Mount Katahdin and 100 Mile Wilderness Maine Appalachian Trail Section Hike
Maine’s famous and isolated 100 Mile Wilderness, the finish atop Katahdin, and the wild Baxter State Park…all make for maybe the most epic section of the AT. Come hike with us on our Mount Katahdin and 100 Mile Wilderness Appalachian Trail Section Hike!
The AT Warning Sign Entering and Exiting Maine’s 100 Mile Wilderness
In 2023 we section hiked 1,225 miles of the Appalachian Trail, the longest footpath in the world, and spent 13 weeks day hiking, working, and van camping on the Appalachian Trail as we moved up the trail slowly from Georgia to Maine. In this series we cover each section we hiked and in this article we cover the final 151 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Maine when heading NOBO.
IF HEADING NOBO (NORTHBOUND) ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL Caratunk me IS LOCATED AT MILE MARKER 2047 ON THE 2023 AT AND the mount katahdin summit IS AT MILE MARKER 2198. THIS 151 MILE STRETCH IS WHAT WE COVERED IN 10 DAYS AND YOU WILL GAIN 29,930 FEET OF ASCENT AND HAVE 25,190 FEET IN DESCENT.
100 Mile Wilderness/Baxter State Park Appalachian Trail Section Hike Need to Know’s:
The Kennebec River Ferry is required and part of the AT. Take the ferry. Details HERE.
The 100 Mile Wilderness is isolated. Bring food for the entire trip, however it is easier hiking than it sounds. Some thru-hikers I met did it in five days. You can also slack pack like I did from Shaw’s and the AT Hostel. There are lots of options but choosing your path and preparing diligently for that is a MUST!
Shaw’s Hiker Hostel and the AT Hostel are also great resources to double check all your plans before starting this section of the AT. We stayed at Shaw’s for five nights and the AT Hostel for three nights.
Dogs are not allowed in Baxter State Park and honestly I wouldn’t recommend them hiking much in the 100 Mile Wilderness. Our dogs last miles were out of Andover Maine and the flat section at the Northern End of the 100 Mile Wilderness to the edge of Baxter State Park.
You will need a campsite permit, a day hiking permit, or be a registered thru-hiker to summit Katahdin. They will not let you if you don’t have one of these. We camped at Abol inside of Baxter the night before our summit and therefore could go up Katahdin (I was a section, not thru-hiker). It’s a great system to protect the wilderness but I did find it a little confusing at first, I called the State Park office twice and they were super helpful!
Abol Bridge (not the one inside of Baxter) was our 2nd favorite campground of the section hike.
This area of Maine is rugged and wild, I can’t stress preparation physically and mentally enough for this stretch!
It took us 5.5 hours out and back for the Katahdin Summit. It’s a true bouldering rock climb for a bit and one of the hardest days of hiking I have ever done. We left with headlamps at 430am. It was our steepest day of ascent except for Mt Washington and Approach Trail Day in GA.
You could start this section a little earlier in Maine in Andover if you have more time. We hiked in and out of Andover and then jumped up here and loved camping at South Arm.
What else happened that was memorable during this section hike?
My best bud Matt came and did Baxter SP and Katahdin with me, we have hiked the Salkantay in Peru, up Kili in Tanzania, the PCT in Rainier, Mt Mitchell in North Carolina, and now Katahdin in Maine together!
Shaw’s “Hiker Breakfast” was as great of an experience as everyone says, take part and bottoms up on the pancakes!
While we had a super foggy and windy Katahdin Summit day we had clear and beautiful views of the mountain from Abol Bridge for two days/nights hiking SOBO and NOBO.
The trail towns of Monson and Millinocket were two of our favorites! The Monson General Store and Ice Cream Shop and the AT Cafe in Millinocket were a few of our faves, we list them all in our Maine Trail Towns Podcast Episode!
We met a thru hiker who started on the International AT up in Newfoundland and was heading SOBO after finishing the IAT!
All of it. This is one of the coolest section hikes you could do in all of the US!
WHAT GEAR DID I USE AND LIKE THE MOST ON MY 2023 AT SECTION HIKE?
Hoka One Kaha’s were my trusted shoes for this day (and for the whole summer on the trail.)
I used my REI 40 Liter Backpack. This worked great since I was coming on and off the trail every day but most thru-hikers or multi-day section hikers were looking at bigger packs than mine.
Darn Tough Vermont and Merino Wool Socks from REI and SmartWool were my go to’s.
Osprey Water Bladder and Lifestraw Collapsible Filter for hydration.
I wore New Balance running shorts mainly and much preferred that to more typical hiking shorts.
Gaiters were a must as was coating our clothes in Permethrin to avoid ticks. (We did not get any ticks remarkably while hiking the AT in 2023.)
The AT Guide by AWOL and AT Conservancy are AMAZING resources for a hike on the AT!
Katie, Jill, and Cotopaxi got us some bubbly to pop after our Katahdin Summit!
This is the first, or last, of the Appalachian Trail for a thru-hiker. It doesn’t have to be for a section hiker but it was for me and I could feel and see my and everyone else’s emotions.
This stretch is tough as nails and they say “No Pain, No Rain, No Maine” but that’s just to get to Maine. To see the blood, sweat, and tears that people have put in to get here is inspiring. Then to know how hard it is the rest of the way out is equally wild. The pain and the rain are just beginning sometimes when you get to Maine!
I’ve hiked in Acadia and explored the Maine coast quite extensively but never been up to this wild and rugged stretch of Central Maine. The mountains rival the white in New Hampshire and self reliance is key.
This whole stretch, while super challenging and even somewhat dangerous, felt like a dream come true. To have made it this far and still be intact felt like an epic culmination and was absolutely perfect.
We had Rain, we had Pain (we still have Pain as a result of this section hike), and we had LOTS of Maine!
This stretch of Maine features a ferry, iconic trail towns, the 100 mile wilderness, waterfalls, mushrooms, wildlife, Baxter SP, and the Northern Terminus of the AT: The Katahdin Summit. AKA the Great Mountain according to the Native American Tribes of this land in Maine.
It was 155 miles and 10 days was enough but tough, you are gonna work yourself on this stretch.
Have fun, prepare, and welcome to the wilderness of Maine!
Thanks for reading and happy trails to you! Whether you are planning a thru, section, or day hike…or are a trail town local, trail angel, or just someone wanting to learn more about the longest footpath in the world…I hope the Appalachian Trail gives you what you need! Don’t forget to Leave No Trace and pack your 10 Essentials!
Comment below with questions or your experience on hiking the AT in Mount Katahdin and the 100 Mile Wilderness.
Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Mike R
Hiking the AT in Baxter State Park.