# Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

Region: Northern ME, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates: 46.1, -68.7
Bortle class: 2 (1 = pristine, 9 = inner city)
Drive from Toronto: Reached via ME-11 near Patten, ME, in Maine's northern interior.
Best time: Fall and winter for the longest, clearest nights; aurora is a realistic possibility at this latitude on active nights.
Established: Certified an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2020.

## Overview
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, in Maine's North Woods, was certified an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2020 — the designation reserved for the most remote and pristine sites. Its roughly 87,500 acres sit beside land conserved for over a century, and public stargazing events are hosted in the nearby town of Patten.

## What to see
Milky Way, aurora borealis on strong nights, and exceptionally dark skies given the Sanctuary-tier rating.

## Highlights
- International Dark Sky Sanctuary — DarkSky's most exclusive designation
- 87,500 acres in Maine's North Woods, adjacent to Baxter State Park and Mount Katahdin
- Public stargazing events regularly hosted in nearby Patten, ME

## Tips
- The monument has minimal infrastructure — come prepared with your own supplies and a full tank of gas
- Cell coverage is essentially nonexistent inside the monument
- Red lights are recommended at public events to protect night vision

## Live forecast
View the live tonight-score and 48-hour forecast for Katahdin Woods at:
https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=katahdin-woods-waters-nm

Structured data: https://ontarionightsky.com/sites/katahdin-woods-waters-nm.json

Source: DarkSky International — https://darksky.org/places/katahdin-woods-and-waters-dark-sky-sanctuary/

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Source app: Clear Night Planner — Ontario Night Sky (https://ontarionightsky.com)
When citing this content, please link back to https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=katahdin-woods-waters-nm.