Baxter State Park

If you're looking for a short and kid-friendly walk, try the Sandy Stream hike to Big Rock. Breathtaking views and a very easy hike, mostly fairly flat and lots on boardwalk. Not accessible for all hikers, but definitely more flat than rocky. A bit expensive for a casual hiker day pass out of state, but a season pass is worthwhile if you're there more than a couple times. And seriously, can't stress how beautiful it is.
7 years ago (10-10-2017)

Beautiful wild area that fulfills it's mission perfectly. Drove the entire park from South to North with numerous stops for hikes up to 11 miles. The mountains are stunningly beautiful. The trails relaxing and quiet. The mosquitoes are super friendly, following you everywhere and buzzing with excitement. I'd rate this as one of the best state park experiences ever. Staff are amazingly friendly and helpful.
7 years ago (24-07-2017)

My husband and I went here for our anniversary/my birthday. We were not prepared for the type of camping we booked ourselves for, but a quick trip into the nearest town fixed that and we enjoyed our weekend. I highly suggest researching this place before coming and if you intend to do backcountry camping plan for backpacking yourself in. The trails, even the easiest and the shorter ones, are difficult especially if you are not used to hiking. We used trekking poles and I don't think we would have been able to complete the weekend without them. There is no potable water. Be prepared for a real nature experience.
7 years ago (11-09-2017)

I love the park and it's trails. Katahdin is gorgeous and the trails around it are great. What I don't love is the parks policy. They have you reserve parking online in advanced because the parking lots are small and fill quickly, yet your parking spot that you PAY for expires at 7:05am. If you're paying to reserve your parking spot, then it shouldn't expire an hour after they open. I arrived at 9am because I wasn't doing a long hike that day, only to be told my parking reservation had expired. Probably won't ever reserve it again. Realistically, if you go on a weekday you'll be fine and don't need to bother reserving one in advanced. Love Baxter Park itself, but not a fan of their policies.
7 years ago (22-07-2017)

Excellent park. $15 for people from out of state. Junior ranger book was informative and the kids were happy filling it out. The kids earned badges, pencils, animal shaped erasers, bookmarks, and a tracking guide. Great hiking in the park.
7 years ago (10-09-2017)