I have questions about:
Friends
A Friends group is typically an independent non-profit organization dedicated to supporting a specific park. The National Park Service has over 200 official philanthropic partners, and Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters is one of them – we serve as a partner to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument! Friends groups around the country carry out projects and programs that are as diverse as the parks they work with. Learn more about us.
A donation to Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters supports our mission to preserve, protect, and enhance Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and inspire a community dedicated to the monument’s future. Day to day, that means: Friends educators leading free nature-based programs for Katahdin area youth; advocating locally and nationally for strong resource protection, staffing, and funding for the National Park Service; community events that spark discovery like Stars Over Katahdin; and grants and projects supporting critical visitor enhancements, research, and more in the monument. Learn more about your impact.
We welcome volunteers for our programs and events. You can also advocate for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument by telling your elected officials about any positive experiences you’ve had with the monument, and by voicing your support for full staffing and funding for the National Park Service.
Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters offers a variety of nature-based learning and recreation programs for youth under the banner of the Katahdin Learning Project. School-based programs are usually booked by teachers, while the public can sign up for our outdoor recreation programs such as Vacation Camp and summer youth trips via the Friends website. We are able to offer these programs at no charge thanks to the support of our funders. Learn more about our programs.
Roxanne Quimby is the co-founder of Burt’s Bees. In 1998, Roxanne began purchasing land in Maine just north of where she helped launch Burt’s Bees, with the aim of one day having it nationally designated and protected. As the company grew more profitable, Roxanne sold 80% of her stake and continued to invest in land for conservation. In 2016, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, Roxanne and her family’s foundation, Elliotsville Foundation Inc., donated 87,500 acres of “awe-inspiring mountains, forests and waters” in Maine’s North Woods to be designated and federally protected as Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Read about Roxanne.
The Monument
A national monument can be established by the President to protect “objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated on lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government” using powers outlined in the Antiquities Act. Monuments include a range of natural and cultural sites that can be managed by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, or other federal agencies. Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is managed by the National Park Service and is considered one of the 433 individual park units in the National Park System, alongside Acadia National Park and Yellowstone National Park, as well as lesser known units. Learn more about national monuments.
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is located in Penobscot County, Maine, encompassing 87,563 acres including portions of the East Branch Penobscot River and Seboeis River, along with diverse wetlands, forests, and stunning views of Katahdin. The monument is not a specific structure or statue. By car, the monument’s entrance is approximately 5 hours from Boston, 3.5 hours from Portland, and 1.5 hours from Bangor. From Acadia National Park, the drive is approximately 2.5 hours.
Popular activities in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument include visiting Tekαkαpimək Contact Station to learn about the land through a Wabanaki worldview, hiking, biking, paddling, and camping. Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are winter activities in the northern section of the monument, while hunting and snowmobiling are permitted in parcels located east of the East Branch Penobscot River. Explore our trip reports and check out the Plan Your Visit section of the NPS website.
Tekαkαpimək Contact Station is the newly opened welcome center in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Pronounced deh-gah-gah-bee-mook, it is located atop Lookout Mountain in the monument’s southern section and accessed via the Swift Brook Road entrance. Tekαkαpimək has exhibits, viewpoints, accessible paths, and a visitor information desk staffed by NPS rangers. The building and site were co-designed with a Wabanaki Advisory Board, and exhibits interpret the landscape through a Wabanaki worldview, offering a powerful introduction to these woods and waters. Always check the NPS site for current hours of operation. Learn more about Tekαkαpimək Contact Station.
You should know that Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument offers primarily rustic, backcountry experiences with limited services and amenities in the park beyond Tekαkαpimək Contact Station. All roads are unpaved and cell service is limited. High clearance vehicles do best on monument roads (think Rav4 or more), though we often see Priuses and minivans making the trek. It is critical that you pack in your own water and food, spare tire, and map, and download the NPS app with Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument material downloaded for offline viewing. Learn more about visitor safety.
You can view maps in the NPS app or online at nps.gov/kaww/planyourvisit/maps.htm. Visitors can also pick up maps at Tekαkαpimək Contact Station. Additionally, Map Adventures produces a waterproof map of the monument and surrounding trails that is available for purchase online and at your local outdoor retailers in Maine.
The Region
We encourage exploring DestinationKatahdin.org and the Katahdin Chamber of Commerce to find lodging and restaurant options in the Katahdin Region. New England Outdoor Center, Shin Pond Village, and Mt. Chase Lodge are destination hubs offering lodging, food and recreation on site, with drive times to the monument ranging from 30 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. There are also a variety of commercial campgrounds, motels, and hotels in the region.
Check out the Friends event calendar and the Destination Katahdin event calendar to explore what’s happening next.