Many exciting things are happening at Baxter State Park in 2025. Click through the options below to learn more about what changes we’re making to improve our visitors’ experiences, what educational opportunities are available and ways to get involved, and ongoing projects in the Park that may affect visitor usage.
So long, DUPRs! Hello, Katahdin Trailhead Passes!
Why We Have a Parking Reservation System
Managing recreational use at BSP allows us to protect the Park’s natural resources (especially those found in the more sensitive alpine areas), mitigate trail erosion, and provide our visitors with the opportunity for a less crowded wilderness experience. We do this by closing parking lots (and their associated trailheads) once they have reached their carrying capacity for the day, whether they are Katahdin trailhead lots or others. Because of the popularity of Katahdin trailheads on any given day, parking lots may close within the first two hours of the gate opening, particularly on busy summer days with good weather.
Since 2010, Baxter State Park has made use of a parking reservation system at the three parking lots with access to Katahdin trailheads — Roaring Brook, Abol, and Katahdin Stream. This system, formerly known as the Day Use Parking Reservation (DUPR) system, has been an effective tool for helping visitors plan their trip and saving them time and frustration by allowing them to reserve a parking space in advance. In 2025, this system is receiving some updates to make it even more effective and accessible for our visitors. Read on to learn more!
Psst… here’s some of what we’re protecting!
What is Changing About the Parking Reservation System, and Why Are These Changes Happening?
The short answer? These changes are taking place to provide the fair access opportunities for all that Governor Baxter envisioned when founding Baxter State Park.
Baxter State Park’s staff and Advisory Committee have gathered information about the experiences of Park visitors along with visitor use data from Park gates, trailhead parking areas, trail registers, and the online reservation system to understand current challenges that visitors face in planning for a hike on Katahdin trails. Based on this information, and with the aim of providing the clearest and most fair access opportunities as envisioned by Governor Baxter, the Park is implementing the following changes to the parking reservation system starting in 2025:
1. Name change to Katahdin Trailhead Pass
Parking reservations have only ever been available for parking lots at Katahdin Trailheads. To reflect this, we are changing the name from Day Use Parking Reservation (DUPR) to Katahdin Trailhead Pass (KTP). The name also better reflects the long-standing requirement that even those dropping off hikers or arriving to the trailhead by other means than a car that requires a parking space must have a KTP. Note: Other trails departing from these trailheads, such as The Owl and South Turner Mountain, will continue to also require a KTP.
2. KTPs will cost $10 and be limited to 2 per month.
The price is increasing from its longtime fee of $5 per vehicle, and the limit is being lowered from 3 passes per month to 2. These modest changes in price and limitation are meant to minimize the practice of over-purchasing KTPs without the full intention of using them, increasing availability for those intending to use them. Governor Baxter wanted the Park “used to the fullest extent but in the right unspoiled way.”
3. All visitors will have access to reserve on April 1st.
This is meant to streamline the planning process for those who wish to hike Katahdin, South Turner, or the Owl, and make the Park more accessible for all.
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- Maine residents will be able to purchase between 70% – 100% of all KTPs that are available on a given day, ensuring they still have full access to “the mountain of the people of Maine.”
Non-Maine residents, who could formerly reserve passes only up to 2 weeks in advance of their hike, will also be able to purchase up to 30% of passes on a given day once reservations open for everyone on April 1st. This will provide more certainty in planning trips for those traveling to us from farther away. Governor Baxter hoped that “as the years roll on… this State Park will be enjoyed by an ever-increasing number of Maine people and by those who come to us from beyond our borders.”
4. KTPs will look more detailed!
To better reflect what visitors need to know before they come to the Park, we’ve updated the look of our parking reservations. Now, it’s easier than ever to see which parking lot your reservation provides access to, when the trailhead passes expire (7:05 a.m. on the day of), and who needs a trailhead pass (including drop-offs and campers with same day check-in).
Other things to know about Katahdin Trailhead Passes and planning for visiting the Park:
- If you have purchased a KTP that you no longer intend to use, please consider cancelling your reservation in advance. While the $10 fee is not refundable, there is no cancellation fee, and you will likely make another visitor wishing to use a Katahdin trailhead very happy!
- The option to come and wait in the first-come, first-served line at Togue Pond Gate without a KTP on the day you wish to hike will continue to be available. On all but the busiest days of summer, most people waiting in this line at the gate by 7 a.m. will be able to hike Katahdin.
- If you don’t reserve a KTP in advance, be flexible with your plans. You may be able to hike from a different Katahdin trailhead than your first choice. Also remember that there are many other beautiful and challenging hikes in the Park, including those that climb above treeline on mountains other than Katahdin, such as North Brother and Doubletop.
These changes will be made effective for the 2025 season, beginning on April 1st, 2025.
Learn more about hiking in the Park and obtaining a KTP here.
Why do I need a KTP (formerly DUPR)?
This is a fee to reserve parking at our most crowded trailheads, reducing the need for people to line up in the morning before the gates open.
Who needs a KTP?
Anyone planning to hike from a Katahdin Trailhead (Abol, Katahdin Stream, and Roaring Brook) who is NOT camping in the Park the night prior. This includes trails departing from the Katahdin trailheads even if they do not ascend Katahdin, such as the Owl and South Turner Mountain.
Are parking reservations intended to be a fee to go up the mountain?
No. Because of the popularity of Katahdin trailheads on any given day, parking lots can close within the first two hours of the gates opening. The system improves accessibility and makes planning easier for visitors. Governor Baxter may not have wanted people to pay a fee to climb Katahdin, but he also would not have wanted people to feel that they had no access to do so if they couldn’t be at the gate at 4 in the morning.
Why does BSP charge a fee for KTPs?
The price is not intended to reflect the value of the experience, just to incentivize proper use of the system (and thus is not updated in the same manner as other fees in the Park); essentially, it deters people from reserving passes they don’t intend to use, making passes more accessible for those wishing to use them.
Does everyone who climbs Katahdin pay a fee?
No. Those who have camped in the Park the night before their hike, and those who wait in the first-come, first-served line at the gate, do not pay a fee for access to the trailhead.
Which trails does a KTP provide access to?
KTPs provide access only to parking lots at the base of Katahdin. All other parking lots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. KTPs provide access to the following parking lots and their associated trails.
- Chimney Pond Trail, which connects to Dudley, Cathedral, Saddle, Hamlin Ridge, and the Knife Edge Trails.
- Helon Taylor Trail, which connects to Dudley and the Knife Edge Trails.
- Sandy Stream Pond Trail, which connects to South Turner Mountain Trail.
- Roaring Brook Nature Trail
- Trails to Russell Pond
- Abol Trail
- Little Abol Falls Trail
- The Hunt Trail (the last 5.2 miles of the Appalachian Trail)
- The Owl Trail
- Grassy Pond Trail
Do Campers in the Park need a KTP?
- Campers who are already in the Park from the night before still have access to Roaring Brook, Abol and Katahdin Stream trailheads. Campers who are staying at a different campground from the one they wish to hike from should still plan to be in the Day Use Parking Lot by no later than 7 a.m. to secure their spot.
- Campers who are entering the Park to camp the same night that they wish to hike must have a KTP to enter in the morning.
What if I have a backcountry campground reservation or backcountry campsite?
If you have a reservation for a backcountry campground or a backcountry campsite that is typically accessed from a Katahdin Trailhead (for example, if you are camping at Russell Pond), you may park at Roaring Brook in the morning without a KTP. This exception applies only to those camping in the backcountry.
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Making a Reservation is Now Easier Than Ever!
We’ve updated the look and efficiency of our Reservations System. Since these updates went live on November 18th, 2024, making a reservation online has been clearer and more user friendly than ever before! Learn more about how we’ve improved the look and efficiency of our Reservations System here.
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Our Fees Have Been Updated.
Did you know? Baxter State Park is independent of other state parks and receives no state funding from tax revenues. It operates entirely using funds gifted by Governor Percival Baxter, private donations, and Park-generated revenue such as camping, parking, and non-resident fees.
So what’s changing?
- Camping fees will increase slightly at all site.
- Parking reservations will cost $10 per vehicle
- Non-resident entrance fees will cost $20 per vehicle.
And what’s staying the same?
- Maine residents will continue to enter for free. The Park was Governor Percival Baxter’s gift to the people of Maine, from whom he “ask[ed] nothing but their respect.”
- The cost for canoe & kayak rentals will not increase.
- The cost of firewood bundles will not increase.
All new rates are effective beginning January 15th! Learn more about our fees and refund policy here.
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Want to Learn More About the Park’s Natural & Cultural History? See Our Schedule of Educational Programs!
Coming soon!
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What’s Happening in the SFMA?
Coming soon!
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What Is Our Trail Crew Up To This Year?
Coming soon!
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What Projects Will Maintenance Undertake This Year?
Coming soon!
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The Daicey Pond Cabin Repair Project Barrels Towards Completion!
Work on restoring and repairing the historic cabins at Daicey Pond began in May 2024 and is on track to reach completion in April 2025. We anticipate that most, if not all, cabins will be open for use for the start of the 2025 Camping Season. Visitors can learn more about project updates and the history of Daicey Pond Campground here.
