Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Trailheads in
Acadia
are marked with lettered signs carved into wooden
posts. Blue paint blazes on bare ledge, stone cairns, and metal markers
fastened to trees help lead the way when the worn footpath or evidence of
brush cutting is less apparent.
Trail intersections are marked with carved wooden signs on posts giving
directions and distances. Occasionally, some signs may be missing, so fol-
low the map carefully as you walk.
In Maine, the Appalachian Trail is marked with white blazes and signs at
major intersections. Sharp or obscure turns are marked with double
blazes.
In
Baxter State Park
, trails use blue blazes except where the path is
also part of the AT. Cairns mark the way above treeline on Katahdin
where fast moving clouds can lower visibility to less than 30-feet in just
seconds.
In any alpine zone hikers should endeavor to remain on the trail to avoid
crushing fragile vegetation and displacement of soil which hastens ero-
sion.
MAINE'S HIGHEST MOUNTAINS
RANK
NAME
ELEVATION (FT)
LOCATION
Katahdin
Great North Woods
1
5,267
Sugarloaf
Western Mountains
2
4,237
Old Speck
Western Mountains
3
4,180
Crocker
Western Mountains
4
4,168
Bigelow
Western Mountains
5
4,150
North Brother
Great North Woods
6
4,143
Saddleback
Western Mountains
7
4,116
Abraham
Western Mountains
8
4,049
The Horn
Western Mountains
9
4,023
Spaulding
Western Mountains
10
3,988
Hazards
If you
lose the trail
, return to the last obvious marker and
have a member of your party fan out to find the next one before
proceeding. Sometimes, so many people take wrong turns at
the same spot that it creates a false trail which quickly fades or
stops abruptly. Piles of logs or rocks are often used by trail
