South Branch Falls & South Branch Mountain Trails (Baxter State Park, ME)

I genuinely cannot believe it is November. There are so many trips I want to tell you about, so many stories to share... and somehow they are already months ago!

In August, we went on our epic trip to Maine. Our favourite part of the whole trip was Baxter State Park. It is a beautiful, quiet, comfortable place to stay—unscathed by tourists and the paved roads, selfie sticks, and waste receptacles that they require. It was, for us, a dream destination for a road trip: car camping so we did not have to haul expedition packs with us for 2,000 kms, hiking trails aplenty ranging from easy to arduous, and incredible beauty! We could have spent a whole week in Baxter and still left with a list of trails to explore.

While at Baxter, we mostly visited the northern (and less popular) part of the park. Below are two of the hikes we did in that area.

South Branch Falls

South Branch Falls (map here) was exactly what we needed when we arrived to the park. After a long day in the car, we hopped out and set off on a beautiful kilometer-long trail to put our feet in the rushing water of the falls. We signed the trail register and off we went! 

Baxter, like many parks, requires you to sign into their trails
to help locate hikers should they go missing.

The trail is a sea of green followed by an exposed ridge but with little elevation change. Once near the falls, you can observe from up on the ridge or descend to the falls (recommended). 

Our 4-year-old hiking up the ridge!

Victory! We could have sat there for hours. 

South Branch Mountain

South Branch Mountain (map) was a much more ambitious hike with a 4-year-old. With an elevation gain of appx. 2,175 feet over a fairly short distance, we pushed ourselves to help our kiddo climb her first "mountain" (peak: 2,600 feet). 

This hike begins with a river crossing then quickly enters a wooded area where the trail follows a meandering brook before quickly beginning to climb. It is a difficult trail not to be attempted with kids without experience. We gave ourselves a full day knowing that we would be slower with a wee one. We were right! We got off the trail just in time for supper and completely soaked in the midst of a complete downpour that lasted well into the night.

We took fewer photos on this trail. Here is a hint as to why.
We pretended this was a castle, which made climbing it fun!

Despite the trail's difficulty, our daughter loved it. She was euphoric when we reached the top, and I was so proud of our accomplishment that I welled up. The climb back down was extremely tricky with a wee one, and once the trail leveled out again, we opted for babywearing both to hike faster and because kiddo was completely exhausted.

Yes, at 4.5 years old and 40lbs, she still fit in our mei tai.
Best $90 I spent as a parent! 

This was our most intense hike of the trip, and we cannot wait to return to Baxter over the years to hike more of the peaks with our kiddo. Before we know it, she will be climbing Katahdin with us! 


General Notes about Baxter State Park

• No running water or flush toilets. Bring your own drinking water. Cleanest outhouses I have ever used.
• Waterproof maps are available for purchase at the park entrances. (Price was $11 in 2015.)
• It takes over 1.5 hours to get from one end of the park to the other.
• There are park permit fees.
• This park has a really committed group of rangers who will want to know about your plans and make sure that you know their expectations of you as a camper. 

[Review] Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe children's book

Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe by Vera B. Williams is an incredible children's book that we found at the Public Library! I was shocked that I had never heard of such a great story for children of outdoor enthusiasts! It is a 32-page story that shares all the details of a canoe trip through the eyes of a child. It is described as:

Follow[ing] the red canoe from page to page as it journeys down river carrying the family on a camping tour. It's the next best thing to paddling it yourself.

There are many things to love about this book! Its illustrations have a unique hand-drawn look to match the book's style of being a child's journal, yet they are beautifully realistic! It includes some fun bonuses such as camping recipes and diagrams for how to tie various knots. But what I love most of all about this story is the detail Williams delves into regarding the uncertainty and surprise involved in canoe tripping; the beauty found out on a river; and the decision making, trip planning, and confidence/perseverance needed while navigating a river in a canoe. 

For many folks who are die-hard outdoor enthusiasts, it can be hard to find books that tell the stories of the adventures we take with our children, but Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe is so adventurous and realistic that you will almost feel like you are reading your own travel journal! It is a great read for the winter when we long for the canoeing days of summer!

The Hike with All the Bridges: Ward Falls, Parrsboro, NS

We loved this hike! Ward Falls is located approximately 8 km from Parrsboro on private land that belongs to a lumber company, C. Ernest Harrison & Sons Ltd., which they have maintained for public recreational use. The trailhead is found in the fair-sized parking area found at the end of a dirt driveway. There are informational signs about the hike, but they have not been well maintained. This is something that I enjoyed about the trail but about which I should warn those who may like a more well-kept trail. The trail was maintained well enough to be safe, however I would still advise taking caution when crossing any of the man-made structures such as bridges. We checked each step for rot before proceeding.

The only structure we came across that was not intact.

This hike is only 7 km return, but it is a very enjoyable 7 km! The trail has very little elevation and LOTS OF BRIDGES! The trail follows what looks like a creek but is actually a small river called North Branch Diligent River all the way to the falls. The trail was built very opportunistically so that instead of cutting trees to clear a thicket on the banks to pass through, they have instead used a series of bridges so that you almost hop back and forth over the river. We counted a total of 19 bridges and a handful of planks/boardwalks! It is also nearly impossible to get lost; there is essentially no navigating required, and you hike against the current on the way in and with the current when exiting the trail.

Just before the waterfalls there are outhouses. A little further on are the falls, greeting you with the sound of rushing water. As you stand beneath the falls rushing over a large rock face on the Cobequid-Chedabucto Fault, there is a final bridge leading you to a steep climb up the bank on the left to get closer to the falls. My husband and I each took a turn and did this though we did not take our toddler up the steep bank. She was fully amused staring in awe at the falls without crossing. If you go when it's warm, you can even wade over to a ladder and climb up to a cave behind the falls!

The photos really don't do it justice. It was so peaceful. 

This hike is really simple with very beautiful views and highly recommended to anyone, especially families hiking with kiddos!

Excellent trail for kids! Easy enough while still being backcountry and exciting. 

My girl loving the waterfall. 

*Videos of this trail here and here! 

*How to transport wee ones on this trail? Wear them. Not a stroller-friendly trail.

*Cautionary notes: Be bear aware. We did see bear scat and a print while visiting in the fall. Also give caution to rotting bridges.