Baxter S.P. Western Access Route
Detailed instructions for how to drive to Baxter State Park from the west
As I said at the start of this trip report, here's a more detailed description of the western approach to Baxter State Park. The approach is useful primarily for Canadians approaching Baxter State Park from one of the two main Quebec/Maine border crossing points, but could also be used by residents of Northern NH and northwestern ME (or by anyone, for that matter, who just wants something different and a little out-of-the-way).
There is a trackmap below at the bottom of this page that gives you a detailed track with key waypoints and a few pictures, overlain on top of an interactive map. Click on the map to bring it to full size and with all details drawn in. I suggest you consult this map closely as or after you finish reading this description.
The usual approach to Baxter State Park is directly from the south, via the town of Millinocket. This western approach starts in the town of Greenville, situated on the southern tip of Moosehead Lake. There is good paved highway access to Greenville by following highway 6.
At an intersection in downtown Greenville along highway 6, a paved road (Lily Bay Road) leads north, roughly following the western edge of Moosehead Lake. The road goes past many little side roads to lakefront properties and campgrounds, including Lily Bay State Park. The road eventually crosses the outlet at the edge of First Roach Pond, and shortly therafter becomes un-paved (gravel). I recall one fork in the road where it was not completely obvious which way to go. Choose the widest and most-travelled looking option (and refer to my map below). On the maps that I've seen, the name of the road changes to The Greenville Road.
About 30-ish kilometres of driving along this gravel road (with a few spots that are slightly rough and/or have potholes), you arrive at a major junction with another gravel road. This other road is The Golden Road. The Golden Road is a major backway used primarily by the forest industry. You turn right here, heading east towards Baxter State Park.
Even though it is still gravel, the Golden Road has a wider and better surface than the Greenville Road. Follow it as it winds northeast, then east towards Baxter State Park. About halfway along the distance between the turnoff and Baxter State Park, the Golden Road becomes paved - although it is in some places a bit patchworked. If you keep going far enough, you'll drive all the way to Millinocket, which is too far. There are several points along the way in the vicinity of Baxter State Park where the Golden road very closely parallels the park road, and all you have to do is take a short connector road to get onto the park road and into the park. If you look carefully at my interactive trackmap (click on the map so it expands and shows waypoints), you'll see that I've shown one of these short connector roads (look for a green diamond, that, if clicked on, says 'Junction, Side Road Connector With Baxter State Park Road').
You can alternatively keep driving down the Golden road to the narrows bridge of land between Millinocket Lake and Spencer Cove. There, the Golden Road and the Park road are literally side-by-side, and you can hop over there. However, that would be a completely un-necessary extra 15 miles of driving.
Once on the park road, it is a simple matter to drive north until you reach the Park Gate. If it is light out and you have a few moments, stop near the shores of Upper Togue Pond and wander through the trees to the Lakeshore to get a great view of the Katahdin Massif.
Note: If you are interested in a detailed GPS trackmap of the western access route, click on the 'GPS Data' entry in the table of contents on the left side of this page. If you follow that link, you'll find a downloadable trackmap of the western approach from the town of Greenville to Baxter State Park.
