Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Maine is the northern terminus for the
Appalachian Trail
(AT), which
ends atop mile-high Katahdin in Baxter State Park. Here, rare alpine
flowers, usually found only in the sub-Arctic in Canada, can be seen each
spring. Baxter itself has more than 100 miles of deep, backcountry hik-
ing. Its hills and lakes are home to numerous rustic log lean-tos, which
can be reserved in advance but can be reached only by a long, all-day slog.
The AT in Maine is famous for its traverse of the Bigelow Range, its wind-
ing remote section known as the “100-mile Wilderness,” and for
Mahoosuc Notch, reputed to be the AT's toughest mile.
Along the coast,
Acadia National Park
offers more than 120 miles of
outstanding mountain and seashore hiking, much of it on open mountain
tops where views extend 360° for more than 100 miles.
The International AT
A new extension of the AT, dubbed the
International AT
,is
presently being constructed. Plans call for it to be finished on
Earth Day, April 22, 2000. It will run from the base of Katahdin
434 miles to Mount Jacques Cartier in Quebec.
Be sure to read the following sections that will help make your hiking in
Maine more safe and enjoyable.
While many trails in Maine are literally
“walks in the park,” others are extremely dif-
ficult. Steep rises and drops where hikers are
expected to use their hands to grab roots,
rocks or anything they can hang onto are
common. In most mountainous areas, the ter-
rain is so rugged that it is nearly impossible
to stray off the trail. Bushwacking, and there-
fore shortcuts, are ill-advised if not impossi-
ble.
