A thick, cold mist wafts upslope through the gnarled balsams as I wrangle with my tent in an attempt to secure it to the platform.

Finally, with guy lines and stakes jury-rigged as best as possible, I unpack and arrange my gear inside. Sleeping bag, pad, pillow, clothes, stuff bags. But rather than crawl in out of the weather, I add another layer, fire up the stove for some hot soup, and sit on the stoop with a nip of bourbon to take stock of my surroundings.

Bigelow Col lies at 3,800 feet along the crest of the Bigelow Range, and it’s here at the junction of the Appalachian Trail and the Fire Warden’s Trail that I’ve pitched my home for the night. This is the Myron Avery Campsite, the highest official campsite in Maine. Six tent platforms, several small springs and a privy are the primitive amenities. A few hundred feet higher and less than a half-mile in either direction are the craggy tops of West Peak and Avery Peak.

The West Peak of Bigelow Mountain is a short climb from Myron Avery Campsite. Carey Kish photo

Avery Campsite takes some work getting to, but that’s a big part of the allure. I hiked in via the Fire Warden’s Trail – the most direct route – a solid 4.7 miles requiring over 2,550 feet of climbing, including a famously steep final mile of rock staircases. Summit vistas of Flagstaff Lake, Cranberry Peak, Little Bigelow, Sugarloaf, the Crockers and Mount Abraham are ample reward (if Mother Nature cooperates) for the effort, as is the rare chance to camp at high elevation.

Backcountry campsites abound in the woods and mountains of Maine, but of those, a select few sites – like Myron Avery at Bigelow Col – are considered extra special and highly coveted for their wild and wonderful locations. Here’s a look at four more out-of-the-way places that beckon you and your backpacking buddies to spend some quality time this summer.

One route to Speck Pond leads hikers through the rugged mile of Mahoosuc Notch. Carey Kish photo

SPECK POND

Speck Pond is situated at 3,430 feet between Old Speck Mountain and Mahoosuc Arm in the Mahoosuc Range. The highest water body in Maine, the pond is a mighty fine spot for a swim in high summer. On the north shore is Speck Pond Campsite, where you’ll find a large shelter and a series of tent platforms. A hike into Speck Pond means ascending 4,188-foot Old Speck via the Appalachian Trail (the summit tower is reached by an 0.3-mile side trip, a must-do), or by tackling the rough-and-tumble rock passage of Mahoosuc Notch by way of the Speck Pond Trail.

The spectacular Coastal Trail leads to five oceanfront campsites. Carey Kish photo

COASTAL TRAIL

The Coastal Trail through the Cutler Coast Public Land offers close to 5 miles of bold oceanfront hiking. Five tent sites hidden in the damp maritime spruce woods await: one each at Black Point Cove and Long Point Cove, and three along Fairy Head. After the spectacular trek in, choose any one and you’ll be in for a real treat of dark skies, salty air, pounding surf, fog horns, bell buoys and views across the channel to the dark mass of New Brunswick’s Grand Manan Island. Complete the 10-mile circuit by going out through the rich interior on the Inland Trail.

Sidney Tappan is located in a high wooded col between Gulf Hagas Mountain and West Peak in the White Cap Range. Carey Kish photo

SIDNEY TAPPAN

Sidney Tappan Campsite is a small, grassy clearing in a col at 2,430 feet between Gulf Hagas Mountain and West Peak in the White Cap Range. There’s not much to the place besides a fire pit, a log to sit on and a small spring a few hundred feet down a side trail. But here, deep in the 100-Mile Wilderness, you’ll feel pretty far “out there” when the wind blows through, the coyotes yip-yip and the barred owls speak their peace. Enjoy Katahdin views on your approach hike via the Appalachian Trail northbound. Tag 3,650-foot White Cap on your way out via the White Brook Trail.

A backpacker arrives at Davis Pond Leanto deep in the Baxter State Park wilderness. Carey Kish photo

NORTHWEST BASIN

Hemmed in by soaring mountain walls and blanketed with thick conifers, Katahdin’s Northwest Basin is one of the wildest corners in Baxter State Park. On the basin floor at 2,936 feet is the sparkling jewel of Davis Pond and the log lean-to of Davis Pond Campsite. Getting to Davis Pond is a two-day journey owing to park rules requiring hikers to stay the prior night at either Chimney Pond or Russell Pond. But snag a highly sought Davis Pond reservation and the effort, never mind the scenery and solitude, will have been supremely worthwhile.

Carey Kish of Mount Desert Island is the author of Beer Hiking New England, AMC’s Best Day Hikes Along the Maine Coast, and the AMC Maine Mountain Guide. Follow more of Carey’s adventures on Facebook and on Instagram @careykish