In the Penobscot Indian language, Katahdin means “the greatest mountain,” and it would be hard to find a natural feature more accurately named. The great peak lords over the surrounding countryside for miles around, visible as far away as Moosehead Lake to the west and the Canadian border to the east—more than 50 miles in either direction.

Not only is the mountain Maine’s highest, but its size is also augmented by its unusual shape, long and lean with four natural bowls scooped out of the granite by glaciers. In fact, “Katahdin” is actually the name of a massif with several peaks along the ridges. At 5,267 feet, Baxter Peak is the highest, both in the park and in Maine.

As soon as the snow thaws in April, thousands of intrepid souls raid its slopes to bag the peak on the beginning of their trip down the Appalachian Trail to Sringer Mountain in Georgia, more than 2,000 miles away. Not that the hike is easy. For sheer difficulty, Katahdin is one of the toughest climbs in New England, especially up the steep ridge between Baxter and Chimney Peaks known as the Knife’s Edge. As the name implies, that trail skirts the top of a narrow ridge sometimes only two feet wide, with almost vertical sides careening down hundreds of feet on either side. It’s not a trail to be attempted on windy or rainy days.

Several other trails, including the Arbol and Hunt Trails, offer only slightly less challenging routes to the summit. Check in at the Baxter State Park Authority Headquarters (64 Balsam Dr., Millinocket, 207/723-5140, www.baxterstateparkauthority.com) on the way to the park’s southern entrance for trail maps and information on conditions. Whatever route you take, leave as early as possible—the round trip can take more than nine hours.