Home ⎟ Hikes & Wanderings ⎟ Maine ⎟ Katahdin

Distance: 9.6 miles

Time: 10-12 hours

Difficulty: Very Strenuous

Elevation Gain: 4,000 ft

Climbing an exposed ridge with spectacular views for hours. My personal favorite.

Trailhead Directions: From Millinocket, Maine, take the Golden Road (an old logging road) to the entrance to Baxter State Park. Pay the fee and follow the signs for the Roaring Brook Campground. Day parking is on the left, overnight parking on the right.

Hike Directions: From the Roaring Brook Campground, find & follow the Chimney Pond Trail for a tenth of a mile to the Helon Taylor Trail.  Veer LEFT here and begin ascending for a half mile before leveling off for a bit as you wind your way through forest with views of Katahdin ahead and through the trees.  Then continue the uphill climb, ascending to Keep Ridge, an open ridge with mesmerizing views of Knife Edge, Katahdin Lake, South Turner Mountain & Basin Ponds.  3.6 miles from the trailhead lies the summit of Pamola Peak with great views of the Katahdin Massif, Chimney Pond, Baxter Peak & Great Basin. From the summit, follow cairns to to a sharp drop into the cleft on The Chimney.  Begin ascending Chimney Peak, with the help of  iron bars.  Weave through rocky knobs, then descend before ascending South Peak. Follow the spine of the ridge to the summit of Baxter Peak.  Return the way you came.

Scenery: 10/10