READY FOR A ROAD TRIP in your RV or camper? Maine’s Katahdin Woods & Waters National Scenic Byway lets visitors explore the region, giving access to a wide variety of fun outdoor activities.
Here is a quick guide with more information to fully enjoy your Maine adventure:
On the 89-mile long Katahdin Woods and Waters National Scenic byway, you will find several campgrounds suited for campers or RVs (please see the list below). The Katahdin region is popular, so please make your reservations early.
Note that portions of the scenic byway and small rural and private roads leading to Baxter State Park and the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument can be challenging to navigate for larger RVs and tow behind trailers. We recommend that you plan ahead to make for the best possible experience.
At Baxter State Park, there are no RV hookups. The Park Tote Road is a narrow gravel road, and large vehicles would have trouble traveling through. According to Baxter State Park’s latest information, vehicles cannot exceed 9 feet tall, 7 feet wide, and 22 feet long (44 feet combined when towing). Please check this page for additional Rules & Permits. Near the Southern entrance, RV camping is best in nearby Millinocket, which has several convenient and beautiful campgrounds. Near the Northern entrance, we suggest camping near Patten/Shin Pond Village. We recommend using another vehicle for exploring Baxter State Park. Check the “Know Before You Go” guide located HERE.
The Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument is remote and accessible only by dirt roads. The park infrastructure is in progress. At of 2023, the only campsites in the monument that permit RVs are those at Sandbank Stream. All others are walk or hike-in. The Sandbank Stream campsites are generally accessible starting in late May, as the gates are closed on Swift Brook Road leading to Sandbank Stream during mud season. Reservations are available for the sites from late May-late October and can be made on Recreation.gov. After late October, people can still stay at Sandbank Stream as long as the road remains accessible to vehicles.
High-clearance vehicles are generally advised for accessing the monument. Note that gravel roads in the area around the monument are active logging roads. So please keep to the right of the road and ensure you yield to oncoming trucks.
Here is a list of campgrounds in the Katahdin area that are best suited for campers and RVs:
– Abol Bridge Campground (closest to Baxter State Park’s Northern entrance) | (207) 447-5803 | Reservations
– Wilderness Edge Campground (15 minutes from Baxter State Park and approximately 20 miles from the South entrance of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument): Website | (207) 447-8485
– Pinegrove Campground and Cottages | Website | (207) 746-5172
– Katahdin Shadows Campground & Cabins: Website | (207) 746-9349
– Big Moose Inn Cabins & Campground: Website | (207) 723-8391
– Shin Pond Village (near Baxter State Park’s Northern Entrance): Website | (207) 528-2900
– Matagamon Wilderness Campground: Website | (207) 446-4635
Please check some of the following websites for additional RV information:
- Campground & Rest Areas (Millinocket Chamber of Commerce listing): Website
- Guide to RV Camping Near Baxter State Park: Website
- RV Guide & Rental near Katahdin: Website
- National Park Services (KW&W National Monument – how to visit): Website
- Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters: Website
The Katahdin Woods & Waters National Scenic Byway is 89 miles long and offers breathtaking views of Katahdin and the Appalachian chain, and provides a mix of pastoral farms, meadows, recreational trails, and working forests filled with wildlife and significant natural areas. Dominating that landscape is Katahdin, Maine’s tallest mountain at 5,268 feet and the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. The Byway begins at the southern entrance of Baxter State Park and winds its way through Millinocket along Route 11 and the Penobscot River to Patten, ending at Baxter’s northern entrance at Grand Lake Matagamon. Select your adventure!
It’s all on the Katahdin Woods & Waters Scenic Byway! Visit Maine
