Baxter in Winter
Get out your cross-country skis and your snowshoes
and head to Baxter State Park in the winter!
Winter activities are an adventure and a challenge. Minimize the hazards with good judgment gained from education and experience. Read the Park’s Winter Camping Handbook and winter use information carefully and learn how to stay safe. You’re responsible for your own safety in the wilderness.
Begin your winter adventure here.
Explore Baxter
This video from Explore New England shows a hike into Daisey Pond in winter. It sure looks like fun! Remember, these people are experts, so prepare yourself well, read, study, learn, and maybe take a few practice hikes close to home.
Resources
Snowmobiling
The Park Tote Road allows snowmobiles. The speed limit is 20 mph and the trail is not groomed. You will be sharing the trail with people on skis and snowshoes. Baxter State Park is a wilderness, there are no warming huts or other conveniences.
Where to Fish
Ice fishing is one of the best winter activities out there! In the Park, ice fishing on Upper Togue Pond opens when the ice forms until March 31. Lower Togue Pond opens for ice fishing from January 1 through March 31. Maine has a great beginner guide to ice fishing and a rule book here.
Gear Rental
Leave no Trace
Baxter State Park belongs to wildlife first, and humans second. Leave no trace is the “best practice” for people to follow when outside in the winter or summer. Find out how to minimize your impact here.
Katahdin Gear Library (KGL) offers snowshoes and cross-country ski rentals at their Penobscot Avenue location in Millinocket. Renting is a great idea if you want to try out some winter activities without making a large financial commitment.