Iconic Trail on Maine Mountain One of the Most Difficult in US

Baxter State Park is one of Maine's most cherished spots. Its vastness and beauty is unrivaled. Yet it might be known best as the location of Maine's most difficult and dangerous treks.

The Pine Tree State's largest state park was recently cited by the website Curated for one of its amazing mountain hikes. Baxter's Knife Edge Trail got the nod as being one of the most difficult trails in the entire country.

It's no surprise to see the high ranking for this challenging hike. Not only is the trail beautiful, but it's also unique. It has numerous features, narrow sections, gnarly exposure, fickle weather patterns, and panoramic views that are true Maine perfection.

Located on Mount Katahdin, this 1.1-mile trail takes you from the summit to South Peak, then connects with Dudley Trail. The reference site alltrails.com lists the trail's difficulty as "hard." Yet even with its challenging and deadly reputation, the trail has a score rating of 4.5 out of 5. It features views of Maine's favorite state park and beyond from some of the highest elevation in the state.

Don't just take my word for it. Here's a little from Curated on why Knife Edge made the list.

The Katahdin’s Knife Edge Trail near Northeast Piscataquis, Maine, is 1.1 miles and has great views of Baxter State Park’s forests and ponds, so be sure to look down when you get to the peak. The granite is beautiful to see and is a worthy addition to anyone’s bucket list.

This trail is not for the faint of heart. Amazingly, I actually had the courage to take this on at a much younger age. Now that I'm in my middle-aged years, I want nothing to do with it. But there is no question that it's worth doing if you have the nerve. It's one epic ride.

There are some seriously great hikes on this list. You can check them all out here.