Baxter State Park Roaring Brook

Baxter State Park completely amazed me. It’s one of those places that truly feels wild and untouched. I hiked part of the trail up to Mount Katahdin, and even though it was challenging, it was absolutely worth it. The views from up high were incredible! What I really loved about this park is how peaceful it is. There’s no cell service, which honestly made the experience even better, it let me real... Baxter State Park completely amazed me. It’s one of those places that truly feels wild and untouched. I hiked part of the trail up to Mount Katahdin, and even though it was challenging, it was absolutely worth it. The views from up high were incredible! What I really loved about this park is how peaceful it is. There’s no cell service, which honestly made the experience even better, it let me really disconnect and enjoy the sounds of nature. The park is well-managed, the trails are clean, and the staff and rangers were super helpful and friendly.

Our experience began waiting for hiking permits— the rangers at the gates (both checking in and issuing permits) were friendly and personable. The hike itself (from Roaring Brook Campground to Chimney Pond) was definitely challenging terrain. The weather (heat wave in the 90s) was no fault of the park but made the hike more intense. Gorgeous views of nature and would recommend (in cooler weather... Our experience began waiting for hiking permits— the rangers at the gates (both checking in and issuing permits) were friendly and personable. The hike itself (from Roaring Brook Campground to Chimney Pond) was definitely challenging terrain. The weather (heat wave in the 90s) was no fault of the park but made the hike more intense. Gorgeous views of nature and would recommend (in cooler weather).

Incredibly well maintained. They even grade the dirt roads, virtually no potholes. Outhouses were immaculate, no garbage visible anywhere top to bottom. Camp sites very clean. Rangers are very friendly and knowledgeable, please listen to them and their advice. If you want to visit the peak know this more of a climb than a hike. They prefer you at the gate by 6am, mostly for your own safety I think... Incredibly well maintained. They even grade the dirt roads, virtually no potholes. Outhouses were immaculate, no garbage visible anywhere top to bottom. Camp sites very clean. Rangers are very friendly and knowledgeable, please listen to them and their advice. If you want to visit the peak know this more of a climb than a hike. They prefer you at the gate by 6am, mostly for your own safety I think. Plan for a difficult 12 hour day and I wouldn't go if theres a chance of rain.

An untamed and unparalleled experience. If you want a wild and rugged experience (and don't mind sweat and intense exercise) this is the place for you. The park does a great job of keeping things clean and orderly while preserving the wild natural beauty. The rangers were kind, knowledgeable, and genuinely interested in speaking with you and making sure you have the best possible time. It is well... An untamed and unparalleled experience. If you want a wild and rugged experience (and don't mind sweat and intense exercise) this is the place for you. The park does a great job of keeping things clean and orderly while preserving the wild natural beauty. The rangers were kind, knowledgeable, and genuinely interested in speaking with you and making sure you have the best possible time. It is well worth the time, planning, reservations, and sweat!

The park is very beautiful and HUGE! Would take over 2 hours to drive along the dirt/gravel road in a loop around the park. The dirt/gravel road doesn't have any big rocks or potholes but some sections have these strange ripples that cause your car to rattle like crazy. It is wise to plan your visit ahead of time because camping availability is limited and their reservation system is not great e... The park is very beautiful and HUGE! Would take over 2 hours to drive along the dirt/gravel road in a loop around the park. The dirt/gravel road doesn't have any big rocks or potholes but some sections have these strange ripples that cause your car to rattle like crazy. It is wise to plan your visit ahead of time because camping availability is limited and their reservation system is not great especially for people out of state. Not very welcoming. Also if you want to hike Mount Katahdin, it is physically and logistically difficult. You either need to drive and get to the gate extremely early (like 4 am) or camp the night before at a campsite near the mountain (which of course have limited availability, because that's the way they run things here). Or you can try to get a parking/trailhead pass online ahead of time. The whole process is overly complicated and restrictive. But I understand they are trying to preserve this beautiful place. I also saw that no dogs or pets are allowed. Oh yeah, it is all about conserving the pristine environment, safety, and trying to promote a quiet and relaxing experience for everyone. But it would be nice if they allowed pets in some designated areas. Funny enough, I heard a dog barking at my campground. Someone must have snuck them in lol. But good for them, I am not going to report someone who is breaking a rule I don't really agree with. The dog barked twice, omg I am so traumatized and it ruined my vacation......not lol Oh, and of course they don't allow drones. Why would they allow someone to try to capture the beautiful fall foliage in a safe and respectful way? Lol I didn't even bring a drone so who am I to complain? I also had some questions so I called, and the lady seemed pretty annoyed at my questions, even though the phone call was about 4 minutes and I was on hold for 5 minutes. She said "is this your last question?" (or something similar to that). It made me feel like I had to figure out things myself. Also I found the website for booking campsites not straightforward. In fact I called twice and they gave me different info on which days to reserve on the website given the time I was staying there. So I will clarify it here: For example, if you are arriving at the campsite at Sunday at 4 pm and leaving the campsite on Tuesday at 9 am, you are staying 2 nights. On the website though, it only lists days (which is stupid and confusing unlike hotels which make it clear by showing the overnight). So in this case, you would select Sunday and Monday. Also one other thing, if you want to get in to the park from the main south entrance, don't drive on the "Golden Road" unless you have to. You should be able to stay on a paved road called Baxter Road or something like that. The Golden Road is a tire flat waiting to happen. But that could be a fun adventure for a different day. Okay my vent/rant is over. But honestly overall this place is still awesome. Definitely a fun summertime getaway, away from the online craziness!

Very nicely kept ground and the ranger is very nice. Roaring brook campground has many swimming areas (very clean mountain water) nearby including roaring brook and it's one of the only campground besides chimney pond where there are 2 different trails you can take to the peak of Katahdin a.k.a Baxter peak. Helon Taylor trail to Knife's edge to Katahdin a.k.a Baxter peak, or you can take chimney p... Very nicely kept ground and the ranger is very nice. Roaring brook campground has many swimming areas (very clean mountain water) nearby including roaring brook and it's one of the only campground besides chimney pond where there are 2 different trails you can take to the peak of Katahdin a.k.a Baxter peak. Helon Taylor trail to Knife's edge to Katahdin a.k.a Baxter peak, or you can take chimney pond trail to saddle trail to Katahdin peak a.k.a Baxter peak. The recommended route to summit from Roaring Brook Campground is start EARLY at like 5am on the Helon Taylor trail up to Pamola peak, cross knifes edge to Katahdin a.k.a Baxter peak. At this point it is recommended you DO NOT go back acrosst Knife's Edge, but rather take Saddle trail or Dudley or Cathedral trail down to chimney pond campground. If you are NOT ready for a rock climbing decent, take saddle trail to chimney pond trail/campground which merges with the Helon Taylor Trail at Roaring Brook about 1/4th of a mile from the Roaring Brook campsite. Pro Tip; If you get to Knife's edge and plan to pass the Chimney pond campground, you can see Chimney pond from the peak so it's a reasonable decision for some people to drop their bags down by Chimney pond at this point as you will pass by it on the decent of chimney pond trail. Here's a few pics on the Helon Taylor Trail (June 2021) NOTE; Pictures are taken about 4,000ft. Up in elevation near Pamola peak and Knife's Edge Trail(pictured) on the Helon Taylor Trail. Be advised, even leaving at sunrise you may end up finishing the loop close to sunset so it is of the most importance if you plan on ascending Katahdin to leave close to sunrise.

Very nicely kept ground and the ranger is very nice. Roaring brook campground has many swimming areas (very clean mountain water) nearby including roaring brook and it's one of the only campground besides chimney pond where there are 2 different trails you can take to the peak of Katahdin a.k.a Baxter peak. Helon Taylor trail to Knife's edge to Katahdin a.k.a Baxter peak, or you can take chimney p... Very nicely kept ground and the ranger is very nice. Roaring brook campground has many swimming areas (very clean mountain water) nearby including roaring brook and it's one of the only campground besides chimney pond where there are 2 different trails you can take to the peak of Katahdin a.k.a Baxter peak. Helon Taylor trail to Knife's edge to Katahdin a.k.a Baxter peak, or you can take chimney pond trail to saddle trail to Katahdin peak a.k.a Baxter peak. The recommended route to summit from Roaring Brook Campground is start EARLY at like 5am on the Helon Taylor trail up to Pamola peak, cross knifes edge to Katahdin a.k.a Baxter peak. At this point it is recommended you DO NOT go back acrosst Knife's Edge, but rather take Saddle trail or Dudley or Cathedral trail down to chimney pond campground. If you are NOT ready for a rock climbing decent, take saddle trail to chimney pond trail/campground which merges with the Helon Taylor Trail at Roaring Brook about 1/4th of a mile from the Roaring Brook campsite. Pro Tip; If you get to Knife's edge and plan to pass the Chimney pond campground, you can see Chimney pond from the peak so it's a reasonable decision for some people to drop their bags down by Chimney pond at this point as you will pass by it on the decent of chimney pond trail. Here's a few pics on the Helon Taylor Trail (June 2021) NOTE; Pictures are taken about 4,000ft. Up in elevation near Pamola peak and Knife's Edge Trail(pictured) on the Helon Taylor Trail. Be advised, even leaving at sunrise you may end up finishing the loop close to sunset so it is of the most importance if you plan on ascending Katahdin to leave close to sunrise.

Very nicely kept ground and the ranger is very nice. Roaring brook campground has many swimming areas (very clean mountain water) nearby including roaring brook and it's one of the only campground besides chimney pond where there are 2 different trails you can take to the peak of Katahdin a.k.a Baxter peak. Helon Taylor trail to Knife's edge to Katahdin a.k.a Baxter peak, or you can take chimney p... Very nicely kept ground and the ranger is very nice. Roaring brook campground has many swimming areas (very clean mountain water) nearby including roaring brook and it's one of the only campground besides chimney pond where there are 2 different trails you can take to the peak of Katahdin a.k.a Baxter peak. Helon Taylor trail to Knife's edge to Katahdin a.k.a Baxter peak, or you can take chimney pond trail to saddle trail to Katahdin peak a.k.a Baxter peak. The recommended route to summit from Roaring Brook Campground is start EARLY at like 5am on the Helon Taylor trail up to Pamola peak, cross knifes edge to Katahdin a.k.a Baxter peak. At this point it is recommended you DO NOT go back acrosst Knife's Edge, but rather take Saddle trail or Dudley or Cathedral trail down to chimney pond campground. If you are NOT ready for a rock climbing decent, take saddle trail to chimney pond trail/campground which merges with the Helon Taylor Trail at Roaring Brook about 1/4th of a mile from the Roaring Brook campsite. Pro Tip; If you get to Knife's edge and plan to pass the Chimney pond campground, you can see Chimney pond from the peak so it's a reasonable decision for some people to drop their bags down by Chimney pond at this point as you will pass by it on the decent of chimney pond trail. Here's a few pics on the Helon Taylor Trail (June 2021) NOTE; Pictures are taken about 4,000ft. Up in elevation near Pamola peak and Knife's Edge Trail(pictured) on the Helon Taylor Trail. Be advised, even leaving at sunrise you may end up finishing the loop close to sunset so it is of the most importance if you plan on ascending Katahdin to leave close to sunrise.