A group of campers from Quebec, Canada, pack up their sleeping gear after spending a night on a ledge on Tumbledown Mountain in 2017, near Weld, Maine. Mount Blue, a 3,192-foot peak, stands in the distance. Robert F. Bukaty/AP
State park officials are closing Tumbledown Mountain to informal camping, saying that overnight partiers have been trashing the popular 3,000-foot peak in western Maine, according to a report at MainePublic.com.
Bill Patterson, deputy director of the state Bureau of Parks and Lands says although there are no designated campsites there, there is a long history of informal camping. That accelerated during the pandemic and now, he says, it’s gotten out of hand.
“There are clubs or just groups of friends that go up and use and leave it in good condition. But on almost any weekend there’s a noticeable group with loud music, big coolers of beer and large fires. You’ve made a hard climb with your family to enjoy a beautiful view and imagine finding that setting at the top,” Patterson says.
Not to mention improperly buried human waste.
