The Whitecap Highlands Forest

Why This Project Matters

Once privately owned and closed to the public, the Whitecap Highlands Forest will be reopened for outdoor recreation—including hiking, hunting, and fishing—restoring access to a remarkable landscape in Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness. Planned trail connections between Gulf Hagas and the Whitecap ridgeline will strengthen regional trail networks and expand opportunities to explore this iconic region.

The forest also plays a critical role in protecting cold-water ecosystems. Its streams and tributaries provide essential habitat for Atlantic salmon and native brook trout. Conservation and restoration work will reopen or improve nearly 70 miles of stream habitat within the Pleasant River system—a vital tributary of the Penobscot River and one of the region’s most important watersheds.

Higher-elevation terrain, heritage ponds, and intact forest habitat make this landscape increasingly important for climate resiliency.

This effort continues AMC’s long-standing conservation work in Maine’s North Woods, where more than 130,000 acres have been protected over the past two decades through careful stewardship and public access.