Place

Barnard Mountain Trailhead

Dirt logging road surrounded by forest with a wooden trailhead sign.
Park at Barnard Mountain Trailhead to access Barnard Mountain and the IAT.

NPS / Jason Gablaski

Quick Facts

Parking - Auto

The Barnard Mountain trailhead is located just before mile marker 12 on the Katahdin Loop Road. The hike to the top of Barnard Mountain is 4 miles round trip. From the top there is a spectacular view of neighboring Baxter State Park and Katahdin. 

The International Appalachian Trail (IAT) also starts from this trailhead. The IAT extends on from the Appalachian Trail. The trail follows the ancient Appalachian Mountains, now separated by the North Atlantic Ocean. The IAT links traces of these mountains around the arc of the North Atlantic. The section of the trail that runs through Maine starts here and continues through the national monument for 30 miles, then continues another 100 miles to Fort Fairfield, Maine, and then on into Canada, Greenland, and Europe, ending in Morocco.

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

Last updated: May 8, 2024