Events Banner Dean Clark


Monson Visitor Center

 

Overview


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We help long-distance and day hikers plan safe and enjoyable adventures on the A.T. and other trails in the Hundred Mile Wilderness and Moosehead Lake regions.

Hours: 8:00 – 11:00 AM and 1:00 – 5:00 PM, 7 days a week, June 5 through October 14, 2019.

Location: We are located in the Monson Historical Society building on the town’s main street (Route 6/15).

Street address: 6 Tenney Hill, Monson, Maine 04464

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Mailing address: PO Box 74, Monson, Maine 04464

Phone: 1-207-573-0163

Email: monsonvisitorcenter@appalachiantrail.org

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Parking

Ample on-street parking is available for the Visitor Center and for shops and restaurants in Monson.

For the A.T.:  The A.T. crosses Route 6/15 approximately 3.6 miles north of the Visitor Center. There is a parking area on the east side of the road (the right side of the road as you head north from Monson).

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Exhibits

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A scale model of Katahdin, Maine's highest mountain and the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, shows the many hiking routes the mountain offers. Visitors will also find a variety of exhibits and artifacts related to the history of the A.T., the town of Monson, and the Maine Woods.

Services

Assistance to northbound A.T. hikers: Planning for permits, camping, and hiking routes in Baxter State Park; safety alerts for the Hundred Mile Wilderness; planning for post-hike lodging and transportation.

Assistance to southbound A.T. hikers: Thru-hike registration, with hang tags available for registered hikers; information about the Kennebec Ferry; planning for southern Maine and New Hampshire; trail safety updates and education.

The Kennebec Ferry will operate May 22-October 12 in 2020.
The hours of operation are as follows:
May 22-June 30 from 9am-11am
July 1- September 30 from 9am-2pm
October 1- October 12 from 9am-11am

Assistance to day hikers: Maps, guides, and help with selecting appropriate hikes along the A.T. and other trails in the Hundred Mile Wilderness and Moosehead Lake regions.

Assistance to tourists: Maps, guides, and information about activities in Monson, Greenville, the Hundred Mile Wilderness and Moosehead Lake regions. If we don’t know the answer to your question, we’ll help you find it!

Other services: A.T. passport stamp, WiFi, phone charging. We allow hikers who are unable to access cell service to make brief calls using the Visitor Center phone.

Store: We sell maps, guidebooks, postcards, A.T. passports, and A.T. souvenirs. We offer a limited supply of hiking gear as well.

The town of Monson is an official Appalachian Trail Community: monsonmaine.org/appalachian-trail/

Find the Monson Appalachian Trail Visitor Center on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/monsonatvisitorcenter/

Monson Photo

Links to local hiking information:

Moosehead Lake and Hundred Mile Wilderness Regions:

Hiking Guide to the Moosehead Lake Region

This day hiking guide is compiled by Destination Moosehead Lake, the local Chamber of Commerce.

Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit: mooseheadpinnaclepursuit.com

The Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit is a collection of six hikes in the Moosehead Lake region. One of these hikes, up Whitecap Mountain, follows the Appalachian Trail (please note that access to the Whitecap trailhead requires a vehicle with high clearance).

Borestone Mountain Audubon Sanctuary: maineaudubon.org/visit/borestone

Borestone Mountain is a popular hike near Monson (it is also one of the six Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit hikes).

Appalachian Mountain Club’s Maine Woods Initiative:

Map of trails accessed via the Katahdin Iron Works Road:

www.outdoors.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/KIW_SummerTrails_Full_FINAL_web-1.jpg

Map of trails in the Roach Ponds area:

www.outdoors.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Meda_SummerTrails_Full_FINAL_web-1.jpg

As part of its Maine Woods Initiative, the Appalachian Mountain Club is developing a network of trails on 70,000 acres of land it owns in the Hundred Mile Wilderness region. AMC trails accessed via the Katahdin Iron Works Road connect with the Appalachian Trail.

Gulf Hagas: www.northmainewoods.org/ki-jo-mary/gulfhagas.html

                     (map available at www.northmainewoods.org/images/pdf/gulf-hagas-map.pdf)

Gulf Hagas, a slate gorge with a series of spectacular waterfalls, is accessed via an official A.T. side trail.

 

Katahdin Region:

Baxter State Park: baxterstatepark.org

The northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail is atop Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park.

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument:

Information from the National Park Service: www.nps.gov/kaww/index.htm

Information from Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters: friendsofkatahdinwoodsandwaters.org

This national monument, located to the east of Baxter State Park, was established in 2016.

 

Northward from the Katahdin Region:

International Appalachian Trail (Maine Section): www.internationalatmaine.org

The Maine segment of the I.A.T. begins in the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument east of Baxter State Park and extends northward to the Canadian border crossing near Fort Fairfield.