a week during the summer. The Monson A.T. Visitor Center can also assist you with reservations before you head into the 100 Mile Wilderness.

For campsite reservations, be sure to check more than just Katahdin Stream. See Step 3 above. Remember that if you have a vehicle in the park, you will have more campground options than what’s listed in this guide. Contact us or Baxter for more info.

If you’re not able to get a campsite reservation for the nights you’d like, then you should try to get a KTP for the day you’d like to summit. Make arrangements to get shuttled into and out of the park if you won’t have a vehicle.

If you’re not able to get a campsite or a KTP reservation, you can try to get any unsold or unclaimed KTP reservations in person:

1. Line up at the Togue Pond Gate no earlier than 5:00 am on the day you’d like to summit.
2. Park staff will go down the line of cars and if there are any unsold KTPs for that day, you’ll have the chance to claim one.
3. If there are no unsold KTPs, you can wait until 7:05 am. At 7:05 am, the park releases any KTPs that have not been claimed (no-shows). Unclaimed KTPs will be given out on a first come, first served basis for anyone still waiting.

If you’ve exhausted all the options above, then you’ll need to try for a different day.