MILLINOCKET, Maine — The highly anticipated total solar eclipse will pass through Maine's Katahdin region on April 8, but you should plan to watch this rare event in this area very carefully.
The path of totality will directly pass over Millinocket, Patten, and several other communities in the Katahdin region. At the same time, however, mud season will be in full swing—especially in Baxter State Park.
And while thousands of people from here and from away are expected to set themselves up for the best views of totality as it cuts across northern Maine, Baxter State Park asks visitors to look elsewhere.
The park says unideal ground conditions are expected during the eclipse.
"Early April is mud season in the Maine woods – one of the few times of year that you truly 'can’t get there from here', as the Maine saying goes," the state park said on Facebook. "Baxter State Park is closed to most uses during April. The weather and conditions on the ground are impossible to predict, and this year is no exception."
Baxter State Park added that in early April, there is still deep snow or deeper mud that can impair travel, leaving roads covered in snow and ice. Some roads also remain as snowmobile trails this time of year—ones that have no wheeled vehicular access.
"Streams and rivers are often flooded with snowmelt and impossible to cross," the post stated. "If ice is still on the lakes and ponds, it is thinning and becomes unreliable as a travel surface."
In early April, much of Katahdin is also still covered in snow and can have drifts with more than 20 feet deep snow in places, the state park said.
Baxter State Park said that each spring, motorists either get stuck in mud or go off the road because of ice while trying to drive to Togue Pond Gate. Sometimes a tow truck is not an option, and vehicles remain stuck until the road reopens.
Trekking through the popular Maine state park too early can also harm local vegetation.
"On the mountain, even in late March, day climbers often experience firm footing on their way up, but very unstable and risky footing by the time they descend," the post explained. "Above treeline, their footsteps through slush and onto the alpine vegetation can crush or uproot and kill plants, leaving bare areas that may take decades to revegetate."
The state park explained that due to all these reasons combined, all trails on Katahdin and all roads in the entire state park will be closed in April. Camping will also be closed that month.
"Even in areas where access is not explicitly prohibited, attempting to hike, drive, or camp off the beaten path at this time of year is unwise," the Facebook post stated. "It can cause severe damage to our roads, trails, and ecosystems, and to those of our neighboring landowners, who make access to Baxter possible through their lands. These annual seasonal closures are also important safety measures that should not be ignored, even for a special occurrence like a full solar eclipse."
This doesn't mean watching the total solar eclipse in the Katahdin region isn't possible, but it calls for more careful planning to ensure everyone's safety while experiencing such a rare and breathtaking event.
With a little research and planning ahead, there are still plenty of places in the Katahdin region safely available for viewing!