Five Great Family Escapes

By Stephen Jermanok

There’s a Moose Loose: Your neighbor in the Maine wilderness (Corbis)

The northernmost stretch of the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail snakes through some of the least developed forest in the country. From the small town of Monson in the south to the pinnacle of 5,268-foot Mount Katahdin at trail's end, you'll hike through a blanket of spruces and firs,

The Inside Track

Join our expert as he maps out five sanity-saving strategies for getting you into the woods as one big happy family.

skirting swimming holes and climbing numerous mountains. On any given day, you can spot up to 20 moose. The best time to take the hike is mid- to late August when the bugs are gone, the days are warm, and the nights are cool but not chilly.

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