Climbing Mt. Katahdin via Knife Edge Trail: The Tallest Peak in Maine
Distance (Dudley-Knife Edge-Saddle Loop): 11.2 miles / 18.0 km
Mt. Katahdin, more commonly known as Katahdin or Baxter Peak, is the tallest peak in Maine. For this reason, climbing to the top of the 5,267-ft. (1,605 m) summit is the most sought-after destination in Baxter State Park.
That being said, there are a number of different popular routes that climb to the summit of Katahdin, with the most infamous being the Knife Edge, which is the route I chose to climb.
With that in mind, the Knife Edge Trail, in my opinion, is easier than its name makes it seem. By this, I mean that the vast majority of the climb up the Dudley Trail to Pamola Peak and across the Knife Edge is Class 2 terrain, with fairly easy and limited Class 3 sections—most notably the notch immediately following Pamola Peak.
I go further into detail about the Knife Edge later in this article, but I only say all this to emphasize that anyone with a moderate amount of Class 3 experience on other summits, like Mt. Sneffels in the San Juans, will find the Knife Edge to Katahdin to be fairly moderate and straightforward, granted you aren’t climbing in winter conditions.
How to Get Permits to Climb Mt. Katahdin?
While permits aren’t necessarily required to climb Katahdin, they are required to park in Baxter State Park, in order to reduce congestion at popular trailheads and campgrounds.
This can mean simply an overnight permit for one of the drive-up or backcountry campgrounds, or a day-use permit—the option I chose.
There is a discounted rate for Maine residents, but in terms of availability, it’s best to book as soon as you know your dates, as parking reservations commonly sell out up to a week or more in advance, depending on the season.
Book Here: Baxter State Park Reservations
Mt. Katahdin Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Chimney Pond Trail is located at the Roaring Brook Campground, about 25 miles (40.2 km) north of Millinocket.
When you arrive, note that the first lot is designated for campers at Roaring Brook, while the day-use parking lot is located on the far side.
That said, be sure to display your parking pass/ reservation on your dashboard, as the staff will likely check.
Google Maps Directions: Mt. Katahdin Trailhead (Roaring Brook)
Hiking Checklist - Mt. Katahdin
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Baxter State Park.
Hiking the Mt. Katahdin Trail
When starting the hike to Chimney Pond, be sure to sign in at the Roaring Brook Ranger Station and include your specific routes.
This information can be crucial in the event of a rescue.
Chimney Pond-Russell Pond Junction
Once past the Roaring Brook Ranger Station, the trail splits almost immediately, with the Russell Pond and South Turner Mountain Trail on the far side of the bridge.
That said, go left to begin the 3.2-mile (5.1 km) hike to Chimney Pond.
To skip ahead to Chimney Pond, click here.
Chimney Pond-Helon Taylor Junction
After just 0.1 miles (0.2 km) past the junction above, the Chimney Pond Trail splits again with the Helon Taylor Trail.
In short, Helon Taylor is the alternative option to reach Pamola Peak and the beginning of the Knife Edge.
However, choosing either Chimney Pond or Helon Taylor really comes down to one decision: would you rather climb the majority of elevation over a much longer, drawn-out trail on Helon Taylor, or all at once on the Dudley Trail, beginning at Chimney Pond?
Personally, I chose the Chimney Pond Trail because I wanted to see Katahdin from the campground, as well as hike to the Pamola Caves off the Dudley Trail.
For the next 3.0 miles (4.8 km), the Chimney Pond Trail simply parallels Roaring Brook, gaining about 1,425 ft. (434 m) from the trailhead to the Chimney Pond Ranger Station.
Climbing Katahdin when central Maine was in its peak fall colors was one of my favorite parts of the entire day!
It’s important to be aware that at these lower elevations, Black Bears and Moose can be found throughout Baxter State Park.
I mention this because some may prefer to hike with bear spray, but it’s truly up to your own discretion and comfort level.
I think I really timed this hike very well!
That said, if you're wondering what shoes I trusted for my climb up Mt. Katahdin, you can find my favorite trail runners using the link below.
Hundred-Mile Wilderness
Eventually, the Chimney Pond Trail enters the Hundred-Mile Wilderness, which is the final section of the Appalachian Trail that ends on Katahdin.
At about 1.6 miles (2.6 km) into the Chimney Pond Trail, a small side trail splits away, leading to a viewpoint of Hamlin Peak off in the distance.
Hamlin Peak Viewpoint
Hamlin Peak is the summit on the right, Pamola Peak is the summit on the left, and Katahdin is hidden directly behind Pamola.
Basin Ponds
About 0.3 miles (0.5 km) past the Hamlin Peak Viewpoint, the Chimney Pond Trail reaches the Basin Ponds—the last significant viewpoint before Chimney Pond up ahead.
Even at the Basin Ponds, Katahdin is fairly hidden behind Pamola Peak.
Regardless, the Basin Ponds are a good viewpoint to assess the weather at the upper elevations in Baxter.
After the Basin Ponds, there are only about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) left to reach Chimney Pond and the ranger station.
Sections like this are truly as steep as it gets on the Chimney Pond Trail.
Random stretches of trail, just like this, are what make hiking in Baxter so tedious, as big boulders can be found throughout the flatter elevations, well before the climb up to Pamola Peak.
Chimney Pond-North Basin Cut-Off Junction
The second-to-last junction in the Chimney Pond Trail before the campground is where the North Basin Cut-Off splits away, which can act like a shortcut for the Hamlin Ridge Trail if this is the direction you’re interested in climbing.
That being said, go left here to continue toward Chimney Pond, located about 1.0 mile (1.6 km) away.
It seems as if Baxter State Park rerouted the trail in sections to follow a more granite-dominated path in order to protect the soils.
Chimney Pond Trail
Chimney Pond-North Basin Junction
The North Basin Trail is the more direct route to Hamlin Ridge compared to the Cut-Off Trail shown above.
In any case, go straight (left) to continue toward Chimney Pond and the Dudley Trail up to Pamola Peak.
Chimney Pond Campground
As the Chimney Pond Trail nears the ranger station, it enters the Chimney Pond Campground, with reservable lean-tos that hikers commonly utilize to make the overall climb up Katahdin much shorter.
That being said, I personally think a 3.3-mile (5.3 km) approach is fairly standard for a climb like Katahdin—especially after having done much longer approaches in a day, like Lake Como Road to Blanca Peak.
This is just one person’s opinion, but, to me, it sounds more challenging to backpack into Chimney Pond with more weight, as opposed to day hiking more miles with less on your back.
This is just one example of a lean-to that visitors can reserve at Chimney Pond through the Baxter State Park website.
Book Here: Baxter State Park Reservations
Chimney Pond Ranger Station
Once at the Chimney Pond Ranger Station, hikers are asked to sign in and out once again, which serves as another method of accountability in the event that a rescue is required.
Chimney Pond-Dudley Junction
On the far side of the ranger station, go left to begin the Dudley Trail up to Pamola Peak, or right to visit Chimney Pond below Katahdin.
Dudley Trail
The Dudley Trail from the Chimney Pond Ranger Station to Pamola Peak is 1.9 miles (3.1 km) away, which excludes the optional Pamola Caves Trail, about 1.0 mile (1.6 km) away.
The Dudley Trail is the first place where the climbing truly begins, which, for the most part, navigates through some fairly self-explanatory Class 2 terrain from the bottom to the top.
With that in mind, some might consider a few sections to be Class 3, but I think that designation should be reserved for the Knife Edge immediately following Pamola Peak.
One of the best things about Baxter State Park, similar to other areas throughout Maine, like Acadia National Park, is how well-marked the trails are.
This essentially takes all the guesswork out of any route finding, granted that the trails are snow-free.
Dudley-Pamola Caves Junction
About 1.0 mile (1.6 km) past Chimney Pond, the Dudley Trail reaches the junction with the Pamola Caves.
Here, go left to continue up to Pamola Peak and the Knife Edge beyond, or go right to explore the Pamola Caves.
I chose to go right.
To skip past the Pamola Caves Trail, click here.
Pamola Caves Trail
There’s no nice way to say this, but you need to be skinny to hike the Pamola Caves Trail, or you risk getting seriously stuck—not just once, but in a series of different caves.
I couldn’t even make it through with my backpack, if that says anything.
Everything about the Pamola Caves Trail is very steep!
This is where the series of narrow passages and caves begin.
This second gap is where I decided to drop my pack.
Pamola Caves Loop Trail
When the Pamola Caves Trail climbs up through this narrow opening, the trail inconspicuously splits, with the most obvious direction going forward and the much less obvious, hidden trail directly behind this opening.
That said, the easier route is to climb up and turn 180º around to continue, as the trail moving forward squeezes through some very narrow caves!
This was one of the smaller openings to navigate through—best not to be claustrophobic!
Pamola Caves Loop Junction
Finally, the short Pamola Caves Loop makes its way back around, which is where the loop became more obvious compared to the initial climb up to this section.
Here, simply climb back down to the right to return to the Dudley Trail.
Dudley-Pamola Caves Junction
Once back Dudley Trail, go right to continue up to Pamola Peak, about 0.9 miles (1.4 km) up the trail.
These initial sections past the Pamola Caves junction climb much more steeply than the beginning, as the trees begin to get thinner and thinner.
When the trees begin to significantly thin out, the Dudley Trail reaches what’s commonly referred to as a 'social trail,' meaning a trail that is created by the community in order to climb up Pamola Peak faster.
With that said, Baxter State Park discourages straying from the established trails, which is why the route shown here does not shortcut the Dudley Trail to get to this point.
At a little under 4,000 ft. (1,219 m), the Dudley Trail reaches treeline.
This is where the climb up Katahdin truly starts to feel like nothing short of a 14er in the Rockies, apart from the higher elevations found out west.
Not far past treeline, the season's first snow began to fall on me in early October, but it didn’t start to accumulate significantly until I climbed higher toward Pamola Peak.
This is where some may feel the climb up Katahdin begins to transition into a Class 3 climb, but if so, it’s an easy one at that.
Finally, the upper elevations on Pamola Peak began to appear through the clouds, which was the last time I would see the view before the clouds parted on the Knife Edge.
At this point, I started to question whether I should turn around, but ultimately, I decided to continue to Pamola Peak before making my decision.
Surprisingly, the snow did not make the granite slippery. However, with more accumulation, micro-spikes, or even crampons and an ice axe, might be necessary, depending on your specific conditions.
I personally use the Yaktrax linked below.
Pamola Peak (Dudley-Helon Taylor Junction)
When I reached the summit of Pamola Peak, which is also the start of the Knife Edge, I was conflicted about whether or not to continue further—especially after passing several groups who had turned around on or before Pamola Peak.
That being said, one way I like to make my adventures truly authentic and to have the experiences I’m looking to have is to forgo research on climbs like Katahdin unless I know that more preparation is necessary.
Some might read this and think I’m careless, but I know and have proven my abilities to myself beyond my wildest dreams. This is all to say that not once on the climb up to Pamola Peak did I feel that I was in over my head, which ultimately led to my decision to continue further.
Now, my ability and experiences are not yours, and want to I encourage you to make good decisions based on your unique situation. If the conditions had been windier or the snow heavier, I likely would have turned back.
Knife Edge Trail
Regarding everything mentioned above, I decided to continue further, not knowing what was ahead but fully aware that I would turn back if I ever felt in too deep.
Chimney Notch
I remember thinking, as I looked past the Knife Edge, that the first notch seemed like the hardest part of the climb, based on the limited visibility I had after spending about ten minutes on the summit.
Chimney Notch on Katahdin may look intimidating, but there are more than a few places to put your weight to make this down climb manageable.
In fact, I felt that climbing back up the notch on the far side was more difficult than this descent.
I did not get a photo of the most challenging section on the south side of the notch because I was using my hands too much.
However, the trail markers serve as a great guide, in order to climb the most manageable route.
Chimney Peak
Once past Chimney Notch, the clouds parted, and I got my best views of the entire ascent up Katahdin.
This was when I could see that the colors were at their peak below the upper elevations, away from the mountain!
Hiking the Knife Edge in these conditions made me happy to be getting an authentic New England experience!
That said, the Knife Edge beyond Chimney Notch isn’t particularly challenging. The trail is wide, there are very few spots where I felt exposed, and there’s more than one way to hike across most sections.
This section on the right-hand side of the ridge was the only other area past Chimney Notch where I truly felt the need to focus more to avoid a bad fall.
That is to say, yes, falling here in this short section could certainly mean serious injury or even death.
Beyond the short section above, the Knife Edge simply follows the ridge crest, making it fairly easy to navigate, whether or not the visibility is good.
When I re-entered the clouds, I didn't see the view again until I was very low on the Saddle Trail, on the way back to Chimney Pond.
South Peak
This is where the Knife Edge Trail reaches South Peak, with only about 0.3 miles (0.5 km) left to reach the summit of Katahdin.
I’m glad somebody up here had a sense of humor!
When I could finally see the summit in the distance, I honestly felt like the name 'Knife Edge' was a bit of a letdown.
Maybe some from New England would disagree with me, but I say this after having already straddled a true Knife Edge on Capitol Peak in the Elk Mountains of Colorado.
Now, I want to follow these thoughts by saying this is not to say that the risks of falling on Katahdin aren’t something to take seriously, but 'Knife Edge,' in my opinion, does not live up to its implied name.
Mt. Katahdin
According to Baxter State Park, Katahdin stands at 5,267 ft. (1,605 m), making it the tallest peak in Maine, behind Sugarloaf Mountain in Carrabassett Valley.
At the top, a few people from the area, who said they climb Katahdin annually, mentioned that seeing the view from the summit can be hard to come by. However, this didn’t disappoint me too much because the views with the snow that I saw from the Knife Edge were second to none!
Saddle Trail
After climbing up the Knife Edge, my plan was to create a loop with the much easier Saddle Trail back to Chimney Pond, totaling about 2.2 miles (3.5 km) from the summit to the ranger station, with about 2,350 ft. (716 m) of elevation to descend.
At first, the Saddle Trail began descending fairly gradually compared to the Dudley Trail to Pamola Peak, which continued at this grade for the majority of the way down until the Saddle Trail turned off the summit ridge.
Upper Saddle-Cathedral Junction
The Cathedral Trail was the first of two different junctions before the Saddle Trail leaves the ridge, but it was strongly suggested that I not descend via Cathedral in these conditions because it is much more challenging.
That said, my plan all along was to continue down the Saddle Trail, as the experience I was really looking to have was across the Knife Edge.
Saddle-Baxter Cut-Off Junction
Eventually, the Saddle Trail reaches the second junction below Katahdin, which is merely a short connector that leads to the previously mentioned Cathedral Trail.
Saddle-Northwest Basin Junction
After about 1.0 mile (1.6 km), the Saddle Trail makes a hard right turn off the summit ridge down toward Chimney Pond.
This is where the Saddle Trail noticeably becomes more difficult because it’s so steep.
However, the initial steep gully down the Saddle Trail is still easier than anything along the Knife Edge prior to the summit.
These initial sections aren’t too difficult, as long as you’re comfortable with some fairly steep Class 2 terrain.
Some hikers may prefer to use trekking poles for these steeper areas.
When the Saddle Trail begins to drop below treeline, the rest of the hike down becomes less steep the closer it gets to Chimney Pond.
This creek crossing is a nice sign that the Saddle Trail is about to level out significantly compared to the sections prior.
Lower Saddle-Cathedral Junction
Just before the Chimney Pond Trail, both the Saddle Trail and Cathedral Trail meet once again.
Here, go straight, and the Chimney Pond Trail will be found shortly ahead.
Chimney Pond Trail
Overall, Mt. Katahdin was a very fun climb, and I’m glad that I decided to take the Knife Edge above all other routes.
However, this feeling still comes with my thoughts that I believe the name 'Knife Edge' is a fairly inaccurate way to describe the ridgeline, as I think it intimidates hikers more than it should. I say this because if you know you’re comfortable on other Class 3 climbs around the country, the Knife Edge to Katahdin should be more than manageable.
That being said, those without the same comfort level in scrambling and exposure may not do as well on the Knife Edge, so I truly can’t speak to everyone’s situation.
All I can say is that I had fun, I’m glad I got to experience the upper mountain in the snow, and I think that if I were to revisit, I’d love to catch the sunrise from the Knife Edge!
