by Anura Guruge
on May 1, 2022

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Click to ENLARGE.
All taken by Anura Guruge, on April 26, 2022.

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To be fair ‘Baxter State Park‘ was also closed — though that did not preclude I from being able to hike it, 3 days running, in glorious solitude when I truly had the Park to myself.

There is, however, a BIG difference between Baxter State & Katahdin Woods and Water (KWW). KWW is a National Monument. Yes, it is — & has been since 2016. So, you would have thought that it would have got some TLC from ‘Washington’. Not so, & from what I could see, the locals were v. cool with that.

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The access road to the Monument, from Route 11, i.e., Swift Brook Road, was in pretty rough shape. Yes, I understand that it is closed, but it was rough. Roads around & IN Baxter were in much better shape.

You then encounter the ‘National Park — NO!‘ sign. (Topmost image) What is most incongruous about that sign is that it says “This Road Owner“. Ahh! Ahh? The National Park Service did NOT acquire the access road?

As my 3rd image shows the access road, indeed, was closed.

I, of course, walked in & hiked about 1.5 miles in. Nothing to see. SMILE. Just trees.

There was NO GATEHOUSE, let alone Visitor Center. Maybe they are further up the road. I don’t know. There is only so much I am willing to hike — especially if the views are boring.

There was supposed to be a National Park Center in Millinocket — at ‘#200 Penobscot Avenue”. I drove up & down it twice & never saw it. Couple of lots that had been torn down around the #200 mark!

So, I am not sure what is happening.

I spoke to a few locals. They weren’t sure either.

My MOST FAVORITE place in the whole World is a National Monument: ‘Canyon de Chelly‘. That is now a mature & well run National Monument. Yes, it is still early days for KWW. I hope it evolves to be in the same league as Canyon de Chelly.