Our Friends of Baxter State Park sign auction is a chance for you to bring home a part of your favorite place, Baxter State Park. Each year, we collect retired Park signs some of you may have seen on one of your own trips!

The annual Baxter State Park calendar is a collaborative effort of Friends of Baxter State Park and Baxter State Park. The calendar is an important outreach tool for the Park and a great opportunity to share your passion for the Park through your photography.

Many are familiar with the famous story of Donn Fendler and his miraculous journey in Baxter State Park after getting lost on the top of Katahdin. The story not only gripped the nation, but the local residents of Millinocket played an integral in his rescue. The Millinocket Historical Society tells the story through a scrapbook of local newspaper clippings and pays tribute to the many people who helped in the search.

If you have ever climbed Katahdin via the Hunt Trail (aka the terminus of the AT), you probably have John Neff to thank, who maintained the last leg on behalf of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy for 20 years! Interviewed expertly by Jensen Bissell, former Park Director, and Bill Green, Maine's best storyteller, Neff sees Katahdin through the eyes of his spirituality and his many years of service to the organizations that share his values.  

The Baxter State Park Authority announced the appointment of its new Park Director, Kevin Adam. Kevin is a graduate of Unity College with a Bachelor of Science in Conservation Law Enforcement. Kevin’s distinguished career began with the Maine Warden Service, where he retired as a Lieutenant from Division D located in Greenville, Maine, after 28 years of service.

Each year, Baxter State Park offers an exclusive chance for one artist to spend an immersive two weeks in the Park, with Maine’s most beloved wilderness as their subject. The Park is accepting applications through March 15, and notification will be made by April 15. The residency will occur in September, and the Park provides lodging.

The search for the Park’s next Director remains open until January 13, and the Park has recently posted their seasonal opportunities. The 2023 Resource Steward Intern will spend significant time in backcountry environments (including above the treeline), speaking with Park visitors, assisting in documenting and managing rare and invasive species, and working alongside Park staff to complete day-to-day Park operations and projects.

The search for the Park’s next Director remains open until January 13, and the Park has recently posted their seasonal opportunities. The 2023 Resource Steward Intern will spend significant time in backcountry environments (including above the treeline), speaking with Park visitors, assisting in documenting and managing rare and invasive species, and working alongside Park staff to complete day-to-day Park operations and projects.

Apply for this exceptional career opportunity to lead the premier wilderness park in Maine. The Director of Baxter State Park is responsible for overseeing all activities of this unique Park, consistent with the Deeds of Trust of former Maine Governor Percival Baxter and the direction of the Baxter State Park Authority. The selected candidate will join a talented team of approximately 22 full-time and 47 seasonal staff, who are dedicated to exemplary stewardship of this ecological and recreational treasure.

The final episodes of the Gettin’ Reel with Silvia Hart have dropped. As part of the Baxter Youth Conservation Corps Fellows, Silvia spent her summer fishing in Baxter and interviewing some important figures in the Park’s fishing history. The final episodes, featuring interviews with Buzz Caverly, Eben Sypitkowski, Dean Levasseur, and her grandfather, pilot Scotty Skinner, are worth waiting for and are available now on SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts.

Our flagship program for youth cultivates and inspires the next generation of Maine's environmental leaders. Open to all Maine high school sophomores and juniors, the program’s highlight is a nine-day wilderness experience in Baxter State Park, backpacking from one end of the Park to the other. Current Maine high school sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply, and thanks to support from generous donors and members of Friends of Baxter State Park, there is no direct cost to the students.

The annual Baxter State Park calendar is a collaborative effort of Friends of Baxter State Park and Baxter State Park. The calendar is an important outreach tool for the Park and a great opportunity to share your passion for the Park through your photography.

Friends of Baxter State Park held their first in-person gathering in three years on September 21 in Brunswick at Flight Deck Brewing.

The BYCC Conservation Fellows presented their summer projects to an online audience on August 10. In addition to their work as Fellows, the crew returned to trail work two days a week. They were all really happy to get back to their roots and accomplished a lot in a short time.

Learn these seven leave no trace principles to make an enjoyable visit for all. You are the most important steward in the natural world.

Payton Spearin of East Millinocket, Maine grew up in the shadow of Katahdin and has always loved Baxter State Park. She has been part of our Baxter Youth Conservation Corps for the past five years, completing two years of trail work before the Covid-19 pandemic and the formation of the BYCC Conservation Fellowship. During Payton’s first two years of the fellowship, she studied Aquatic Entomology and Forestry. This year, she worked in a gallery following her passion for photography. This opportunity has provided Payton the ability to capture some excellent photographs doing what she loves and sharing them for others to enjoy.

Emma McGraw of Sherman, Maine has been part of our Baxter Youth Conservation Corps for the past four years. This exhibition is selected from Emma's work over the past two years studying photography as a BYCC Conservation Fellow. Emma also set out to achieve an ambitious personal goal: hiking every single mile of trail in Baxter State Park! She completed her goal in 2021 at the age of 18. This journey allowed Emma to capture some incredible photographs from every corner of the Park.