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View Full Version : Baxter Park Opening Day for Summer Reservations 2011



TJ aka Teej
01-18-2011, 20:42
"Visitors making reservations on opening day are limited to two reservations each. During opening day only 20% of each campground can be reserved leaving the remaining 80% for the rolling reservation system starting January 19, 2011. For more information please contact us at 207-723-5140."

http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/

peakbagger
01-19-2011, 09:41
Plenty of spots left over from opening day yesterday. I drove up and grabbed a group site at Roaring Brook and some backcountry sites north of the mountain.

One change this year is that they had a notice that reservations for campsites would be availlable on line two weeks prior in advance of the desired date. They didnt have any details on the procedure, but I expect it is to more equitably distribute the 20% of the campsites that are reserved for Maine residents two weeks in advance. Depdending upon how its managed it may handy for family meeting throughhikers

Jujube7
01-20-2011, 18:46
ok, the website left me very confused. Can I make reservations for June now? over the phone? Do I have to wait for 4 months in advance or 2 weeks in advance?

peakbagger
01-21-2011, 14:45
The website has improved 100% but still is confusing. You currently can only reserve a site a maximum of 4 months in advance, so take todays date and add four months, so using Jan 21st, the latest date you can book a site is May 21st. Most of the park may still be closed then, so if you are going for a June 1st start date, you need to wait until February 1st). One trick is that its four months in advance of your first desired day, so if you want to be absoulutely guantanteed a spot, you can start you reservation on May 31st and book two days. Using that logic you could book a site today by paying for a site at $20 per night for 11 days starting on May 21st and running throuhg June 1st.

Twenty percent of the campsites capacity is reserved foe Maine residents only for two weeks in advance of the desired date. If Maine residents dont grab them, then anyone can. There was a notice at opening day that this coulld be done via the web this year.

The reality is that it is highly unlikely that Katahdin Stream (with Abol as a backup) will be full June 1st as the bugs are generally quite fierce so wait until the end of January and book a site for the date you need. By the way, unless you can get a bunkhouse space, a tent site is preferable as unless you have bug bivy, the bugs will drive you insane inside a lean to. Of course this applies to the next month of hiking through Maine so maybe its time to figure out a strategy;).

The reservation clerks at the park are pros at the system and if you call them, they will help you out. Dont be afraid to call them, the computer systems was put in place to get rid of the grunt work so they could work with customers.

Jujube7
01-23-2011, 13:54
Thank you! That makes much more sense now