Find the top rated hiking trails in Maine, whether you're looking for an easy short hiking trail or a long hiking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a hiking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Last weekend we did this so-called shared trail (bikes, hikers, horses, 4 wheelers). Unless you like to inhale the whiff of gasoline from ATVs and the din of their engines, avoid this trail like the plague. We had the bad idea of ¿¿doing this trail back and forth...I believe we must have passed at least 60 ATVs. If some drivers showed civility, by slowing down when they passed us, the majority demonstrated that the words civility and courtesy are not even part of their vocabulary. They make it clear to you that you are not welcome on THEIR path. The majority pass by you without slowing down and I do not recommend this trail for families with young children for obvious reasons. In addition, it is a very rocky trail that requires at least a hybrid bike with good tires, or even a mountain bike.
I'm trying to find a positive to this trail but even trying to be objective I can't find one. There are no infractrustures (no picnic tables, no toilets, nothing). I imagine my review is going to be deleted as it probably won't appeal to everyone but until then hopefully it helps other people not to waste their time on this tasteless trail.
Twas a lovely way to start the day, walking above & beside the river with the dogs. Very accessible hard packed stone dust path & fairly smooth bridges. Highly recommend for those visiting Belfast.
Parked at the Windham Post office and followed the train tracks about 5 miles. Paved trail follows the tracks on the segment I rode on. Part of the trail was still blocked by snow and impassable by bike. Looking forward to riding much further when the snow is gone! Trail goes through woods, past farms and fields and leads to a dam. There’s a small farm called Orchard Ridge along the trail to get drinks and snacks. Lots of quiet neighborhoods to ride around in as well.
This is a difficult trail to assign a star rating to as parts of it are great and parts are not. It’s listed as a 29 mile trail but in reality it is split into 5 sections with 2 sections being on busy roads. I’ll break it down by section starting at the southern end in Kennebunk. I. 6-mile off-road section from Kennebunk to Biddeford - 5 stars. This is a great section featuring a well-maintained hard packed dirt trail through the woods. II. 5 mile on-road section through Biddeford and Saco - 2 stars. The first couple of miles are okay as you can ride on a sidewalk and residential streets. If you just do the first couple of miles combined with the first 6 mile off road section, it’s a nice 16 mile round trip. The issue is the next 2.5 miles is on busy roads through the congested areas of Biddeford and Saco. III. 7 mile off-road section from Saco to Scarborough - 5 stars. I’ve been on dozens of trails throughout the Northeast and this is one of my favorites. The trail is hard packed and is in great condition and features a stretch through the scenic Scarborough marsh. IV. 4 mile on-road section from Scarborough to South Portland - 1 star. The first half mile is fine as it’s on a lightly traveled road. But after that, it’s 3+ miles on busy roads that are narrow in spots. I’ve only been on the stretch once and several times a car came with a couple of feet of me - no interest in doing this section again. V. 6 mile off-road section in South Portland - 3 stars. It’s certainly better than riding the streets of Portland or South Portland. But there’s just nothing special about - nothing too scenic until you hit the very end, the trail is in decent, not great, shape, and it’s not well marked. But the biggest negative is the number of times the path crosses busy streets - I’ve never been on another trail with so many busy street crossings over a short stretch. So, the star rating of the trail depends on what you are looking for. If you’re looking to do a round trip of around 15 miles or less, there are two sections that are great - Kennebunk to Biddeford and Saco to Scarborough. If you’re looking to do more than that, you’ll have to deal with at least a few miles of busy streets.
Even with a mountain bike, the trail was simply unridable in parts due to the sand. I started about a mile or two north of the southern end and rode north. The first three or four miles were doable but after that, it wasn’t rideable and I had to turn around. Perhaps the trail is rideable based on the time of the year, and maybe the northern section is better. But the southern end wasn’t worth the trip.
There’s a lot to like about this trail: •easy ride and it has some hills and curves to make it interesting •scenic •easy parking •well marked •well maintained with a few bumps But there are a few negatives with the major one being the gap in Hallowell. For roughly 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile, the gap in the trail requires one to ride on busy Water St through the downtown area. It’s certainly not the worst road to ride on, but traffic can be heavy and you need to watch for car doors opening. The trail is also very narrow in spots making it difficult to pass through. But overall a nice trail that is worth a visit.
My wife and rode 10 miles through Biddeford to the Scarborough Marsh and back. We felt the town part was pretty well marked but you need to pay attention as you transition from sidewalks, to streets, to crosswalks, etc. Once you navigate that part of the trail it lines out straight north to the marsh. This section is a very pleasant and wide part with several road crossings. The roads aren't especially busy and gives access to businesses and a change in route if desired. Even if the town section isn't the most desirable it is nice to be able to jump on a trail right in town. Well worth the effort to ride this section of trail.
Beautiful trail! Met a fellow bicycle rider from New Jersey who helped encourage me through the rain!
We began the trail at Miller's Park also known as the Papermill Trail. Nice and easy, great asphalt path
I’ve ridden Kennebunk to Biddeford a couple of times in the past week (late Sept), the trail is well maintained and marked. The few vehicle crossings have cross walks and signage for drivers. This is a beautiful trail that I would highly recommend, looking forward to riding all the way to South Portland!
We parked at the Windham PO and rode along the tracks until we got to Rt-35, did a bit of exploring at the Otter Ponds, then came back. It was a sweet ride: no bugs, great Sharon weather—we were a little disappointed that we couldn’t go directly to the Lake, but I see now we could have gone left and gotten to the water…. Next time. We stopped at the Orchard Ridge Farm and had a delicious cider donut at the intersection with Sebago Lakes Rd. ~10
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