All Katahdin Trails Closed Until At Least December 1st

Baxter State Park announced on Wednesday that all Katahdin and Traveler trails will be closed at the trailhead through at least December 1st. “Shin-deep snow has obscured trail markings and freeze-thaw cycles have created vulnerable conditions for alpine plants and potentially unsafe conditions for hikers,” according to a Park press release.

As of today, the Park has also shut down all campgrounds, including Katahdin Stream Campground, until December 1st.

Effective immediately, hikers (including northbound Appalachian Trail thru-hikers) will be unable to summit Katahdin. The Park typically closes all Katahdin and Traveler trails in mid-October for resource protection each year.

The exact date of the trail closure varies year-to-year depending on snow and freeze-thaw conditions. Baxter shut down Katahdin trails last year on October 16th, for instance.

Baxter State Park recommends that thru-hikers complete their journeys by October 15th at the latest. Photo via Anne Marie White.

However, in an average year, Katahdin trails close around mid to late October. For this reason, Park officials recommend that AT thru-hikers complete their hikes no later than October 15th.

Northbound thru-hikers who are unable to reach Baxter Peak by this deadline typically choose to flip flop (skip ahead to Katahdin and hike south) instead.

Visitors can camp, snowshoe, and ski in Baxter State Park between December 1st and March 31st, including on Katahdin, although they will likely need to secure a permit to do so.

Other trails in Baxter State Park remain open at this time. Contact Baxter State Park through their Facebook page or website, or call 207-723-5140 for further updates on fall access.

Feature image by David Mark via Pixabay.

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Comments 1

  • Mel Emerich : Oct 29th

    I think Kelly writes well enough, but not everyone knows what state it is in. Good journalists ALWAYS cover who/what where and when along with why if that can be conveyed in the beginning of a story. Usually in the first paragraph. In this case, simply a name doesn’t give location. I was trained in journalism and I see things like this all too often today (along with lack of verification of sources in way too many cases). It is sad to see.

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