Leaders: Cliff Young of the Maine IAT and Nancy Hathaway of Dark Skies Maine and the Maine IAT
Date: Saturday, October 3r, 2026 (The morning of Stars over Katahdin)
Difficulty and length in miles: Easy-1.2 miles
Description of the hike: Meet at Taylor Camps at 10AM on the Swift River Road just off of Route 11 in Staceyville. This is the road that leads into the Monument. We will caravan into the trailhead which is a 12 mile drive on a gravel road. This hiking trail is easy and mostly flat. We will have an early lunch at the pond. After on your own you can then explore the Loop Road or Tekakapimek Visitor's Contact Center.
Stars over Katahdin will take place at Taylor Camps around 4pm where there will be talks and astronomy educators with telescopes for viewing the night sky. See https://www.friendsofkww.org/stars/ for more details.
What to bring: Dress for the weather.
Contact information: Nancy Hathaway hathaway.n@gmail.com and Cliff Young cayoung114@outlook.com
From the intersection of Maine Route 11 & Swift Brook Road, it is approximately 12 miles to the Katahdin Loop Road. Plan your trip by viewing a map of the local area and follow signs within the monument proper.
Traveling on Swift Brook Road
Use caution when traveling on the Swift Brook Road, which is a gravel road. All gravel roads in the area are shared with logging and equipment trucks. Logging trucks always have the right of way. It is important to drive slowly, keep to the right side of the road, and yield to oncoming trucks. If you are traveling north on Maine Route 11, use caution when making the left turn onto Swift Brook Road as there is limited sight distance.
- Please be considerate of your speed as you pass the residential area near the intersection.
- There is no public transportation directly to entrances of the monument.
- Mobile phone and GPS coverage is spotty and unreliable.