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National Monument

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

  • Northeast

Plan a Katahdin Woods and Waters trip

About Katahdin Woods and Waters

Spread across a wild landscape offering spectacular views of Katahdin, Katahdin Woods and Waters invites discovery of its rivers, streams, woods, flora, fauna, geology, and the night skies that have attracted humans for millennia.

From the National Park Service.

Region
Northeast
State
Maine
Designation
National Monument
Entrance fee
None listed
  • Trail data for this park is still being added.
  • Places for this park are still being added.

Know before you go

Fees, hours, weather and getting to Katahdin Woods and Waters.

Entrance fees

The National Park Service lists no entrance fee for this park.

Hours

Open 24 hours a day, every day.

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is open year-round. From mid-November to late May, the north entrance and Katahdin Loop Road are closed to wheeled vehicles. Two gates on the Swift Brook Road leading to the southern sections of the monument are managed by a neighboring timber company and may be closed to wheeled vehicles as well from mid-November to late May.

Weather and when to go

Northern Maine experiences all four seasons. Summer temperatures range from 45-90F (7-30C). Fall temperatures range from 30-70F (-1-21C). Typically, the first frost is in mid-October and first snowfall begins in November and can continue through April with an average accumulation of 73 inches (185 cm). Winter temperatures range from 14-35F (-10 - 2C). Spring temperatures range from 30-70F (-1-21C).

Getting there

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is located in north central Maine. Drive approximately 1.5 hours north of Bangor, Maine to reach Route 11 (Katahdin Woods and Waters Scenic Byway). Route 11 is the main route to the entrances to the park. Take Route 11 to Route 159 and Grand Lake Road to access the North Entrance. Follow Route 11 to Swift Brook Road to enter the South Entrance. Take Route 11 to Route 159 and American Thread Road to access the Seboeis Parcel.

Directions from the National Park Service

Contact the park

Address
Route 11, Patten, ME 04765
Official site
nps.gov/kaww

From the National Park Service, checked weekly. Fees, hours and road conditions change: confirm with the park before you go.

Trip planner

A day-by-day plan for Katahdin Woods and Waters

Tell us your dates and what you are into. We group the stops by where they are, so each day is one part of the park, not a zigzag.

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Things to do in Katahdin Woods and Waters

The park service's own list, with how long each takes.

  • Hike Deasey Ponds Trail

    Hiking · about 1 hour

    Hike to Deasey Ponds by taking an easy 1.4 mile (round-trip) trail located at the southern area of the monument. From the parking lot, there is an option to extend your hike to vi…

  • Hike To Orin Falls

    Hiking · about 4 hours

    Hike to Orin Falls for a magnificent view of a cascading waterfall.

  • Stargaze at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

    Stargazing · about 45 min

    Enjoy stargazing in an International Dark Sky Sanctuary with some of the darkest skies east of the Mississippi!

  • Hike To Barnard Mountain

    Hiking · about 2.7 hours

    Hike to the top of 1,558ft Barnard Mountain for a magnificent and expansive viewpoint of Katahdin Lake and Mt. Katahdin.

  • Bike the Katahdin Loop Road

    Biking · about 45 min

    The Katahdin Loop Road is a 17 mile loop starting on the Swift Brook Road past Sandbank Stream Campground.

  • Fall Colors

    Front-Country Hiking · about 3.3 hours

    Explore ways to enjoy beautiful fall colors at Katahdin Woods and Waters.

  • Birding In The Southern Section

    Birdwatching · about 45 min

    Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument provides important and diverse breeding habitat for many species of birds. Enjoy birding in the monument!

  • Hike the Seboeis Riverside Trail

    Hiking · about 2.3 hours

    Hike the Seboeis Riverside Trail from the Seboeis Connector Trail. Starting from the Seboeis Connector Trail makes this hike 7.2 miles out and back (14.4 miles round trip). Enjoy…

  • Birding At The North Gate Area

    Birdwatching · about 45 min

    Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument provides important and diverse breeding habitat for many species of birds. Enjoy birding at the north end of the monument!

Campgrounds in Katahdin Woods and Waters

Run by the park service. Reservable sites book on Recreation.gov; first-come sites do not.

What to pack for Katahdin Woods and Waters

Gear & Essentials

Tell us about your trip and we will add what else you will want:

The basics

Worth having in the car whatever the park.

For this trip

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