Maine’s Most Intense Hike is a 3-Foot Ridge with 2,000-Foot Drops on Both Sides

Knife Edge Trail – Mount Katahdin, Maine

The scariest 1.1 miles in New England sit on top of Maine’s highest peak. Knife Edge trail crosses Mount Katahdin on a granite fin barely wider than your boots, where high winds and sheer drops make every step count.

The views are absolutely incredible. Well, if you can bring yourself to look anywhere but down.

The Scariest Part Isn’t Even the Knife

The Chimney is what’ll really make you question your life choices on Knife Edge.

Just a tenth of a mile from Pamola Peak, you’ll hit this 30-foot rock chute that forces you to scramble down into a crevice and then climb back up the other side.

The east side climb is notably worse than the west side, which is why many hikers prefer going west to east (apparently they enjoy suffering).

Winter hikers sometimes actually break out ropes here, since the whole thing turns into an ice chute with 2,000-foot drops on either side.

The Death Count Is Surprisingly High

More than 60 people have died on Mount Katahdin since 1933, with many meeting their end on Knife Edge.

In 2020 alone, two hikers died within two days of each other, including a 75-year-old journalist who fell 50 feet from the ridge.

Park stats show about 80% of rescues happen during descent – that’s when you’re tired, your legs are jelly, and you’ve let your guard down thinking the hard part’s over.

Winter Climbers Are a Different Breed Entirely

While you’re sipping hot cocoa in January, some absolute maniacs are ice climbing Knife Edge.

In 1986, a small group of climbers actually skied to Chimney Pond Hut (yes, skied), then climbed an ice route called Cilley-Barber before casually strolling across the frozen Knife Edge.

To do a winter traverse, you need special permission from Baxter State Park, proper mountaineering gear, and clearly, a loose definition of “fun.”

Those Alpine Plants Are Incredibly Delicate

They survive in basically arctic conditions at 5,000+ feet where the growing season is criminally short and the winds are brutal.

Rangers will tell you that just seven footsteps can kill alpine vegetation, and once damaged, these tiny plants need up to 100 YEARS to grow back.

That’s why the park has a strict no-pets policy on the mountain – one excited dog could wipe out plants that will still be recovering when your great-grandkids visit.

You Can Thank These Guys for Finding the Route

The first recorded climb of “Catahrdin” was by two Massachusetts surveyors in 1804.

Charles Turner Jr. was so impressed, he thought the mountain was 13,000 feet tall. The first woman recorded to summit was Elizabeth Oakes Smith in 1849, which was pretty badass for the time.

The name “Knife Edge” came later, once people realized the ridge looked exactly like a serrated blade when viewed from certain angles.

Your Phone Will Probably Work at the Summit

In the middle of nowhere Maine, surrounded by wilderness for 25+ miles in every direction, you’ll hit spots on Knife Edge where you can FaceTime your mom.

The elevation gives you clear line of sight to distant cell towers, creating this weird tech oasis in the wilderness.

Since around 2009, this has led to the bizarre sight of exhausted hikers immediately posting summit selfies and Appalachian Trail thru-hikers calling loved ones to announce they’ve finished their 2,190-mile journey.

Some people even livestream parts of their traverse.

Black Bears Are Better Hikers Than You Are

While you’re struggling up the trail, black bears occasionally climb all the way to the summit just for some berries.

Rangers have documented bears on Knife Edge in 2017 and 2021, where they were munching on blueberries, crowberries, and bilberries that grow in the alpine zone.

These summit berries are extra sweet and concentrated because of the intense sunlight up there.

Unlike the bears you might see in camping areas, the ones at the summit typically bolt when they see humans, probably embarrassed at being caught somewhere so touristy.

There’s Some Serious Cultural Clash Here

When Charles Turner’s Native American guides bailed on him in 1804 at “the cold part of the mountain,” it wasn’t just because they were tired.

It represented a fundamental clash between European colonists who saw the mountain as something to conquer and Native Americans who considered it sacred.

The Penobscot held ceremonies near the base but avoided the upper slopes, believing those who went up would vanish – and according to stories recorded in 1866, several tribe members who ignored the warnings did disappear.

Maintaining Knife Edge is a logistical nightmare

Trail crews have to carry all their equipment by hand since no mechanized tools are allowed in the wilderness areas.

Lightning regularly destroys trail markers – in 2019, they had to replace 37 markers after just one storm season.

Workers drill directly into bedrock instead of building traditional rock piles to avoid disturbing the fragile ecosystem.

Baxter State Park spends about 1,200 hours each year just on Knife Edge maintenance, making it one of the most labor-intensive trails per mile in the Northeast.

Crews have a tiny window between snowmelt and peak hiking season to fix winter damage, typically working like mad for 3-4 weeks each June.

Most Accidents Happen After the Scary Part

Here’s the twisted thing about Knife Edge accidents: most happen after people think they’re in the clear.

Park rescue data from 2005-2024 shows over 65% of incidents occur during descent, usually after crossing The Chimney.

Rangers call it “completion euphoria” – you conquer the part that looks terrifying in all the photos, relax your guard, and then slip on what seems like an easy section.

The seemingly straightforward stretch between South Peak and Baxter Peak has been the site of 11 serious falls since 2010.

It’s why rangers now focus their patrols on these “safer” sections during peak season, watching for hikers who’ve let their guard down.

People Scatter Ashes Here for a Reason

Knife Edge has become a meaningful place for people processing grief. Multiple hikers have carried small portions of loved ones’ ashes to scatter from the ridge.

Park rangers say they get about 15-20 formal requests annually for memorial hikes along the ridge.

The Weather Here Literally Splits in Half

You can stand with one foot in sunshine and one in a cloud. The ridge creates this wild microclimate where weather systems physically divide along the trail.

Hikers regularly document walking between completely different weather on either side – clear blue sky to the left, pea-soup fog to the right.

This happens when valley fog rises to meet winds at the ridgeline, creating a visible dividing line that follows the exact shape of Knife Edge.

Climbing the Knife Edge Trail

You’ll need 10-12 hours for the full traverse and some serious advance planning. Make parking reservations for Roaring Brook Campground through Baxter State Park’s system.

• Maine locals can book after April 1; out-of-staters just two weeks before their hike

• Non-resident fees: $15 entrance + $5 parking
• Best route: Helon Taylor Trail → Pamola Peak → Knife Edge → Baxter Peak → down Saddle Trail
• No hiking during storms, high winds, or rain – rangers will shut it down