Find the top rated trails in Bar Harbor, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The Penobscot River Walkway runs for just 0.5 mile through Bangor's scenic Waterfront Park between Union Street and the intersection of Railroad and Front streets. The trail hugs the riverbank and...
The Ellsworth Rail-Trail runs just over 1 mile between North Street (SR 179) north of town to Birch Avenue in Ellworth. Alongside the path runs an active line on which Downeast Scenic Railways offers...
The University of Maine Bicycle Path is a valuable link for non-motorized transportation, connecting campus with Old Town. Much of the trail passes through a scenic wooded corridor, following the path...
Old Pond Railway Trail begins in the town of Hancock, about 25 miles north of Maine’s famed Acadia National Park. The beautiful hiking trail winds through forests and wetlands for nearly three miles....
The Belfast Rail Trail on the Passagassawaukeag begins in downtown Belfast, a community at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River on the central coastline of Maine. From there, the crushed-stone,...
The University of Maine Bicycle Path is a valuable link for non-motorized transportation, connecting campus with Old Town. Much of the trail passes through a scenic wooded corridor, following the path...
The Down East Sunrise Trail is an 87-mile multi-use corridor connecting Ellsworth to Ayers Junction in eastern Maine. The trail is designed to accommodate hiking, thick-tire bicycles, ATVs, horses,...
The Stillwater River Trail hugs the west bank of its namesake river through Orono, between Bennoch Road in the north (near the cemetery) and Main Street at the southern end. The trail passes through a...
The Ellsworth Rail-Trail runs just over 1 mile between North Street (SR 179) north of town to Birch Avenue in Ellworth. Alongside the path runs an active line on which Downeast Scenic Railways offers...
The Penobscot River Walkway runs for just 0.5 mile through Bangor's scenic Waterfront Park between Union Street and the intersection of Railroad and Front streets. The trail hugs the riverbank and...
The Belfast Rail Trail on the Passagassawaukeag begins in downtown Belfast, a community at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River on the central coastline of Maine. From there, the crushed-stone,...
The Stillwater River Trail hugs the west bank of its namesake river through Orono, between Bennoch Road in the north (near the cemetery) and Main Street at the southern end. The trail passes through a...
The Down East Sunrise Trail is an 87-mile multi-use corridor connecting Ellsworth to Ayers Junction in eastern Maine. The trail is designed to accommodate hiking, thick-tire bicycles, ATVs, horses,...
The Penobscot River Walkway runs for just 0.5 mile through Bangor's scenic Waterfront Park between Union Street and the intersection of Railroad and Front streets. The trail hugs the riverbank and...
The Ellsworth Rail-Trail runs just over 1 mile between North Street (SR 179) north of town to Birch Avenue in Ellworth. Alongside the path runs an active line on which Downeast Scenic Railways offers...
Old Pond Railway Trail begins in the town of Hancock, about 25 miles north of Maine’s famed Acadia National Park. The beautiful hiking trail winds through forests and wetlands for nearly three miles....
The University of Maine Bicycle Path is a valuable link for non-motorized transportation, connecting campus with Old Town. Much of the trail passes through a scenic wooded corridor, following the path...
We were excited to accept the challenge of the 85 mile rail-trail. We bicycled from Ellsworth to Columbia Falls in 8-10 mile chunks parking at different entry points along the way, making a 16-20 mile ride round trip each time. Every time we rode we encountered an abundance of ATVer's who dusted us out each time we passed each other, and since they were approaching us at rather high speeds, we stopped and got off of the trail each time. We did the majority of our rides mid-week hoping to avoid a lot of ATV traffic but also tried riding on the weekends, same story. The scenery in many of the areas was very nice but on our final ride there was deep, loose gravel and we sadly abandoned the challenge to ride the entire trail. From research after we threw in the towel, it appears that the ATV folk have financed a large part of this trail and are enjoying it thoroughly. In my opinion, I don't think that the ATV/Bicycle mix is a good fit.
The sunrise trail is great. It would be a lot better if the groomer didn't wait 2 or 3 days after it snowed. Considering we only get to ride locally a few times a winter. My thought is more people would donate or join clubs if trails where groomed more than once a week. That's just my 2 cents. The scenics are like no other.
The trail is beautifully groomed and hugs the Passagassawakeag river for over 2 miles. We started at the north end (13 Oak Hill Road) of the trail by the rail yard. The parking lot was packed when we got there as the excursion train was getting ready to leave. They have rides Saturdays and Sundays at 1 PM. The trains travel north from the parking lot and the trail goes south. The trail surface is perfect for walking and biking. It is treelined and has many small bridges that carry you over creeks. It took us 45 minutes of walking to get to the southern end at the intersection of Pierce St. and Front St. in Belfast. There is now a trailhead with a small parking lot at the southern end (not listed in the description). The trail connects there to the Belfast Harbor Walk which is an awesome urban trail through Belfast harbor and Front Street shipyard with a long pedestrian bridge across the Passagassawakeag.
Was looking for a new "Rail" trail. Pulled into the parking area in Ellsworth, about 40 trucks with trailers. Very dusty with all the ATV traffic. I guess it is called the Sunrise Trail and not the Sunrise "Rail" trail. Everyone needs a place to ride so leave this one to the motorized vehicles and find a Bicycle trail.
I rode from Ellsworth out 20 miles and back yesterday and it was a pleasure! I have a fairly new mountain bike and my only regret was that I did not put knobby tires on it because the loose gravel and sand sometimes posed a challenge. However, for the most part with my 2.0 inch wide slick tires, I had no problem gaining purchase on the surface (it probably helped that the conditions were very dry).
I found the ATV riders to be courteous and they slowed to pass. There were not very many and I was alone for long stretches in the Maine wild. The scenery is excellent, although at times the bogs and forest can seem a bit monotonous. I saw beaver, osprey, eagle, hares, and various other birds (a nice flock of cedar waxwings, for example). I'm sure there are moose and bear in the area, particularly the former, but I did not see any (next time?!). Schoodic Mountain is a great place to stop for a picnic and there are ample picnic benches along that section of the trail to stop for snacks and pictures. I highly recommend the general store in Franklin, which is about 0.25 mile off the trail.
I can't wait to go back and ride the trail from end-to-end when the weather warms up a bit. This being Maine, I'm not sure when that will happen, although we're already into mid-June.
Great trail system use it all the time it's completely awesome atv
My buddy, and I, biked 35,25,and 21 miles on DEST in June,2015.It was great biking except for the ATV traffic. But the trail would never have been built w/out the local support. It's a tradeoff, as always. You'd never see the swamps, beaver ponds, animals, and backwoods w/out the Trail. I lived in Washington County for five years; it needs all the help, and support it can get! Take a trip. See the County. It's what Maine used to be. They should put the whole thing in a museum, to be preserved.
My wife and I road our mountain bikes for twenty five miles on the trail yesterday.It was great.For the most part we were the only ones on the trail.When a atv passed us they slowed down and were very friendly. The trail for the most part was in good shape.If you want to see the real Maine this the place.If your expecting perfection don't go here.
This trail is not a bike trail. It is a fire road for use by ATVs, motorcycles and other motorized vehicles. Today there were easily 10 such vehicles for every bicyclist, most are going over 30 mph when they pass by. Trail surface is badly torn up by the traffic, with long expanses of large, loose gravel that is a hazard to ride on, no matter how wide your tires. Save yourself the agony and stick to the carriage roads in Acadia.
I am looking forward to seeing this trail soon but am a little intimidated to have atvs running a straight line trail at any speed with my horse. In Fl where I live part of the year we have several parks and trails that utilize the same space but separated tracks and trails for mechanized vs non mechanized - Even the ATB in Acadia can be horse problem and there horses came first a loooong time ago.Atvs are not the only issue for horses - even bikers can be a huge problem if they speed up near horses it is like something chasing them and especially if riders dont speak as they get close the buzzing of a bicycle that seems non human to a horse and can cause them panic- seems that a nice solution would be a separated track - perhaps trail volunteers myself included could start working to id spots that are in harmony w quiet walking or horse sections and help diversify this trails use! horseback rider
DEST is a super highway of entertainment thrills for MOST who chose to utilize it. Yes, it's dusty, has loose gravel, and is proudly open to most modes of transportation.
Be reminded, many of those ATV riders are members of clubs; most are Maine residents, and spend hours of their personal time maintaining trails. They pay taxes year round, not just a week or two and contribute to the enjoyment of all.
It defies reason to suggest that tourists have the say as to how the trail is to be utilized.
Prior to setting out on a trek it is best to seek abundant input and the suitability of the trail to your needs. If you are accustomed to asphalt, concrete, or other urban prepared surfaces the Downeast Sunrise is not the trail for you.
People utilizing the trail have always been friendly and courteous.Sometime a bad experience is simply you reap what you sow.
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