If you’re looking for a challenging hike, with solitude, fascinating natural history and geology, plus amazing views, you need to check out Deasey Mountain on the IAT in Katahdin Woods & Waters. On a hot and humid day, my good friend and hiking buddy, Cat, joined me for a trek into Katahdin Woods & Waters …
Posted: October 2, 2025 by Brian Hinrichs
Government Shutdown Impacts
This page has been updated as of 10/3/2025. Due to a lapse in federal appropriations, the federal government has shut down. The National Park Service has announced on their website: “National parks remain as accessible as possible during the federal government shutdown. However, some services may be limited or unavailable.” Additional information on National Park …
Posted: September 19, 2025 by Elise Goplerud
Foliage, Food and Falls: A Fall Day Trip Itinerary in Katahdin Woods & Waters
Written by Elise Goplerud, Education Coordinator If you only have one day to soak up fall in the northern Katahdin region, you’ll want it to be filled with the season’s essentials: crisp foliage, beautiful scenery, and good food to keep you fueled along the way. Earlier this September, I set out to design a day …
Posted: August 5, 2025 by Elise Goplerud
Trip Report: Day Hike up Deasey Mountain
If you’re looking for a challenging hike, with solitude, fascinating natural history and geology, plus amazing views, you need to check out Deasey Mountain on the IAT in Katahdin Woods & Waters. On a hot and humid day, my good friend and hiking buddy, Cat, joined me for a trek into Katahdin Woods & Waters …
Posted: July 14, 2025 by Elise Goplerud
Three Days, One River, and a Different Kind of Fourth
On a stormy 4th of July, while families prepped their fireworks, lit the grill and recounted their favorite floats in their small town parades Joe, Luna (our sometimes chaotic but always loveable pup), and I pushed off and slipped quietly into the East Branch of the Penobscot River. This river runs through the present and …
Posted: February 7, 2025 by Elise Goplerud
An Unforgettable Youth Ski to Haskell Hut
Over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, six local middle and high school students joined Friends’ Education Coordinator Elise Goplerud and Outdoor Sport Institute’s Dan Rogan on a journey they won’t soon forget: an overnight cross-country ski trip to Haskell Hut. These students, invited as part of a special leadership program, had proven their …
Posted: January 8, 2025 by Elise Goplerud
Hunting for Grouse in KAWW’s Seboeis Parcel – Trip Report
Written by Friends of KWW Education Coordinator, Elise Goplerud In my time working with Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters over the past four years, I’ve prioritized exploring the Monument’s recreational opportunities. From camping to skiing, I’ve done it all—except hunting, an often-overlooked activity in the Monument. Unlike most national parks, Katahdin Woods & Waters …
Posted: February 29, 2024 by Sarah Andre
For Cross-country Skiing, Cross Your Fingers and Head North
Development Coordinator Sarah Andre shares some of her favorite ski spots in the Katahdin Region. A resident of southern Maine, traveling to the Katahdin Region in winter is her favorite perk of working for Friends! The photos and words below reflect conditions on January 29th, 2024. As of February 29th, a major rain and warming …
Posted: January 26, 2024 by Elise Goplerud
2024 Grooming in the Monument
Looking for a place to cross country ski or snowshoe? Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument provides groomed and tracked trails for cross country skiing and snowshoeing! Enter at the North Gate where you will find a plowed parking lot and vault toilet. In the winter, foot traffic only is permitted beyond the gate. Visit …
Posted: September 25, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Brian’s Park Story – The Land Invites Us
Executive Director Brian Hinrichs’ relationship with Katahdin Woods and Waters will be familiar to many of our readers. From curiousity to apprehension (the roads! no cell service!) to a genuine connection, Brian’s park story takes us through the seasons and stages of discovering places within the national monument that create lifelong family memories. Over the …
Posted: June 28, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Trip Report: Seboeis River Paddle
Outside good cell service, away from wall clocks and computers, there are many ways to experience time in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Alternative time-telling questions in this neck of the woods include: Have the fiddleheads come up? Which wildflowers are growing? How are the blackflies? And one of my favorites, what’s the water …