Baxter Car Camp - July

[Bob Kittredge]

I have made reservations for a group campsite (Foster Field) in Maine's Baxter State Park for Thursday July 22 through Monday July 26. The campsite holds up to 12 campers. I have 6 spaces left. Join me for four nights of car camping and three days of hiking, swimming, canoeing, moose-viewing and mosquito-swatting. The cost is $28 per camper and $14 per vehicle.

Organization will be fairly informal. I expect we will usually divide up into one or two groups, but everyone is free to pursue his own particular objectives. A moderate level of fitness, hiking experience, and self-sufficiency is presumed; self-screen.

Three hiking days gives us a good shot at getting at least one day of weather decent enough to attempt Baxter peak (and maybe the Knife Edge). There are lots of other good hikes near the campsite including Doubletop, OJI, North and South Brother, and the Owl. For a change of pace there are Kidney and Daicy Ponds for swimming and canoeing.

A poopsheet will be sent to all participants a week or so before the hike including the chance to tentshare, carpool or foodpool.

Let me know if you're interested by emailing me: bobkittredge at gmail.com.

 

[audrey]

Bob, let us know how it went with securing day-use parking permits.

We'll be there in September after the crowds, so I'm hoping that it will be a non-issue.

 

[TJ aka Teej]

Bob, let us know how it went with securing day-use parking permits.

We'll be there in September after the crowds, so I'm hoping that it will be a non-issue.

If you have a campsite, you don't need a dupr.
Weekdays in September are a great time to camp, after the dayhikers leave even popular campgrounds like Abol and Katahdin Stream are near empty.

 

[audrey]

If you have a campsite, you don't need a dupr.
Weekdays in September are a great time to camp, after the dayhikers leave even popular campgrounds like Abol and Katahdin Stream are near empty.

I'm still confused, then. That's not the understanding I have from reading a recent thread...Askus3 will be at Daicey Pond but says he still has to secure a DUPR when he wants to park somewhere else and hike:

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=35144

 

[buckyball1]

A-I think the issue would be parking at Roaring Brook to climb Katahdin from that side (Helon Taylor/Knife Edge or Chimney Pond-Saddle, Dudley, Cathedral). If you stay in the park at another campsite, you need drive into Roaring Brook early in the morning before they "close" the road due to parking area being full or with new policy have a paid in advance reserved space for that day at Roaring Brook. On the one time i did Helon/Knife/Katahdin on an August weekend with a daughter, we stayed at Katahdin Stream, got up at 330AM to drive around and park at Roaring Brook, slept in the car a bit more before taking off

Living "close" to Baxter, I usually climb K from that side on weekdays &/or off peak season, but i think on weekends in July/August, the parking lot has been "closed" as early as 530-6AM at times. I'm not sure if the new 'reserved space" policy might make it even harder to get in during peak season. There could be a similar problem on occasion at Katahdin Stream(base for Hunt Trail)-not sure??

Why not give Baxter a call and chat re your concerns? Regardless of what you read on Views now and then, these are good, helpful people.

jim

 

[buckyball1]

day use parking reservations---


here's the link--a bit confusing, but...allows you to see current status of reservations at all lots

http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/hiking/hikingParking.html


jim

 

[Bob Kittredge]

Bob, let us know how it went with securing day-use parking permits.

We'll be there in September after the crowds, so I'm hoping that it will be a non-issue.

Right. I have to look into that carefully. The only parking that I personally am concerned with is Katahdin Stream which has 25 spots. Since I'll be nearby at Foster Field, I'm hoping that an early start should enable me to get one of the unreserved spots. I'll check at the gate on the way in.

 

[Bob Kittredge]

Just a reminder. I still have spaces left. Lemme know if you're interested.

As for Day Use Parking Reservations - For what it's worth, I just checked the online reservation system and saw that 23 of the 25 day use parking spaces at Katahdin Springs are available today (Sunday 6/13). I suspect the hiking community at large is not yet really aware of the new system.