Brief History

Katahdin in all its glory, forever shall remain the mountain of the People of Maine.

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Brief History Details

Percival P. Baxter was Governor of Maine during the years of 1921-1924. He enjoyed fishing and vacationing in the Maine woods throughout his childhood, and his affection for the land and Maine's wildlife were instrumental in his creation of a park for people of the State of Maine. He began to fulfill his dream of creating a park in 1930 with the purchase of almost 6,000 acres of land, including Maine's highest peak, Mount Katahdin. In 1931, Baxter formally donated his parcel of land to the State of Maine with the condition that its wild beauty would be kept intact.. Over the years, Governor Baxter purchased additional lands and pieced his park together transaction by transaction. He completed his final purchase for the park in 1962. Since then, additional purchases and land gifts have increased the Park's total size to 209,501 acres. About 75% of the Park (156,874 acres) is managed as a wildlife sanctuary. The northwest corner of the Park (29,537 acres, or about 14% of the Park) was designated by Governor Baxter to be managed as the Scientific Forest Management Area and is currently a Forest Stewardship Certified showplace for sound forestry. In addition, about 25% of the Park (52,628 acres) is open to hunting and trapping with the exception that Moose hunting is prohibited in the Park. Demonstrating not only enormous generosity, but admirable foresight, Baxter left a trust of nearly $7 million dollars to ensure that Park managers would have sufficient funds to maintain the Park without ever having to compete for Maine taxpayers' dollars from the General Fund account. Baxter also stipulated that the sole governing authority regarding the Park and management would be a group of 3 public officials: the Commissioner of Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the Director of the Maine State Forest Service and the Attorney General. The individuals holding these three positions in Maine comprise the Baxter State Park Authority and as such are responsible for protecting the natural resources and upholding the conditions set forth in Governor Baxter's Deeds of Trust. Park managers also work closely with the BSP Advisory, a committee of 15 citizens dedicated to examining issues and supporting the stewardship of the Authority. There are over 40 peaks and ridges besides Katahdin in the Park. The trail system features over 215 miles of trails for hikers, mountain climbers and naturalists. Baxter State Park operates eight roadside campgrounds and two backcountry campgrounds. There are also numerous individual backcountry sites for backpackers. The Park is now a premier year-round destination for outdoor enthusiasts. A year-round staff of 22 swells to about 61 in the summer, including office administration and reservation personnel, field and law enforcement rangers, and resource specialists. Roughly 60,000 people visit the park in the summer months. Some stay for 10 nights, some visit only for one day. Steady increases in annual visitations rates present park managers with new challenges as they continue to protect Governor Baxter's pristine gift for future generations to cherish. Baxter left us these words to emphasize the humble attitude that he felt would be the key to preserving the wilderness for those coming after us: "Man is born to die, His works are short-lived. Buildings crumble, Monuments decay, Wealth vanishes. But Katahdin in all its glory, Forever shall remain the Mountain of The People of Maine." -Governor Percival Baxter

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