Interesting Map of Baxter State Park (Proposed Trails and Fire Zones)

I just thought some of the fans of Baxter would be interested in seeing that this map shows two major proposed trails (in orange). One is a link between the Wassataquoik Lake Trail/Nesowadnehunk Area and Northwest Basin Trail/Davis Pond Area. One is a link between Grand Falls/Russell Pond Area and Twin Ponds/Katahdin Lake Area on the North Side of North Turner Mountain. These could potentially open up new types of backpacking loop options, but I wouldn't hold your breathe because I could not find any additional information on actual proposals and/or timetables. Also it is interesting to see how the central core of the park they intend to let burn, to an extent, if a natural fire starts (similar to how National Parks approach natural fires).

Full PDF here as Baxter State Park Fire Plan

So impressed with the direction Jensen Bissell and Bob Woodard are taking BSP. Perhaps a National Park will not go in Northern Maine, but what is happening at BSP and at the AMC holdings are all very promising.

The park management are definitely a lot more forward looking but a very key thing is that they are also listening to the Friends of Baxter State Park. Were it not fro the friends, the northern peaks trail would not be reopened. The proposed trails are going to make for a lot better loop backpacking options in the park.

Maine is going into a spruce budworm die off and fire management plans are going to be real important as the park is going to be surrounded by millions of acres of dead and dying spruce.

Interesting. So they're talking about re-opening the North Slide trail on O-J-I & putting a trail through the North Brother-Fort col?

wb671987 said:

One is a link between the Wassataquoik Lake Trail/Nesowadnehunk Area and Northwest Basin Trail/Davis Pond Area. One is a link between Grand Falls/Russell Pond Area and Twin Ponds/Katahdin Lake Area on the North Side of North Turner Mountain.

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The second is an old tote road which was probably discontinued mostly because it led outside the park, may require a lot of bog bridges but should be a good route.

The first would greatly improve access to Mullen Mtn, presently one of the toughest ME 3k

TEO said:

Interesting. So they're talking about re-opening the North Slide trail on O-J-I & putting a trail through the North Brother-Fort col?

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I think that is Fort-Mullen col

RoySwkr said:

I think that is Fort-Mullen col

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Yes, of course.

RoySwkr said:

The second is an old tote road which was probably discontinued mostly because it led outside the park, may require a lot of bog bridges but should be a good route.

The first would greatly improve access to Mullen Mtn, presently one of the toughest ME 3k

Click to expand...

Does anyone have the exact milage between north brother and Mullen[going over fort]? Looks like around 3 miles..

RoySwkr said:

The first would greatly improve access to Mullen Mtn, presently one of the toughest ME 3k

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http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthre...of-300-ME-quot-P-quot-done-)&highlight=Mullen

TEO said:

Interesting. So they're talking about re-opening the North Slide trail on O-J-I & putting a trail through the North Brother-Fort col?

Click to expand...

Yes as RoySwkr said it is the Fort-Mullen col, it would provide a totally different (yet reasonable) bushwhack approach to Fort as well. Baxter State Park management has taken the park in a very nice direction. I was looking at a BSP Trail Maintenance Report as well and they are spending nearly 3 times as much on trail maintenance as in 2005. The trails they are currently spending the most man-hours on are Chimney Pond Trail, Abol Trail, Doubletop Trail, Katahdin Lake Trail and South Branch Mountain Trail. Which were figured out through a statistical analysis that mainly took into account popularity, the need for water diversion measures and the need for better treadway/footing.

A whole new relocated trail has already been cut and blazed on the upper portions of Mt. OJI as of a year ago or so. If anyone has any information or pictures of that to add it would be great. I do not think it is up a slide but rather switchbacks significantly.