Blueberry Ledges, Baxter State Park

Blueberry Ledges trail is in light blue; Appalachian Trail in dark blue; Abol Pond and Abol Stream Trails in yellow; Foss and Knowlton Trail (plus others) is in red.

Hikers can take a long route or short route to the impressive Blueberry Ledges, a one-of-a-kind waterfall flowing over a wide expanse of open ledge. According to my calculations, the complete trail is a one-way 5-mile hike, stretching south from the Tote Road inside the park to the Golden Road outside the park (specifically, to the Abol Bridge Campground and Store).

The trailhead inside the park, off the Tote Road, has a tiny parking area, big enough for two cars. It’s marked with a sign for the Birches, a thru-hiker camping area. The trailhead is about 0.35 miles east of Katahdin Stream Campground along the Tote Road.

From this trailhead, the distance to the first waterfall viewpoint is roughly 3.6 miles. You’ll pick up the blazed trail behind the outhouse. The forested path starts out mostly flat for the first ~2.3 miles before it begins to drop down to the “tumbling waters” of Katahdin Stream and its “series of cascades, sluice drops, and pools” (a wonderful Maine Mountain Guide description!).

At around 3.1 miles, it emerges from forest onto ledge. When you first step onto the bedrock, continue straight — a large cairn marks the way. Keep going another half mile. You should look for a narrow path to your right. When I visited, this little trail was unmarked but clearly visible. Walk toward the thunderous sound of rushing water, and you’ll come out to a remarkable site of a waterfall rushing over smooth rock until it crashes into a pool under a huge overhanging rock lip.

If you return to the main path and keep walking south, you’ll pass a couple other paths which lead to more pools and falls.

If you start at Abol Bridge Campground, on the south end of the trail, the route is easier and much shorter! Much of it follows an old tote road, perhaps. You’ll start on the AT for about 0.3 miles before catching the Abol Pond Trail (Not the Abol Stream Trail, which you’ll pass on your right). Then, in about 0.15 miles, you’ll see the Blueberry Ledges trail on your left. The distance from this point to the first waterfall view is about 0.2 miles, but keep going another 0.7 miles or so to more amazing falls.

We hiked down Blueberry Ledges and back on the Foss and Knowlton Trail plus, for a rather tiring day! The loop total is about 13 miles.

Directions: Outside the park: You can pick up the trail at either Abol Bridge Campground at the south end of the park (it’s right outside the park). Or at Abol Beach and walk the 1.7-mile Abol Pond Trail to Blueberry Ledges Trail. Inside the park: Pick up the trail close to Katahdin Stream Campground, at a small pullout along the Tote Road next to the long-distance hikers’ camping area called The Birches. It’s about 0.35 miles east of the campground.