Maine Outdoor Journal

I was up in Baxter State Park earlier this month trekking through the wild and lonely country up at the northern end. On my way into the park I picked up a stack of park-related info (who me?!) and tossed onto the passenger seat for later consumption.

Well, I finally got around to sifting through that stack of stuff. And lo and behold I come upon this unassuming sheet of white paper: "Baxter State Park, Day Use Parking Reservation System."

Whoa, me says. What be this?


Seems the park will be changing the way parking is handled for the Mount Katahdin trailheads at Katahdin Stream, Abol and Roaring Brook. This is big news.

According to the park, "the objective of this system is to continue to protect Katahdin trails and alpine habitat while removing the uncertainty in acquiring access to a Katahdin trailhead."

Good idea. But how will this noble end be achieved? I tells you what I reads, paraphrased-like:

Starting May 1, 2010, the park will make advance Day Use Parking Reservations, or DUPR, spaces available at the three Katahdin trailheads. If you're a Maine resident (lucky us) you'll be able to make such reservations before people from away. It'll cost you $5.00 for each DUPR to cover parking program administration. The park will take DUPRs until 3 p.m. the day before the reservation. The park will post daily parking availability updates on the park website and on the Hiker Information Line at 207.723.4636. Parking spaces that are not reserved in advance will go on sale on eBay the following morning... no, no, no. Just kidding. As soon as Togue Pond gate opens, if a parking spot ain't reserved you (even if you're from away) can have it. You can make a DUPR until 7:30 a.m. the day of.

Well now, this should be cool. If you've ever waited in an ungodly long line up outside the Togue Pond gate at 4:00 a.m on a Saturday morning, then you know how good this plan should/could be. Or worse, driven all the way to Baxter only to get there and find all three trailhead parking areas full and closed for the day. Silly boy.

So there you have it. The opportunity to make an advance reservation for a Katahdin trailhead parking space. No worries. I like that.

Of course, if you really want to beat the crowds and the Katahdin trailhead parking game, there's one sure way to do so, a fool proof method I perfected some years ago...

... I go elsewhere in the park.

Like to Doubletop, the Brothers, Coe and OJI, Sentinel. Better yet, I bypass the southern park gate altogether and head north for Matagamon and then to South Branch Pond. No crowds or parking problems up that way, or relatively so most times of the year. But shhhh, don't tell anyone!

Anyway, I wish the park good luck with the new parking system. The same to all desirous parkers and hikers. I'll look for you all atop the mountain through my binoculars as I eat my trail lunch from atop Traveler, just me and the breeze and maybe a hawk or two.

Look for more info on the DUPR system on the park website after March 1, 2010.