Access

While other access points to the park may be open at irregular times of the year, the two most common gates are the Togue Pond Gate, from Millinocket and the Matagamon Gate, from Patten. Togue Pond Gate The gate most often used to access the park is the Togue Pond Gate, at the southeastern part of the park. This gate is reached from Millinocket, which can itself be found by exiting I-95 at the Medway exit, about eighty miles north of Bangor, and taking ME-157 northwest through Medway and East Millinocket, continuing into Millinocket, then following the signs north, passing Millinocket Lake at about nine miles. Just over six miles from the lake, you'll come to a fork in the road, the Baxter State Park road forking to the right; from there, it will be another one and a half miles to the park visitor's center and, just beyond that, the Togue Pond Gate into Baxter State Park. Matagamon Gate The Matagamon Gate is the northeastern entrance to the park, which is reached from Patten, which is itself about ninety miles north of Bangor, past the Medway exit. Exit I-95 at the Sherman exit, following ME-159/ME-11 through Sherman to Patten, in Maine's Aroostook County. In Patten, follow ME-159 northwest for ten miles, reaching Shin Pond in ten miles. Just beyond that, you'll find the Grand Lake Road, which will cross the Seboeis River at about sixteen miles from Patten, and the East Branch of the Penobscot River in twenty-six miles. The Matagamon Gate to Baxter State Park is about a mile past the point where you cross the East Branch.