Located in northern Maine, 160 mi/260 km northeast of Portland, Baxter State Park is a beautiful and vast wilderness preserve centering on Mount Katahdin (a rock-topped peak towering 5,267 ft/1,605 m—Maine's highest point). It is reputed to be the best place to meet a moose, the state animal. It's also a good place to see bear, deer and even transplanted caribou, and you can also enjoy excellent fishing, mountain climbing and hiking trails. Mount Katahdin is also the northern end of the Appalachian Trail, which runs from Georgia along the entire eastern seaboard of the U.S. 64 Balsam Drive. Phone 207-723-5140. http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com.
Starting near the northwest corner of Baxter State Park is the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (phone 207-941-4014. http://www.maine.gov/doc/parks/programs/index.html). The Allagash is part of the new Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a 740-mi/1,191-km watertrail that passes through Maine, New Hampshire, Quebec, Vermont and New York. If you're into canoeing and rafting, don't miss this 90-mi/145-km strip of lakes, ponds, rivers and streams in a remote refuge known for its white water.
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