How to get to katahdin

imported
#1

Hey everyone! So, crazy thought, after a few months of healing I’m very seriously thinking of getting back on the trail around the weekend of August 12 but have no clue how accessible katahdin is from millinocket-if i need to prearrange a shuttle, try to get lucky with a hitch-actually greyhound doesn’t even go to millinocket, the towns it goes to are a good hour from baxter i think. I’ll be going this alone with rapidly diminishing funds from my spring thru-hike savings and am clueless about SOBO hiking-any help/advice is appreciated! Thanks so much!

Feather

#2

Uh, well, most of us found it by walking 2200 miles north (or east, actually) from Springer until we saw the big K!

Just kidding. I couldn’t resist that one. Not hiking this year has made me a bit stir crazy. I’m sure you’ll get the proper answer from one of the many AT legends on this forum!

yogi

www.pcthandbook.com

yogi

#3

I’m not exactly an AT legend…but I did just finish a NOBO thru-hike, so here goes:

Greyhound serves Bangor, and from there you can take Cyr Bus Lines to Medway for $10.50. Minuteman Taxi (207-723-2000) can shuttle you to Millinocket for about $12 and to Katahdin Stream CG for about $45.

I didn’t have a problem hitching from Katahdin Stream to Millinocket, but I did opt to take a taxi to Medway in the morning so I didn’t miss the Cyr bus. It might take some patience, but I don’t think hitching from Medway to Millinocket and then on to Katahdin Stream would be too much trouble.

Pacer
http://eric.euonym.org/

Pacer

#4

this is what you’ll need to get to katahdin from medway (millinocket): 1 large piece of a cardboard box, roughly 8 inches by 16 inches.
next you’ll need a black magic marker.
Write Katahdin, or baxter state park, or both on the cardboard.
stand in front of the AT diner with the sign, and before long you’ll be at the gate of the park.
You may have to hitch again from the park entrance gate, but thats fairly easy. Flip over your piece of card board and write katahdin stream, or where ever your putting in on the backside. Hold it up to the folks entering the gate, and soon someone will come by and pick you up.
Its as simple as that.
Hope you have a great sobo. I think you’ll find maine quite an adventure. see you in the mtns…

ps. hey thank your parents again for the fried chicken they gave me when I was going thru fontana, it was soooo good…

heald

#5

from: http://trailplace.com/portal/display.php?page=travel_katahdin

Travel to Katahdin
The Appalachian Trail’s northern terminus is Baxter Peak on Mount Katahdin, located in Baxter State Park in north central Maine. The nearest town, Millinocket, Maine, is twenty-two miles from the park entrance, and this town will be your immediate travel destination for starting your southbound hike. The traveler using public conveyances usually arrives in Maine at either Portland or Bangor, and then heads for the Millinocket area by bus, taxi, or prearranged shuttle.

Bus connections: From Portland, take a Vermont Transit (1-800-552-8737) bus to Bangor. Four buses depart daily from Portland’s downtown bus station bound for Bangor’s downtown bus station; fare is $20. If you fly into Portland, take a cab to the Portland bus station (950 Congress Street).

From Bangor’s bus stations, Cyr Bus Lines (207-827-2335) offers service to Medway (a small town 10 miles from Millinocket on I-95 and the closest you can get to Millinocket or the park by bus); one bus leaves Bangor’s downtown Greyhound station at 6:15pm, Concord Trailways station (the Union Street station, closest to the Bangor airport) at 6:30pm, arrives Medway7:45pm, costs $10.50, operates 7 days a week.

If you arrive at Medway by bus, you must hitch the 10 miles from the bus station to Millinocket on Maine 157, since there is no public transportation, or use a taxi service (see below). From Millinocket, you will also have to hitch or taxi to Baxter State Park, which opens officially on May 15. Before heading into the park, southbounders are advised to call ahead to check on regulations for overnight camping and conditions for climbing Katahdin. Baxter State Park headquarters is located in Millinocket (64 Balsam Dr., Millinocket, Maine 04462; 207-723-5140), not in the park, and is visible from Maine 157 on the left next to McDonald’s as you head into town; check current conditions and regulations at Baxter at the unofficial website)

Note: Lodging in the Millinocket/Medway area is listed in The Thru-hiker’s Handbook.

Taxi service: Minuteman Taxi (207-723-2000) will pick you up at Medway and take you to Millinocket or the park; fare from Millinocket to Medway is $8.50, Millinocket to the park gate $25-$75 depending on location in park ($36 to Katahdin Stream Campground); $25 to Abol Bridge; shuttle from Portland or Bangor to Millinocket or the park possible with prior arrangement.

Prearranged shuttles: A number of individuals, some hikers themselves, offer shuttle services to Millinocket and/or Baxter State Park from Portland or Bangor. The availability of these individuals to provide shuttle services can vary from month to month. See our Shuttle Database.

I Don’t Believe in Trail Names

#6

there is only one entrance to Baxter. You need to get camp reservations before hand. Either at Kahtadin Spring campground or Roaring Brook if you plan on going over the knifes edge first. I went over the knifes edge then down kahtadin. I would reccomend that, the knifes edge is wild. But dont make my mistake of doing it with a full pack.

stringbean

#7

I highly recommend if money is more important than time that you fly into Portland, ME rather than Bangor. I just checked flights from Greensboro, NC and flying to Portland is only $215 vs. $485 to fly into Bangor. Then follow the above directions to catch a bus from portland to bangor and bangor to medway. You should not have a problem getting a ride from Medway to Millinocket. The bus drops you off at a gas station just of I-95 and that is the main road into Millinocket, 11 miles away. Which is all from Wingfoot’s book.

Once your in Millinocket you’ll pass Baxter HQ on your left just before McDonalds and the IGA is just past that. There are many places to stay on Central street, which is the road you come in on from Medway. OR there is the Appalachian Trail Lodge, which is in downtown Millinocket, at 33 Penobscot Ave. There is a great Pizza place across the street. The other posts have good advice to get to Katahdin stream campground, which is where the Hunt Trail starts, which is the AT.

jerm

#8

Feather,

I don’t if this can help you at all but I am leaving Thursday afternoon (August 4th) to go up to Baxter for some hiking and white water rafting. If you want to start earlier and could fly up to Manchester I would be happy to give you a lift.

Big B