BAXTER STATE PARK (AP) — Officials with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the National Park Service say they will work to address bad behavior by long distance hikers that have caused tensions at Maine’s Baxter State Park.
The park is home to the 2,190-mile trail’s final summit on Mount Katahdin. Officials say a growing number of thru-hikers have been flouting park rules by openly using drugs and drinking alcohol and camping where they aren’t supposed to. An ultramarathoner who set the speed record for completing paid a $500 fine last month over his celebration atop Katahdin.
Trail representatives visited Maine Friday to discuss the problems.
The Portland Press Herald reports that members of Baxter’s governing board asked for concrete steps before next spring’s hiking season to protect the wilderness of the area.
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