Doubletop Mountain (right) and others across Kidney Pond in Baxter State Park (2004)
Kidney Pond (2004)
Kidney Pond (2004)
Kidney Pond in Baxter State Park is a 95-acre lake, 33 feet at its deepest. Most of the campground’s cabins line the northwest shoreline. Cooking must be done outside the cabins with Coleman-style stoves on the porch, on picnic tables, or on outdoor fireplaces. All cabins may use the community fireplace located in the lawn area. Fire wood is available. Canoes may be rented for a small fee.
Irving O. Hunt and his brother Lyman began building camps near the pond in 1899. They were grandsons of William H. Hunt who built the well known Hunt Farm along the East Branch of the Penobscot River in the 1830s. Irving and Lyman had worked as guides and trappers in the 1880s. Their camps attracted “sports” with an interest in fishing and hunting. When their guests began asking about climbing Katahdin, the Hunts developed a trail to the summit in 1900.
The camps were operated under a series of leases before the Park gained full control in 1987. By then the campground, now part of Baxter State Park, had fallen into disrepair. Differences over how to renovate the area in keeping with Percival Baxter’s vision delayed action for several years. The results of the final decision are reflected in the current configuration.
Nearby Daicey Pond Campground, about a half-mile southeast by a hiking trail, offers similar facilities. Other Park campgrounds.
Additional resources
Baxter State Park. “Kidney Pond Campground.” http://www.katahdinoutdoors.com/bsp/kidney.html (accessed March 18, 2018)
Neff, John W. Katahdin: An Historic Journey. Boston. Appalachian Mountain Club Books. 2006.