Trout Brook Farm Campground

The End of the Road

Trout Brook Farm Campground is the most remote and least visited campground in Baxter State Park. It sits in the far northern reaches of the park, near the Matagamon Gate, on what was once a working farm in the logging era. The open fields and old apple trees still mark the landscape, giving the campground a pastoral quality that is unique among Baxter’s otherwise densely forested camps.

The campground sits along Trout Brook, a cold, clear stream that feeds into the East Branch of the Penobscot River. The Traveler Range, a volcanic ridge that is geologically distinct from the granite of Katahdin, rises to the south. On most summer days, you will have the place largely to yourself. This is not hyperbole. Trout Brook Farm regularly operates with fewer than half its sites occupied, even during peak season.

If you are looking for the most solitary camping experience available in a Maine state-managed facility, Trout Brook Farm is it. The nearest town is Patten, 25 miles east over a mix of paved and gravel roads. The nearest cell signal is even farther. This is a place where time slows down and the forest closes in around you.

The Campground

Trout Brook Farm has approximately 16 sites, a mix of tent sites and lean-tos arranged along the campground road and near the brook. The sites are generously spaced with heavy forest between them, providing excellent privacy. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, and the remnants of the old farm, stone walls, clearings, wild apple trees, add character.

The old farm field in the center of the campground is an open grassy area that attracts wildlife. Deer graze here at dusk, and moose occasionally wander through. The field also provides the campground’s only open sky, making it a good spot for stargazing and satellite watching.

Vault toilets and a potable water spigot serve the campground. There is no ranger station on-site, the nearest staffed station is at South Branch Pond, about 3 miles south on the perimeter road. You are expected to be self-sufficient here. Pack everything you need and be prepared for a level of isolation that most campgrounds do not offer.

Things to Do

Traveler Mountain is the major hiking destination from Trout Brook Farm. The Traveler Trail system includes several routes through the range, with the main peak reaching 3,541 feet. The terrain is different from Katahdin, volcanic rhyolite rather than granite, and the vegetation includes rare alpine plants found nowhere else in the park. The full Traveler loop is approximately 10 miles and is a serious full-day hike.

Fishing is exceptional here. Trout Brook holds native brook trout in its pools and runs, and the nearby East Branch of the Penobscot is a blue-ribbon trout stream. Fly fishing in the early morning along Trout Brook is peaceful and productive. You will need a Maine fishing license and should practice catch-and-release.

The area around Trout Brook Farm also connects to trails leading south toward the Traveler Range and eventually to South Branch Pond. A traverse from Trout Brook Farm to South Branch Pond via the Pogy Notch Trail is a rewarding day hike of about 9 miles through some of the least-traveled forest in the park. Wildlife sightings are common on this route, moose, deer, ruffed grouse, and occasionally black bear.

When to Go

Getting There

From Patten, take Route 159 west approximately 25 miles to the Matagamon Gate. Trout Brook Farm is located just inside the gate, about 2 miles south on the park perimeter road. The total drive from Patten is about 35 minutes.

From Bangor, take I-95 north to Exit 264 (Sherman), then Route 11 north to Patten and Route 159 west. The total drive is about two hours. From Portland, plan approximately five hours. The Matagamon Gate is far less congested than the southern Togue Pond Gate and rarely has entry delays.

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