Winter camping in Baxter State Park (BSP) is permitted from December 1 to March 31, by reservation only. All reservations for winter camping must be made by completing our winter hiking/camping registration form and submitting it in person, by mail, or by email. Day users expecting to travel above treeline are also required to register with the Park. All reservations and registrations must be made at least 7 business days in advance of the start of the trip. The Reservations Office in Millinocket is open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM.
On the first day of winter reservations, Wednesday, November 1st, we use a lottery system to determine the order of reservations for those registering to camp in person at our headquarters (64 Balsam Drive in Millinocket). Our doors will open at 8 AM, and entries for the first lottery drawing will be accepted until 9 AM. Reservations for commercial users will open the following day, on November 2nd.
New and notable for this year’s winter registration:
• Only one lottery entry is allowed per group/trip. This rule provides each group—regardless of the number in the group—the same chance in the lottery. Groups violating this rule will forfeit their reservations.
• If this is your first time making a camping reservation in BSP, please help us smooth the process by creating a reservations account with us in advance of opening day.
• All entries for the first trip will be drawn at 9 AM, so participants will know their place in line in advance.
• There is still no overnight camping permitted at our Headquarters.
• Bunkhouses will be reserved by the bunk (as they were before the COVID-19 restrictions).
• There will be an updated registration form, with the option to submit it by email.
For additional information on the winter registration (and camping reservation) process, please visit the winter basics page of our website: https://baxterstatepark.org/winter-basics/