First campsite planning - Southbound

[Stigil]

Hi all

On the 25th of September, me and my brother will start to hike the Appalachian trail Southbound.
We're planning on staying the night between the 24th and the 25th in Millinocket and leaving early for our start on the 25th.

The question I have is about the second night. Since it is our intention to hike up mount Kathadin and go back down, we need to figure out where to sleep and I can't figure out which campsite that will be and/or if I have to make a reservation. Is there anyone that would be so kind to help me with this?

This may not be of any importance but we're both coming over from Belgium so we're not familiar with the area.


Thank you in advance

Brandon Van den Bosch

[moldy]

The Appalachian Trail starts out in a big Park called Baxter State Park. Camping inside the park will require a reservation that you need to get right now. It will take you all day on the 25th to get up to the start of the trail then back down the mountain. At the end of the day on the 25th you will either camp at your reserved site or you will exit the park. On the day of the 26th you will be able to hike on the AT South out of the park. Get your reservation at the Baxter State Park web page. You can read all about it on whiteblaze under Parks. BSP. Get that reservation right now.

[Martzy13]

Just stay in Millinocket the next night too and then begin hiking south that following morning. That's what most dirty SOBOs were doing when I was there a few days ago.

[LoneStranger]

Lots of space available at Katahdin Stream for the 25th. https://reservation.baxterstatepark.org/

[bigcranky]

Get a reservation now for the first night on the trail. You'll climb Katahdin then be able to stay in your campsite that evening. Then hike out of the park the next day.

[TJ aka Teej]

Baxter and Katahdin Info for Sobos. (https://baxterinfo.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/the-sobos-guide-to-baxter-and-katahdin-for-2017/)
Hope this helps.

[red5]

This is what I would do and pretty much what everyone else is saying. Get reservations for Katahdin Stream Campground for the night of the 25th. Do this today. Stay in Millinocket the night of the 24th. Then very early on the 25th get dropped off at Katahdin Stream Campground. Drop your heavy pack off at the ranger station and borrow a day pack with what you will need for the day and hike up to Baxter Peak (Katahdin) and then hike back down to Katahdin Stream Campground. Stay the night at Katahdin Stream Campground, otherwise you'll be hiking many more miles to get to the next nearest campground. Then on the 26th hike to Georgia (or wherever you plan on hiking).

[peakbagger]

One thing to factor is is although the weather is typically still nice in late September you could have a stretch of rainy weather that could delay your start. Unless the conditions are dangerous you probably can make it to the summit but it could be very unpleasant. Many folks would rather hang out in Millinocket an extra day and get a nice day to start the trail so you may want to budget for a spare night at Katahdin Stream. If you are hiking on weekdays there should be no issue getting a last minute campsite but you will not get credit for canceling for the previous night.

Note if you truly are doing a southbound thruhike you are pushing the season in Maine and NH, unless you are trail running your start puts you in the white mountains of NH in late October/early November. I live there and during that time of year you could encounter early winter conditions during the day and subfreezing nights. Most of the high elevation facilities that thruhikers typically depend on will be closed except for the RMC sites and huts and possibly the Mt Washington summit facilities (no camping). There is occasional overnight snow from mid October on, its melts but ice can also form and last longer into the day. The choices are hang out in towns and hope for a good stretch, carry a lot of extra early winter gear or skip the over the whites

[cbxx]

From what I gather most people do what Red5 above spells out: night of 24th in Millinocket, early morning shuttle to KSC (Katahdin Stream Campground), hike Katahdin and back, camp the night of the 25th there at KSC, and continue on out of the park the morning of the 26th.
Or you could stay the 24th in Millinocket, early shuttle, climb Katahdin and down, shuttle back to Millinocket for another night indoors, shuttle back to KSC in the morning and continue out of the park.
Or, you could spend the 24th in Millinocket, early shuttle to KSC, climb and descend Katahdin, then load up your heavy pack (after 10.4 mile round trip in which you have ascended 4,500') and hump the 9 additional miles out of the park and "stealth" camp there near abol bridge. most locals say this is at least very difficult and some say impossible. Most likely this would not be fun.

[James GAME2009]

If you go into the hike having done a significant amount of hiking leading right up to your start date, you could theoretically make it up Katahdin and then down and out of the park in a day. On seasoned, fit hiker's legs this would not be that much of a stretch. The 9 or so miles from the base of Katahdin to Abol Bridge are very easy miles and should not take too long.

However, starting as almost all hikers do, with no "trail legs," absolutely do what is recommended above and get a reservation at KSC. There's no reason to push yourself into a hard, perhaps miserable day right at the start.