Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness is an epic hike on the Appalachian Trail through some of the wildest and most remote terrain in New England.
Region: New England (Maine)
Length: 99.4 miles (5 – 10 days)
Physical Difficulty: Moderate
- The southern half is the hardest, with steep ups and downs over the Barren-Chairback and White Cap ranges
- Some difficult stream crossings
- Rocky, rooty, and boggy trail
Logistical Difficulty: Easy
- Point-to-point hike but shuttles easily arranged
- Many established campsites
- Supply drops can be arranged, and an overnight bunkhouse stay is possible off the trail roughly midway through the 100-Mile Wilderness
Season: Spring, summer, fall
Total Elevation Gain: ~15,000 feet
Maximum Elevation: 3,654 feet
Hiking the 100-Mile Wilderness
BPR editor Hugh Owen was 22 when he hiked the Appalachian Trail through the 100-Mile Wilderness in 1975 on his first long-distance backpacking trip, carrying close to 50 pounds on his back and barely enough food. He wore cotton clothes and was woefully short of warm layers.
He picked up a trail partner on his second day, and met maybe six other hikers in the Wilderness. It’s a trip that started his love for backpacking.
Hugh relied on youthful hubris during his hike, but the Wilderness is not to be taken lightly. It’s rugged in sections, and isolated. A food resupply is recommended for anyone taking more than 5 days to hike.
But the rewards are immense for those who prepare physically and mentally.
The northern section is filled with remote lakes. Farther south the trail crosses several peaks with stunning views of the lake-studded land below.
And at night the sky is ablaze with stars in an area designated as an International Dark Sky Park.
Starting at Abol Bridge and heading south the AT is relatively easy as it skirts the lakes. The three main climbs in the early section are over Rainbow Ledges and Nesuntabant and Little Boardman mountains.
The AT briefly follows the same path as the Great Circle Trail near Nahmakanta Lake.
The terrain becomes more challenging as it enters the White Cap Range, climbing steeply to White Cap Mountain (3,654 feet).
The view from White Cap takes in the lakes to the north, and for hikers coming from the south, their first view of Katahdin in the distance. The trail continues over Hay, West Peak, and Gulf Hagas mountains before descending to the West Branch of the Pleasant River.
The trail begins climbing again to cross the Barren-Chairback Range and its five peaks: Chairback, Columbus, Third, Fourth, and Barren. The views through the range are some of the best in the Wilderness.
The trail also passes East Chairback, West Chairback, and Cloud ponds, geographically known as tairns, bodies of water created by the scouring of glaciers.
The trail drops after Barren Mountain and continues on a mostly flat path to Monson. Water crossings can be difficult at Long Pond and Big and Little Wilson Streams. Near the Little Wilson Stream crossing the trail passes Little Wilson Falls, the highest waterfall on the AT in Maine.
The Wilderness ends at Maine Route 15, 3.5 miles north of Monson.
How to Get to the 100-Mile Wilderness
Access to the Wilderness is from Abol Bridge in Millinocket, Maine, in the north and from Maine Route 15 in Monson in the south. The Appalachian Trail Hostel & Outfitters in Millinocket and Shaw’s Hiker Hostel in Monson provide lodging and long-distance shuttles.
The nearest airport is Bangor International, about 72 miles from Millinocket and 56 miles from Monson.
Cyr Bus Line stops in Medway, about 11 miles from Millinocket, on its daily run between the Concord Coach Lines station at 1039 Union St. in Bangor and Caribou, Maine. The bus leaves from the station across the street from the airport at 5:30 p.m. daily, and arrives in Medway at 6:40 p.m. An Appalachian Trail Hostel shuttle can pick you up in Medway.
The hostel has a daily 9 a.m. shuttle to the Medway Cyr bus stop, where you can catch the 9:30 a.m. bus to Bangor.
The shuttles are primarily for overnight guests, but non-guests can make arrangements for one.
Concord Coach Lines travels to Bangor from Boston, Massachusetts; New York City; and multiple cities and towns in Maine and New Hampshire.
Greyhound also has a bus that runs to 360 Odlin Road in Bangor from Boston and New York City. The station is about 3 miles from the airport.
Cars can be parked long-term at Abol Bridge while hiking the Wilderness, and can be parked at Shaw’s for $1 a day.
When to Hike the 100-Mile Wilderness
Mid June to early July is a good weather window for early-season hiking, though bugs can be bothersome. Summer is hot, humid, and buggy, and best avoided. September after Labor Day and early October are mostly cool, and the foliage begins turning in late September. Youth groups often overwhelm campsites in the summer. Southbound Appalachian Trail hikers typically begin their trip from Katahdin through the Wilderness in June, and northbound thru-hikers begin trickling through in July. September brings a crush of northbound thru-hikers.
100-Mile Wilderness Terrain
The trail crosses streams that need to be forded, and some of the crossings can be difficult. Some hikers carry water shoes for water crossings; others wade through with shoes on and empty out the water on the opposite shoe.
The terrain varies from soft duff to rocks that can be slippery when wet.
White Cap Mountain is the highest peak at 3,654 feet.
Logistics: Permits, Camping, Water
Permits: No permits needed for the Wilderness, but one may be needed to hike Katahdin north of the Wilderness.
This is from the Baxter State Park website:
“All backpackers who enter or exit the Park via the A.T. need a permit. In order to stay at the Birches Long Distance Hiker Campsite, hikers should have completed at least 100 miles of the A.T. contiguous to the Park immediately prior to entering the Park. In other words, they should have hiked continuously northward—without leaving the A.T.—from Monson or a point farther south.”
Camping: Shelters and hardened tentsites are abundant along the Appalachian Trail, but be wary of shelter mice that are adept at getting into food. Campfires in the Wilderness are allowed only at shelters and designated campsites. Campsites and lean-tos designated on the Maine Appalachian Trail Club maps have privies, but no bear boxes. Dispersed camping is allowed on the trail except near Nahmakanta Lake.
Water: The trail passes many streams and ponds, and it’s a good idea to filter or purify water. Most shelters and campsites have reliable water sources.
Resupply, Shuttles, and Lodging
Shaw’s Hiker Hostel, Monson: Hearty breakfast, rooms, food drops, shuttles, hiker-friendly gear and food store
The Lakeshore House, Monson: Lodging, restaurant,
100 Mile Wilderness Adventures and Outfitters, Monson: Lodging, shuttle
Appalachian Trail Hostel & Outfitters, Millinocket: Rooms, shuttles, food drops, hiker friendly gear and food store
Whitehouse Landing Camps: Not a resupply stop, but a chance to sleep in a dry bed, wash clothes, and eat a home-cooked meal. Sound the horn once at a dock and the owner will cross Pemadumcook Lake in a boat when he has time.
Know Before You Go
The 100-Mile Wilderness is as wild as it gets in New England, but it’s not totally cut off from civilization. Logging roads pass through the forest, and hunting and fishing camps dot the many lakes.
The logging roads provide access to the Wilderness so it’s possible to resupply during a thru-hike or do a section hike. As logging has declined in the Wilderness conservation groups and the state of Maine have purchased land, and 330,000 acres of the Wilderness are now conserved forests.
Cell phone coverage is spotty, with the best coverage on peaks, so it’s a good idea to carry a satellite communicator.
Should you hike north or south? Hiking north gets the hardest section out of the way first; hiking south lets you ease into the trail and save the peaks for the end. Another possibility is to section hike using a shuttle.
100-Mile Wilderness Resources
Maine Appalachian Trail Club: The Appalachian Trail Guide for Maine can be purchased online at the MATC website. Maps 1-3 cover the 100-Mile Wilderness.
Appalachian Mountain Club: The club’s Moose Point Cabin, Gorman Chairback Lodge and Cabins, Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins, and Medishwa Lodge and Cabins are near or within the Wilderness, and provide good opportunities for day hiking.
Appalachian Trail Visitor Center, Monson
FarOut: The app has a guide for the Appalachian Trail in Maine.
Appalachian Trail Hostel & Outfitters
BPR editor Hugh Owen hiked the 100-Mile Wilderness southbound in September 1975 as part of an Appalachian Trail hike through New England. BPR co-founder Maggie Slepian passed through the Wilderness at the end of her northbound AT thru-hike much later.
