Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

Our family and friends enjoyed our first camping trip here over the 4th of July! No need to wrestle with Baxter and the crowds there - it was easy to book online. Plus it is dog friendly (leash required at all times). We spoke with staff over the phone and in person and every interaction was top notch with great advice. This is a newer park still in development so we felt a little like pioneers. The camping price was excellent and we had a bathroom right at our site at Sandbank Stream. Only a few car camping sites are available in the park. Our site was $8 for 3 nights and we snagged two sites for our group! We saw very few people and 3 different moose sightings among many other wildlife including a snowshoe hare! Bring lots of bug spray, water proof topo map and extra water! If you plan for sun, bring rain gear. There is mostly no phone signal (or 1 bar in some spots if you are lucky). It's about a 45min drive to the nearest gas station - so plan well. We did tour the Monument's Contact Station which was inspiring and a gorgeous design with so many natural elements. The park was absolutely beautiful overall and I would go back in a blink!

Katahdin Woods and National Monument is a NPS Park. The welcome station has been open just for a couple of months. It is only open for visitors from Friday to Sunday. The monument is in reference to the woods and not some structure. Getting to and from The Visitor Center is a rough road. There is very little signage and it's easy to get lost since there is very little internet availability for traveling with your GPS maps. A couple of the lookouts for Mount Katahdin is under construction through 2026. Most of the traveling on the roads is about 15 miles an hour due to large stones that are still stuck in the road. If you decide to do the loop trail expect a couple hours.

Interesting place, but a little sparse on exhibits. DO NOT follow Google directions after exiting 95. Go north on Route 11 and follow the signs. You will need to travel 13 miles of gravel roads, but it is well graded with minimal potholes. We were advised by staff to not do the loop road with a low clearance vehicle, so we did not do that.

Quite the drive to get here - but worth it to include some adjacent hiking. This won't get you to Katahdin - but there are some amazing views from here..! No issues with permits like Baxter State Park, either..!

The main loop is pretty easy to find and is clearly marked. The loop is worth doing, there are lots of stops where you can go for walks. One of the best is at Deasey Ponds There is also the outlook at Katahdin Loop Scenic Overloop but this is actually quite boring and does not have the best of views. The only thing to note is that you are likely to come across huge logging lorries coming the other way, so be prepared to squeeze on to the side of the road, as they have right of way. Just inside the park was a new garden shed which appears to be the new visitor center. There was a friendly ranger here who had the maps of the park and gave us details of where to go. The loop is well worth doing.

Beautiful! If you’re vehicle can handle some rough roads/off roads make sure you don’t miss this drive. It will take you to some remote areas such as, Sandbank Stream camping and picnic area, go a bit further up the old logging road to the Lynx Pond. This is a great place to see birdings. And if you’re lucky a moose. Lots of Ruff Grouse. Enjoy the outdoors.

Hadn't even heard of this place prior to driving by the National Monument signs on the highway. My Honda Civic just barely survived the private logging roads you need to take to get back to the National Monument. While the roads are rough for a sedan, don't expect anything that would challenge an off road vehicle. The beauty is all about the solitude and unspoiled beauty afforded by the site. This is the part that makes it hard for me to recommend because I really don't want people to flock to it as they have with so many other beautiful spots. Part of the joy was the fact we would go more than an hour without hearing anything other than the sounds of the woods. No motors, no planes... just nature. Don't be mislead by the name, there is no specific monument to look at. The monument is the woods themselves. This isn't about scenic vistas or Sunday drives. It's all about enjoying unspoiled nature. If you're looking for some place to park an RV, or for a casual escape during a road trip, then I recommend looking somewhere else. This is for people willing to leave modern conveniences behind to just enjoy the wind through the trees.

Awful. Massive mosquitoes and ticks, camping not allowed, it’s all swamp and no scenery at all. No trails; difficult to walk or paddle. Just hike katahdin and leave the area, it has nothing else good to offer