Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

Erin and I drove for hours to visit Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, located in the remote forests of northern Maine. Maine is the largest of the New England states, and the drive from our home in Natick, Massachusetts to this site is a 300-mile journey. The long drive was part of the experience of exploring our National Monuments as miles slowly carried us farther away from familiar landscapes and deeper into quiet country.

When President Barack Obama designated Katahdin Woods National Monument in August 2016, the decision generated mixed reactions. Many people in the region opposed the designation at first because they feared it could interfere with traditional local uses such as logging and hunting. 

Support for the monument was strong with conservation groups and local residents who valued preserving the forests, rivers and wildlife habitat. They also thought the designation would bring tourism and economic opportunity to a region where industries had declined.

The monument protects tens of thousands of acres of working forests and wilderness. For us, the drive and destination were part of our commitment to seeing newly protected places for ourselves. Katahdin Woods is a living chapter in the evolving story of America’s public lands.

So much of our National Park travel has taken us to places protected decades earlier. Here in northern Maine, was an opportunity to experience a landscape newly designated and still in its earliest chapter as part of the National Park System. There was little formal infrastructure in place yet as these things take time. Slowly the systems will be built and more people will make the journey north to experience the wilderness of northern Maine.