Patrik Orcutt 11.20.25
I’m not sure about everyone else, but about once a month, if I don’t get to do something outside, I begin to go a little crazy. The Fall Season here in Maine is one of my favorites as an outdoor enthusiast and avid landscape/nature photographer. The natural beauty of the State really shines through this time of year. On a random Monday morning, I thought to myself that as a Maine-based photographer, I don’t have what I would call a “good” shot if a Moose were in my portfolio, and that’s something I wanted to change. One of the best places to see Moose with very dramatic backdrop is at Sandy Stream Pond in Baxter State Park in the Northern Part of the State. While I had personally never been to Sandy Stream Pond before, I wanted to check it out and maybe, with any luck, get a good shot of a Moose.
Camping Coverage on AllOutdoor
Planning
As Boromir from LOTR put it so simply, “one does not simply walk into Mordor” and the same can be said for any nice campground during peak Summer and Fall season at Baxter State Park. One does not simply decide they want to go to Roaring Brook Campground and book a campsite the same day. I have tried this in the past, and these camp sites are usually booked up months in advance. When I hatched this last-minute scheme to go up to Sandy Stream pond, I figured there would be no way I would be able to get a campsite, but much to my surprise, I got the last one they had when I called the Park Service and asked. Soon after I put the phone down, I began to pack for my short overnight trip. Sandy Stream Pond is only a little under 3 hours away from where I live, so once I had everything packed up, I hit the road and headed north.
Gear List
If you came to this article to just see what gear I’m using, no problem, here you go!
Hitting the Road
Along the way to the Park, there are many great spots to stop and take pictures along the way. One of the most famous is surely the Abol Bridge. With Mt Katahdin being the end of the Appalachian Trail, there are always a lot of through hikers in this area in the fall.
About the Park
Baxter State Park in Maine traces its origins to the vision of Percival P. Baxter, who served as governor from 1921 to 1924 and began acquiring land in 1930, purchasing nearly 6,000 acres including Mount Katahdin, the state’s highest peak, which he donated to Maine in 1931 with the irrevocable condition that it remain “forever wild.” Over the next three decades, Baxter continued this effort through 28 separate land acquisitions, culminating in his final purchase in 1962, gradually assembling what became a 209,644-acre wilderness preserve that now encompasses about 75% managed as a wildlife sanctuary, 14% as a scientific forest management area, and 25% open to hunting and trapping (except for moose). Demonstrating remarkable foresight, Baxter established a nearly $7 million trust to fund the park’s maintenance independently of state funds and created a unique governing authority consisting of the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the Director of the Maine State Forest Service, and the Attorney General to safeguard its resources in perpetuity. The park’s natural history dates back approximately 12,000 years to the retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet, evolving from post-glacial tundra and early human habitation around 11,000 years ago into the spruce-fir-dominated Acadian forest that defines the region today.
Roaring Brook Campground
After driving for a few hours and stopping to take many pictures on my trip, I was finally at Roaring Brook Campground. The fee to camp for the night was $38, and that seemed kind of High to me, but still worth it. Roaring Brook Campground is one of the most, if not the most, popular campgrounds in the park, given its access to the Chimney Pond trail and Sandy Stream Pond. The Chimney Pond Trail stands as one of the park’s most iconic and heavily trafficked routes, a 3.3-mile moderate to strenuous path from Roaring Brook Campground that ascends through dense forests and rocky terrain to the alpine shores of Chimney Pond, offering breathtaking vistas of the Basin and the imposing Knife Edge ridge of Mount Katahdin.
Its popularity stems from serving as the gateway to five of the seven trails summiting Katahdin, including the thrilling Helon Taylor, Dudley, and Saddle paths, drawing ambitious hikers eager for high-elevation adventures above the treeline amid wild, exposed landscapes that demand sturdy footwear and respect for sudden weather shifts. Complementing this rugged allure is the nearby Sandy Stream Pond Trail, an easy 1.5-mile out-and-back stroll from the same Roaring Brook base that meanders along babbling streams to a serene, glassy pond framed by the park’s signature spruce-fir forests and dramatic Katahdin views, renowned for its frequent moose sightings.
Before setting up camp, I marched up to Sandy Stream Pond to do a bit of scouting to see how the light was looking and time how long it would take me to reach it. One thing that really surprised me was that you are only allowed to walk on the wooden boards around Sandy Stream Pond, as this entire area is a wildlife sanctuary. Obviously, if you need to step off, you can, but it’s suggested not to. After scouting the area and finding the best spot to return to in the morning, I sat and watched the sun set on a very peaceful evening.
I then marched back to my campsite and unloaded my car while setting up my spot for the evening. It was completely dark at this point, so I was happy I brought a headlamp on this trip, and this made setting up camp and cooking dinner much easier. As I lay my head down in my tent, I knew I would have to get up around 5 am the next morning to catch good light on the mountain and maybe even a moose! Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article and thankyou for reading all the way through to the end of Part 1!
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