baxter state park road conditions

My husband and I are traveling to Maine in early August. I think my husband is a little apprehensive about the road conditions in Baxter State Park in the family car. Are the road conditions suitable for the (family car) or do you need at least a SUV of 4 Wheel Drive to make the trip? I really don%26#39;t want to miss going to Baxter it sounds like a very exciting adventure and my husband doesn%26#39;t want to destroy the car.

baxter state park road conditions

This is a valid and common question. It has been a while since I have been up there, but hopefully will be going back within a month or two. I always go to the southern area (Millinocket/Greenville) so if you are going to a different entrance I am not familiar with it. Probably one of the locals (more local than I) will chime in or maybe now that the season to visit is upon us someone will chime in who has just visited. Here is my take.

The ';main'; roads into Baxter are passable by regular passenter car, that being the roads into the popular spots. As long as your not talking about some lowered street car with ground effects an inch off the gound you should be Ok. The gravel roads certainly may be a bit bumpy and have pot holes but you will just drive the speed necessary to handle the condition of the road. If the roads have been recently graded and/or raked they will be better but I do not know what that schedule is. Maine is not know for having good roads, I have traveled around a lot and find that Maine has some of the worst roads there are. In my rural area I routinely travel paved roads that are in worse condition than most of the gravel roads in the greater Millinocket/ Greenville area.

So they could be bumpy in spots or have some pot holes but will certainly be passable and should not ';destroy'; the car. Make sure you get to the gates early or you might find that the park is full already.

If you should find yourself in this situation continue on in the Golden Rd along the river and check out some of the sites there like the rafts going through the gorge and the cribworks or take a walk on the AT from the Abol bridge. Enjoy your trip.

baxter state park road conditions

Thanks for your help! I was under the impression that there is one way in and one way out of Baxter State Park on a gravel road for 20 miles at 20 to 25mph. Am I mistaken? I am going by what I read on the Baxter State Park website. Are you able to go into the park as far as you want and then turn around? Are there two way roads? Sorry for all of the questions but I have never been there. I am really excited about seeing moose!!!!!

There are two entrances into Baxter commonly refered to as the north entrance and the south entrance or the Togue Pond Gate (south) and the Matagamon Gate (north). The most popular and most used entrance is the south one. This is the one that is near to Millinocket and yes it is about a 25mile ride on gravel roads to the main trailheads parking lots from Millinocket. It is a fairly low speed drive but you can cetainly do more than 25mph on the first section. The gravel roads are in decent shape and certainly passable by passenger car. As I said it might be bumpy in spots but should not be a big problem.

The roads are two way roads and therefore you could drive in as far as you wanted turn around and come back. The ';Park Tote Rd'; will take you all the way from the south entrance up the western edge of the park across the north part of the park and to the north entrance, but this is a long drive, the large majority of the people just visiting for a day or two only venture up the road to the trailheads.

If you continue beyond the turn off into Baxter Park on the Golden road that is also a very nice drive to take and a chance to see moose. There are great views of Mount Katahdin from the south bank of the river all along this road. If you cant get into the park or decide not to one day for some reason I would reccomend a ride out the Golden road to atleast the dam area. If you go around 9am you can catch a glimpse of all the rafts coming down through the gorge and then further down along the river if you want.

Thanks for all of the information. It was really helpful!

Last year we took our Honda Accord from the south entrance of Baxter to Roaring Brook parking lot. No troubles.

This year we are trying what County Mounty suggested, taking the Golden Road up the west branch. I have no clue about the conditions of the Golden Road here but we are renting an SUV for this though..

PS: I love our bad roads. They serve a good purpose.

Thanks Everyone! I am so excited to go on this vacation! I have read some of your old threads as well and really do appreciate the input you have given. We will definitly going to Baxter thanks to your responses. I can%26#39;t wait to see moooosesss! Sorry I couldn%26#39;t resist!

If you are really interested in seeing moose, I recommend the Mainely Photos Moose and Photo Tours in Millinocket. I just visited Millinocket last week, and the area is beautiful! I have a love (okay, slight obsession!) of moose, so I signed up for this tour (be aware that you must make reservations in advance - you can find all of the info on their website). It was great - it lasted from 4:00pm until dark (about 9pm) and we saw 11 moose, plus foxes, deer, and a mink. Our tour guide is a well known moose expert and photographer in Maine, and she was wonderful. The tour people are really familiar with the area and the moose behavior, so they knew where to look. I%26#39;m sure I never would have found 11 moose on my own! Not only did we see lots of wildlife, but we saw some breathtaking scenery, including some excellent views of Katahdin.

Thanks Indiana! Still havn%26#39;t left yet! I think I have the same obsession with MOOSE. That tour sounds like a good idea. I%26#39;ll check out their website. We are spending two nights in Millinocket. So I will probably try what county mounty suggested as well. Any tips on any eating establishments in Millinocket? I have another obsession Good Food!

cintigirlCincinatti

Not sure if you caught the other post recently about road conditions. Someone who was just there answered that question for us all. Apparently the road to the park gate is closed and the roads within the park are currently in good shape and you should have no problem in the family car.