Baxter State Park officials warn eclipse-watchers of park closures, poor weather

By Kaitlyn Budion, Maine Public

While many areas of Maine are actively seeking to draw crowds for the solar eclipse on April 8, officials at Baxter State Park are urging visitors to be cautious and consider other venues.

Director Kevin Adam says much of the park will be closed, as is typical in the spring. He says campgrounds are closed, as are the roads through the park and trails on Katahdin.

“So we’re in our final planning stages also, and it’s hard to plan when we’re in this changeover season,” he said.

Unpredictable spring weather could mean several feet of snow or deep mud during the eclipse, Adam says. And visitors planning to come to Baxter will need to be cautious and check conditions beforehand.

He says visitors should check out events and areas in the surrounding towns that will be better options for watching the eclipse

“We’re just trying to let them know that conditions during that time of year are very sensitive and the park is different in those shoulder seasons of April and early May,” Adam said.

This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.