Baxter State Park

Baxter State Park, donated to the people of Maine by former Governor Percival Baxter between 1931 and 1962, encompasses 209,000 acres of wilderness surrounding Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Katahdin's 5,267-foot summit presents a physically demanding approach via the Knife's Edge, a narrow ridge traverse that becomes impassable in high winds or ice. The park operates under a deliberately primitive management philosophy, limiting visitor numbers and prohibiting motor vehicles on interior roads.