Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument was a late addition add to our itinerary. We decided to stay 2 nights in Millinocket, Maine and spend a day seeing the monument. The monument is pretty new, and doesn’t have a Jr Ranger program yet. The visitor center in Millinocket was super helpful though and not only provided us with some hikes to do but also the National Jr Ranger night sky workbooks.
The drive to the monument is not for small cars. The Ranger in the visitor center said a sedan could do it. We disagree. There were tons of huge potholes and sharp rocks we had to navigate around. Not only is the park itself all unpaved road like this, but the road leading into it as well.
It was very rainy overnight and the next morning when we were planning to visit. We waited for an opening in the weather and went for the drive. We decided to drive the Katahdin loop road which was very scenic. Our first stop was Deasey Pond which had a very nice 1.2 mi hike round trip. The pond was beautiful and the hike was so serene. We were the only people on it. We were hoping to see a moose but there were none to be seen. I blame the kids for being so loud. We did see all sorts of different mushrooms, ferns, lichen, and moss.
Next stop was Lynx pond. This hike is super short but has a beautiful view as well. It was just a quick stop but worth it.
Our final stop was the Katahdin overlook. On clear days you can see the peak of Katahdin from here as well as other major mountains in the area. Unfortunately it wasn’t a clear day for us but the view of the mountain and valley was still gorgeous. There was also a nice picnic area here where we saw a small group of people who were probably the only other ones in the park that day.
It started to rain again after we left the overlook so we continued around the loop and left the park.
You have to *really* want to come here to endure the drive not just to Millinocket or nearby, but also the drive into the national monument.
If we ever come back I would like to hike some of the Appalachian trail that goes through here and maybe visit Baxter State Park as well.
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