There is an impassable collapsed bridge near Big Spring Brook Hut located at the north section of the monument (46.0333633333, -68.7807583333). This area is impassable by foot traffic and bike.
The Loop Road and North Entrance are closed to motorized vehicles for the winter starting 11/4. These areas are accessible by foot, bike, ski, and snowshoe. Restrooms and campsites are accessible but not maintained in the off-season. Learn more below. More
Weather conditions such as rain are closely monitored by NPS employees. Heavy rain can drastically change water levels in the East Branch of the Penobscot River, among other impacts.
NPS/ Anne Longman
Katahdin Woods and Water National Monument is in a transition zone between northern boreal and southern broadleaf deciduous forests. The monument, which spans 87,563 acres in north-central Maine, includes mountains, waterbodies, and forestlands. Environmental factors (natural and human caused) have a large impact on natural resources in the monument. Natural resources can therefore show us when critical changes are happening. For example, as a result of warmer temperatures, plants are growing their first leaves and blooms of spring earlier than historically recorded. The timing of spring can impact animal behaviors, park operations, and even visitor uses. Scientific research and monitoring help us understand changes that may be occurring and to make decisions that balance the needs of recreational activities and natural resources.
Field scientists closely monitor changing conditions within the monument.
NPS/ Anne Longman
Scientific research and monitoring changes to the environment help us understand the park’s overall health and to make decisions that balance the needs of recreational activities and natural resources. Some environmental factors that the National Park Service monitors are:
Locations:Boston African American National Historic Site, Capitol Reef National Park, Glacier National Park, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, Rock Creek Park, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Parkmore »
Offices:Climate Change Response Program
Many Americans are reluctant to talk with one another about climate change. This may have a chilling effect on addressing its impacts in and outside national parks. Online information and storytelling could encourage meaningful dialogue.
Locations:Acadia National Park, Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park, Minute Man National Historical Park, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park, Weir Farm National Historical Park
Offices:Inventory and Monitoring Division
Fall foliage in the Northeastern U.S. is a spectacular natural event, bringing millions of tourists and billions of dollar to the region each autumn. But climate change threatens to permanently dullen it if immediate action is taken.
Locations:Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Offices:Inventory and Monitoring Division
A deadly new form of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHDV2) is spreading worldwide and has been found in dead rabbits and hares near Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (NPP). In 2022, the Inventory and Monitoring Division funded a survey on American pika (Ochotona princeps) in the park to better understand where pikas occur and where they might be exposed to RHDV2.
Locations:Gates Of The Arctic National Park & Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park, Noatak National Preserve
Offices:Arctic Inventory & Monitoring Network, Inventory and Monitoring Division
In the pristine Brooks Range in Arctic Alaska, streams are turning bright orange and fish are disappearing, threatening the well-being of local communities. A recent scientific paper reveals why.
Locations:Crater Lake National Park, Devils Postpile National Monument, Glacier National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Parkmore »
Offices:Greater Yellowstone Inventory & Monitoring Network, Inventory and Monitoring Division
Found mainly on public lands, whitebark pine is one of America’s most threatened and ecologically valuable tree species. A multi-agency alliance is using innovative strategies based on science to help it avoid extinction. Recent federal funding is helping.
Offices:Inventory and Monitoring Division, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, Pacific Island Inventory & Monitoring Network
The island of Maui is known for beautiful sand beaches, rich Hawaiian culture, and stunning biodiversity, but the island is at risk of losing one of its most iconic features – the native forest birds, a group of species found nowhere else on earth.
Locations:Antietam National Battlefield, Catoctin Mountain Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Manassas National Battlefield Park, Monocacy National Battlefield, National Capital Parks-East, Prince William Forest Park, Rock Creek Park, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Artsmore »
Offices:Eastern Rivers and Mountains Inventory & Monitoring Network, Inventory and Monitoring Division, Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network, National Capital Inventory & Monitoring Network, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, Northeast Coastal and Barrier Inventory & Monitoring Network, Northeast Temperate Inventory & Monitoring Networkmore »
As part of the ongoing conversation about managing resilient forests, short briefs on the resilience and regeneration status of each NCR park are now available. These summaries are based on 12 years of NPS forest vegetation monitoring data.
Locations:Acadia National Park, Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, Antietam National Battlefield, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, Bluestone National Scenic River, Booker T Washington National Monument, Catoctin Mountain Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Colonial National Historical Park, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, Friendship Hill National Historic Site, Gauley River National Recreation Area, George Washington Memorial Parkway, George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Gettysburg National Military Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Home Of Franklin D Roosevelt National Historic Site, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Johnstown Flood National Memorial, Manassas National Battlefield Park, Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park, Minute Man National Historical Park, Monocacy National Battlefield, Morristown National Historical Park, National Capital Parks-East, New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, Petersburg National Battlefield, Prince William Forest Park, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Rock Creek Park, Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park, Saratoga National Historical Park, Thomas Stone National Historic Site, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, Weir Farm National Historical Park, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Artsmore »
Offices:Inventory and Monitoring Division
NPS Inventory and Monitoring Networks have been tracking forest health in eastern national parks since 2006. This monitoring information can guide resilient forest management and support parks in adapting to changing conditions through the actions described below.
Locations:Antietam National Battlefield, Catoctin Mountain Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Colonial National Historical Park, Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, Flight 93 National Memorial, Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, Friendship Hill National Historic Site, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Gettysburg National Military Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Home Of Franklin D Roosevelt National Historic Site, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Manassas National Battlefield Park, Minute Man National Historical Park, Monocacy National Battlefield, Morristown National Historical Park, National Capital Parks-East, Prince William Forest Park, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Rock Creek Park, Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, Saratoga National Historical Park, Thomas Stone National Historic Site, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Weir Farm National Historical Park, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Artsmore »
Offices:Eastern Rivers and Mountains Inventory & Monitoring Network, Inventory and Monitoring Division, Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network, National Capital Inventory & Monitoring Network, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, Northeast Coastal and Barrier Inventory & Monitoring Network, Northeast Temperate Inventory & Monitoring Networkmore »
A healthy forest needs to have enough tree seedlings and saplings to regenerate the forest canopy after a disturbance. Analysis of NPS I&M and other long-term datasets makes it clear that many eastern national parks lack adequate tree regeneration due to decades of over browsing by white-tailed deer.
207-456-6001
Staff are generally available to answer the phone between 8 am and 4:30 pm Monday-Friday. If you reach the voicemail, please leave a message and someone will return your call as soon as possible. Messages are checked in the morning on weekends and intermittently throughout the day when staff are available.
