TrailLink :: Whistle Stop Rail-Trail

Whistle Stop Rail-Trail:
Maine

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Description:

The Whistle Stop is a textbook example of how diverse groups can work together to maintain and promote a trail. Developed as a route for snowmobilers and off-roaders, the route also appeals to hikers and mountain bikers. It's no wonder. The 13-mile corridor spans the range of environments Maine's Western Mountain region has to offer. Never far from small community centers, the trail meanders through residential areas, then plunges back into wetland wilderness and beaver habitat. The trail's sandy, sometimes rutted surface and trailside pine and mixed deciduous forest demand your attention. While the trail is accessible from numerous points in Jay, Wilton, and Farmington, Farmington offers the best trailhead parking. Just south of the trailhead is another inviting feature-a warming hut that centers on a wood-burning stove stocked with a ready supply of split wood. Sponsored by Franklin Memorial Hospital, the yurt also offers instructional signs for fitness exercises. Signs direct trail users down a quarter-mile side trail to the health center's restrooms and café. Farther along the Whistle Stop, you'll cross several bridges redecked by area snowmobile and ATV clubs. These span scenic Sevenmile Stream, part of the massive Androscoggin watershed. North of Jay, a large, granite-block embankment marks the site of the old North Jay Quarry. The Maine and New Hampshire Granite Corporation operated along the railbed from 1886 until the early 1900s. Crews would cut and haul large blocks of white granite along a rail siding to a cutting shed, where the blocks were further shaped and sculpted for use in buildings across the country. Interpretive signs tell the story and include historical photographs of the quarry. A mile shy of the trail's end in Jay, you'll reach a large dirt parking lot at the intersection with Maine Interconnected Trail System 84.

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Parking & Trail Access:

To reach the Farmington trailhead, head into town on US Hwy. 2 and take Bridge Street to the four-way stop. Turn left here on Oaks Street, then turn right on Farmer Lane to the trailhead parking area. Trailhead parking in Jay lies just off the southeast side of State Route 4/17.

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Reviews:

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Part of the Trail is OK for bikes

By Tony Barrett on February 14, 2007

"The northern third of this trail, between Wilton & Farmington has an improved surface, which is hard-packed and suitable for hybrid or Mountain bikes."

Not a good trail for bikes

By John Alfano on January 24, 2007

This trail should be resurfaced with material suitable for bikes. I tried the trail on a mountain bike and found it not enjoyable. My tires sank into the sand constantly making it almost impossible to ride.

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Trail Facts

Trail End Points: Jay to Farmington
Counties: Franklin
Trail Length: 13 miles
Trail Category: Rail-Trail
Trail Surfaces: Crushed Stone, Dirt, Sand
Trail Activities: Walk, Horseback, Snowmobile, Cross Country Ski, Mountain Bicycle