Abol Campground — Baxter State Park

We stayed at Abol Campground for two nights in order to hike Katahdin. Our site Lean-To 6, I would argue is the best site. It is right on the stream and you feel secluded. The lean to was perfect but bring a small tent, this is not a large space. There are hooks for gear and a picnic table & fire pit. The ranger Laura checked on us each day and was very kind and gave great advice. Note: there are only put toilets and no showers. But as far as that goes the bathrooms were clean and well maintained. I might add hand sanitizer pumps to make them perfect.

Some of the previous posts have confused Abol Campground inside Baxter State Park with Abol Campground and general Store. There is NO electricity, no showers, no grocery store,  inside Baxter State Park. Those are available at the similarly named Abol Campground and General Store which neighbors Baxter State Park.

We stayed at site 18. Site served us well with ample space for tents and our two vehicles. Adjacent to the restrooms. Nothing much to add beyond what others have said, except added photos for visual reference...

-ace

Though not open during the off season, this Baxter State Park campground offers tent sites and lean-tos, each with a picnic table and fire ring. There are no sites for RV's here.

There is no running/drinking water, but the stream nearby is perfect for filtering. The pit toilets are cleaned daily. There is no electricity, so bring your solar panel. Rangers are assigned to each campground, so there is always someone to chat with if you have questions or emergencies while in the park. 

You can start the 8-12 hour round trip to the summit of Mt. Katahdin from this campground, as it sits right at the base of the mountain.  Or, choose from variety of other trail options if a 4000 ft elevation gain hike isn’t your thing.

Fall is one of the best times to be here…no bugs, less people, and full of autumn color! Be ready for wind and cold days though. You are sure to see many Appalachian Trail through hikers as they use this campground as their final base camp before summiting!

Your last stop for food and gas is in Millinocket, so be sure to stock up before you make your way to the park. Millinocket is about 18 miles from the main entrance to Baxter State Park.

Note: Dogs are not allowed in the park, but Katahdin Kritters is a pet boarding facility located in East Millinocket.

This campground is in a great location near the water. Perfect for staying an extra night after hiking katahdin bc they have showers so you can clean yourself up. Cozy area with friendly neighbors, a general store at entrance which also has a small restaurant in it. Looks like a lot of people do some rafting/tubing down the river and stay here too!

Tent camped here before climbing Mt Katahdin. This place was not only beautiful with a store and restaurant, but super accommodating to our large group.

This is the first campsite you will come upon as you drive down the road in Baxter State Park and it is the first parking lot where you are able to park for the Abol Trail up Mt. Katahdin. Keep in mind that the road in Baxter is unpaved if you're driving here and that there is electricity in the park at sites! That being said, I camped here the night before I hiked up Katahdin and it was perfect for what I needed. Open spaces with tables and a fire ring and nothing else really. There is a ranger cabin on site to assist you with maps and firewood and anything else you may need. They were super helpful! Other than that there were composting toilets and there is parking near the sites for you to keep your car at.

Accessible via the Baxter State Park Tote road, this is the first campground you will come upon if you enter the southern gate. Situated at the trailhead of Abol Trail, this campground offers lean-to and tent sites along a looped camp road. Sites consist of a picnic table and fire ring with grill top. Firewood is avaliable for purchase at the ranger station for $3.00. Sites are close to the camp road except lean-to site 3 which is a short walk in from it’s parking place. Site 6 may not look like the supiror site within Abol while driving by, but adventuring down into the site from the turn off, you will realize it’s speacial qualities. The lean-to is oriented in such a way that you do not realize it’s proximity to sites 5 and 7 or the campground road. Site 6 hugs the Abol stream providing beautiful scenery and the auidable noice which suppresses sounds coming from other campers. If you are hiking the Abol Trail, this is an easy option for spending the night before or after your hike. If I was to do an exstended stay within the park, I would recommend heading to the Northern portions of the park, as there are more special overnight options.

Blackflies are real y'all. And they are bad. Like Biblical-level. Otherwise go play with Moose and enjoy mother nature. Katahdin is amazing!