National Monument · NPS · ME
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
Photo: NPS/ Gin Majka, International Dark Sky Sanctuary
Alerts and conditions
Caution Hunting Season Begins
Hunting in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is now open for the 2026 season. Hunting is permitted on all monument land east of the East Branch Penobscot River. It is recommended that all visitors wear high visibility clothing regardless of their location within the monument until hunting seasons concludes. For more information about recreational hunting in the monument, please click below.
Caution Increased Logging Traffic Along Swift Brook Road
Be alert for logging trucks along Swift Brook Road between the monument boundary and the start of the Loop Road. Logging trucks will be transporting logs on Swift Brook Road to Roberts Road. Logging trucks ALWAYS have the right of way. Keep your headlights on. Never stop on roads or bridges. Pull over to the side of the road to allow trucks to pass by.
Overview
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
History
The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.
What to see and do
Activities
- Astronomy
- Stargazing
- Biking
- Camping
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Backcountry Hiking
- Front-Country Hiking
- Horse Trekking
- Horseback Riding
- Hunting and Gathering
- Hunting
- Paddling
- Canoeing
- Kayaking
- Junior Ranger Program
- Skiing
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Snowmobiling
- Snowshoeing
- Wildlife Watching
- Birdwatching
Plan your visit
Hours
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument: 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.
North Entrance: The north entrance to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is reached by turning on New River Road (also known as Messer Pond Road) from Maine Route 159/Grand Lake Road. This entrance is typically open to wheeled vehicle traffic from late May-late October.
South Entrance: The south entrance to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is reached via Maine Route 11 and Swift Brook Road. This entrance is typically open to wheeled vehicle traffic from late May-late October. Swift Brook Road is a private logging road. Two gates across this private logging road leading into the monument are managed by a neighboring timber company that determines when road conditions are appropriate to open the gates for the summer season.
Katahdin Loop Road: The Katahdin Loop Road is typically open to wheeled vehicle traffic from late May-late October. The Loop Road is accessed via Maine Route 11 and Swift Brook Road. Swift Brook Road is a private logging road and a neighboring timber company manages the two gates on the road leading into the monument. The timber company determines when the gates will open and close for the season depending on road conditions. The National Park Service manages the gate to the Katahdin Loop Road.
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.
Visitor centers
- Tekakapimək Contact Station
Campgrounds
- Sandbank Stream Campground (3 sites) — reserve
- Lunksoos Campsites (7 sites) — reserve
- Upper East Branch Campsite (1 sites) — reserve
- Stair Falls Campsite (1 sites) — reserve
- Esker Campsite (1 sites) — reserve
- Katahdin Brook Lean-to (1 sites) — reserve
- Wassataquoik Lean-to (1 sites) — reserve
- Wassataquoik Campsite (1 sites) — reserve
- Big Seboeis Campsite (1 sites) — reserve
- Big Spring Brook Campsite (1 sites) — reserve
- Haskell Deadwater Campsite (1 sites) — reserve
- Pond Pitch Campsite (1 sites) — reserve
- Grand Pitch Lean-to (1 sites) — reserve
- Big Spring Brook Hut (1 sites) — reserve
- Haskell Hut (1 sites) — reserve
- Lunksoos Mountain Lean-To (1 sites) — reserve
Weather
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).
Phone: 207-456-6001
Whose lands these are
These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.
Photos
Pair it with
- Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge FWS · 68 miles
- Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge FWS · 80 miles
- Maine Acadian Culture NPS · 89 miles
- Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge FWS · 91 miles
- Saint Croix Island International Historic Site NPS · 96 miles
- Acadia National Park NPS · 109 miles