In 1930, former Maine governor Percival P. Baxter bought 5,960 acres around Mount Katahdin, beginning a 32‑year private acquisition that would eventually cover over 200,000 acres.\n
\nBaxter had already tried to create a state park through the legislature in the 1920s, but timber interests and political opposition blocked his bills. After leaving office in 1925, he abandoned the political route and turned to the private sector, negotiating directly with timber companies, paper mills and individual landowners.\n
\nBy 1962, he had transferred 201,018 acres to the state, and his deeds included 28 trust agreements that locked the land into a permanent wilderness status. The trust deeds prohibited industrial development, paved roads and certain recreational uses, keeping the park outside the standard state park system.\n
\nThe park is governed by a three‑member authority composed of the Maine attorney general, the director of the Maine Forest Service and the commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, according to Baxter State Park Authority records.\n
\nFrom 1955 to 1962, Baxter also set aside 28,000 acres in the park’s northern reaches for a Scientific Forest Management Area, allowing selective logging under strict guidelines. The revenue from this harvest is earmarked to fund park operations and is outlined in the 2025 forest management plan. A local ranger notes that the trust ensures future generations can experience Katahdin unaltered.\n
\nToday the park spans 209,644 acres, includes over 40 peaks and the Baxter Peak of Mount Katahdin, and remains a popular yet strictly regulated destination for hikers and nature lovers. The next scheduled event is the release of the 2025 forest management plan, which will detail projected timber revenue and conservation measures.