Day 162 on the Appalachian Trail, and the finish line is finally in sight. A thru-hiker writing for The Trek describes waking before 6 AM to near-freezing temperatures — the coldest night since early April — and unzipping the tent to catch a watercolour sunrise over Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the 2,190-mile trail in Maine's Baxter State Park.
With a campsite already reserved at Katahdin Spring, there was no rush. Entry into Baxter State Park turned out to be refreshingly low-key: even hikers with no tent site need to fill out a card with their details and summit plans, and the rangers were friendly and helpful. The walking itself was some of the easiest of the entire trail — the writer calls the day's 10 miles possibly the simplest stretch of the whole hike, arriving at camp before 1 PM.
Detours added character: Big Niagara and Little Niagara, two waterfalls on Nesowadnehunk Stream (playfully grand names for miniature falls), plus a long lunch on a boulder at the edge of Daicey Pond — nearly a phone-into-the-water disaster. Along the way, day hikers congratulated the nearly-finished thru-hiker, one even asking for a photo, and a stranger handed over trail magic. At camp, fellow hikers OnIt and Horsepower shared snacks at a picnic table while waiting to check in with the ranger.
The numbers tell the story of the season. Starting as number 1604 at Amicalola Falls in Georgia, passing through the halfway checkpoint in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia as number 574, this hiker became northbound thru-hiker number 451 to summit Katahdin this year, according to park records.
The last night was spent alone in a reserved lean-to beside a rushing stream — no cell service for days, lots of thinking, and one final five-mile push ahead. The writer expects the Katahdin climb to be the hardest of the entire trail, and the most anticipated.
Why it matters to travellers: Baxter State Park is a destination in its own right, whether or not you've walked 2,000 miles to get there. The Katahdin summit hike is famously strenuous — a full-day endeavour best started early — and the park's ponds, waterfalls and lean-to campsites make it a rewarding wilderness escape in Maine's northern woods. Just remember that the park manages access carefully: day hikers and campers alike need to register, and campsites should be reserved well ahead in the busy summer season.
