AUGUSTA (AP) – The Appalachian Mountain Club on Tuesday announced its largest land purchase ever, a 37,000-acre parcel in the middle of Maine known as the Katahdin Iron Works tract.

The 127-year-old outdoors organization paid International Paper Co. $14.2 million for the land and plans to seek private donations and grants from federal and state conservation programs to pay off a loan for the purchase.

The land, which includes some of Maine’s most spectacular vistas, is located between Monson and Baxter State Park, east of Greenville, along what’s known as the 100-mile Wilderness.

It includes such natural features such as the West Branch of the Pleasant River, which feeds the Gulf Hagas Gorge; a wetland complex of more than 1,000 acres and the three largest peaks between Mounts Bigelow and Katahdin.

The tract is also known for its scenery in the Barren-Chairback range. The tract is traversed by 10 miles of the Appalachian Trail and the transaction ensures public access to the area.

Located within the tract are the Lyford Pond Camps, which are close to the Appalachian Trail and provide AMC members and nonmembers with backcountry recreation such as skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, fishing and canoeing.

“Our emphasis will be on non-motorized activities and on providing learning opportunities for the public,” said AMC Deputy Director Walter Graff, who called the camps “a truly magical place.”

The purchase marks the first major step in the AMC’s Maine Woods Initiative, which combines interests of conservation, recreation and sustainable forestry in the state’s wilderness region.