Explore the best rated trails in Cape Elizabeth, ME. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Papermill Trail and Eastern Promenade Trail . With more than 20 trails covering 112 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Portland’s Bayside Trail packs a lot into its 1-mile length. The paved pathway provides a pleasant route between commercial and residential areas in the Bayside and East Bayside neighborhoods. Once an...
Old salts should love the Eastern Promenade Trail, as it skirts the shoreline of Portland’s Casco Bay and Portland Harbor. The 2.1-mile paved trail is always within sight of the water and is one of...
The Auburn Riverwalk passes through the heart of the old mill district of the Twin Cities of Auburn and Lewiston. The 1.6-mile paved and gravel path offers many scenic views of the Androscoggin River,...
Portland’s Fore River Parkway Trail provides an important transportation link in the community while at the same time offering sweeping views of the Fore River. At the north end of the trail, you’ll...
The trail sits on the northwestern shore of Lake Auburn. A former roadway, the wide gravel path can accommodate various kinds of uses including, running, biking, walking dogs. And in the winter, the...
The Mountain Division Trail exists as two separate segments of what will eventually be a more than 50-mile-long trail from Fryeburg to Portland. The southern section rolls for about 6 miles between...
The 83 acre West Foss Farm is one of the properties owned by the University of New Hampshire, Durham. The property was purchased from the Boston & Maine Railroad company, and features a 1.6 stretch of...
The Norway Branch Rail Trail sits on the former railbed of the Norway Branch Railroad which once connected the communities of Norway and South Paris. The trail runs from Beal Street in the west to...
The Cotton Valley Rail Trail connects the small town of Wakefield, near the Maine border, and the quintessentially quaint New England vacation town of Wolfeboro. In 2017 the towns held a...
Brunswick, Maine is home to the Androscoggin River Bicycle Trail, a multipurpose recreational trail nestled between the river and US Route 1. The trail stretches 2.6 miles from end-to-end. The trail...
The Dover Community Trail snakes its way through the heart of the Garrison City—so nicknamed for the fortified log houses, or garrisons, built by 17th-century settlers—-offering a variety of trail...
The Papermill Trail celebrates the heritage of mills in the development of the town of Lisbon and the surrounding area while providing an easy, pleasant trail experience for users of all abilities....
The paved Back Cove Trail rings its namesake tidal basin and offers lovely views of the Portland skyline. You also might spot great blue herons or other birds along the tree-lined waterfront. A...
The Beth Condon Memorial Pathway is located in the heart of Yarmouth, Maine. The path is named in honor of a high school student who was struck by a drunk driver while walking along US-1. The paved...
The scenic Riverton Rail Trail—also known as “Sandy Road” by residents of Portland’s Riverton neighborhood—follows the former corridor of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban Railroad, which stopped...
The 28.9-mile Eastern Trail connects the historic towns along Maine’s southern coast from the woods near Kennebunk to South Portland’s harbor lighthouse. Nearly 22 miles of the route follows off-road...
The Dover Community Trail snakes its way through the heart of the Garrison City—so nicknamed for the fortified log houses, or garrisons, built by 17th-century settlers—-offering a variety of trail...
The Beth Condon Memorial Pathway is located in the heart of Yarmouth, Maine. The path is named in honor of a high school student who was struck by a drunk driver while walking along US-1. The paved...
Portland’s Bayside Trail packs a lot into its 1-mile length. The paved pathway provides a pleasant route between commercial and residential areas in the Bayside and East Bayside neighborhoods. Once an...
The Farmington Recreational Rail-Trail runs for 6 miles between the towns of Rochester and Farmington. The trail parallels the Cocheco River and State Route 11 through a wooded corridor. The trail is...
The Conway Branch trail runs for 21 miles along an old rail corridor between State Route 113 in Conway and Polly's Crossing in Ossipee. The trail is popular with snowmobiles and rail car clubs; the...
The Sanford-Springvale Rail Trail (also known as Railroad Trail) traverses the woods on either side of Sanford’s scenic Springvale community in southern Maine. Founded by a mill owner in the 17th...
The Cotton Valley Rail Trail connects the small town of Wakefield, near the Maine border, and the quintessentially quaint New England vacation town of Wolfeboro. In 2017 the towns held a...
The 83 acre West Foss Farm is one of the properties owned by the University of New Hampshire, Durham. The property was purchased from the Boston & Maine Railroad company, and features a 1.6 stretch of...
The Mountain Division Trail exists as two separate segments of what will eventually be a more than 50-mile-long trail from Fryeburg to Portland. The southern section rolls for about 6 miles between...
Owned and actively maintained by the Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Railway museum, this trail meanders along the currently disused railroad right of way through the Town of Alna in the village...
Portland’s Fore River Parkway Trail provides an important transportation link in the community while at the same time offering sweeping views of the Fore River. At the north end of the trail, you’ll...
The paved Back Cove Trail rings its namesake tidal basin and offers lovely views of the Portland skyline. You also might spot great blue herons or other birds along the tree-lined waterfront. A...
The Norway Branch Rail Trail sits on the former railbed of the Norway Branch Railroad which once connected the communities of Norway and South Paris. The trail runs from Beal Street in the west to...
The trail sits on the northwestern shore of Lake Auburn. A former roadway, the wide gravel path can accommodate various kinds of uses including, running, biking, walking dogs. And in the winter, the...
The 28.9-mile Eastern Trail connects the historic towns along Maine’s southern coast from the woods near Kennebunk to South Portland’s harbor lighthouse. Nearly 22 miles of the route follows off-road...
Brunswick, Maine is home to the Androscoggin River Bicycle Trail, a multipurpose recreational trail nestled between the river and US Route 1. The trail stretches 2.6 miles from end-to-end. The trail...
The scenic Riverton Rail Trail—also known as “Sandy Road” by residents of Portland’s Riverton neighborhood—follows the former corridor of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban Railroad, which stopped...
The Auburn Riverwalk passes through the heart of the old mill district of the Twin Cities of Auburn and Lewiston. The 1.6-mile paved and gravel path offers many scenic views of the Androscoggin River,...
Old salts should love the Eastern Promenade Trail, as it skirts the shoreline of Portland’s Casco Bay and Portland Harbor. The 2.1-mile paved trail is always within sight of the water and is one of...
The Papermill Trail celebrates the heritage of mills in the development of the town of Lisbon and the surrounding area while providing an easy, pleasant trail experience for users of all abilities....
The paved Back Cove Trail rings its namesake tidal basin and offers lovely views of the Portland skyline. You also might spot great blue herons or other birds along the tree-lined waterfront. A...
The Conway Branch trail runs for 21 miles along an old rail corridor between State Route 113 in Conway and Polly's Crossing in Ossipee. The trail is popular with snowmobiles and rail car clubs; the...
The Sanford-Springvale Rail Trail (also known as Railroad Trail) traverses the woods on either side of Sanford’s scenic Springvale community in southern Maine. Founded by a mill owner in the 17th...
The Dover Community Trail snakes its way through the heart of the Garrison City—so nicknamed for the fortified log houses, or garrisons, built by 17th-century settlers—-offering a variety of trail...
The Papermill Trail celebrates the heritage of mills in the development of the town of Lisbon and the surrounding area while providing an easy, pleasant trail experience for users of all abilities....
Owned and actively maintained by the Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Railway museum, this trail meanders along the currently disused railroad right of way through the Town of Alna in the village...
Portland’s Bayside Trail packs a lot into its 1-mile length. The paved pathway provides a pleasant route between commercial and residential areas in the Bayside and East Bayside neighborhoods. Once an...
The Cotton Valley Rail Trail connects the small town of Wakefield, near the Maine border, and the quintessentially quaint New England vacation town of Wolfeboro. In 2017 the towns held a...
The Norway Branch Rail Trail sits on the former railbed of the Norway Branch Railroad which once connected the communities of Norway and South Paris. The trail runs from Beal Street in the west to...
The Auburn Riverwalk passes through the heart of the old mill district of the Twin Cities of Auburn and Lewiston. The 1.6-mile paved and gravel path offers many scenic views of the Androscoggin River,...
The trail sits on the northwestern shore of Lake Auburn. A former roadway, the wide gravel path can accommodate various kinds of uses including, running, biking, walking dogs. And in the winter, the...
Brunswick, Maine is home to the Androscoggin River Bicycle Trail, a multipurpose recreational trail nestled between the river and US Route 1. The trail stretches 2.6 miles from end-to-end. The trail...
Old salts should love the Eastern Promenade Trail, as it skirts the shoreline of Portland’s Casco Bay and Portland Harbor. The 2.1-mile paved trail is always within sight of the water and is one of...
The Mountain Division Trail exists as two separate segments of what will eventually be a more than 50-mile-long trail from Fryeburg to Portland. The southern section rolls for about 6 miles between...
The Beth Condon Memorial Pathway is located in the heart of Yarmouth, Maine. The path is named in honor of a high school student who was struck by a drunk driver while walking along US-1. The paved...
The scenic Riverton Rail Trail—also known as “Sandy Road” by residents of Portland’s Riverton neighborhood—follows the former corridor of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban Railroad, which stopped...
Portland’s Fore River Parkway Trail provides an important transportation link in the community while at the same time offering sweeping views of the Fore River. At the north end of the trail, you’ll...
The 83 acre West Foss Farm is one of the properties owned by the University of New Hampshire, Durham. The property was purchased from the Boston & Maine Railroad company, and features a 1.6 stretch of...
The Farmington Recreational Rail-Trail runs for 6 miles between the towns of Rochester and Farmington. The trail parallels the Cocheco River and State Route 11 through a wooded corridor. The trail is...
The 28.9-mile Eastern Trail connects the historic towns along Maine’s southern coast from the woods near Kennebunk to South Portland’s harbor lighthouse. Nearly 22 miles of the route follows off-road...
Bikers beware. As others have noted, this is a narrow trail with rails still in place. It is a beautiful path and perfect for walkers and runners. If you choose to ride, Wear a helmet and heed the signs to walk across the on\off ramps where the path veers from the rails, which is often. As others have noted, bike tires can become snagged and cause you to be thrown from your bike. This happened to my partner requiring fire dept/emergency rescue from the trail. Shame on us for not wearing helmets. Concussion and fractured arm later, all is well. Emergency responders and local hospital were all amazing - especially given the current concerns in healthcare. Important to note, no one was surprised at what had happened, it’s not uncommon. Again, beautiful trail, but I think this is a fair warning if you do choose to ride this trail.
If you are parking on the Farmington side, get ready to get creative with your parking although, if you intend on riding it, it's probably the safer bet since you do need to cross a MAJOR roadway about 1 mi from the trail head.
As the only person riding the route with a full suspension fat bike, I found it tolerable but the rest of my group were not as fortunate. The sand was soft, or rocky, or a combination of the two. There were parts of our bodies forever damaged (kidding... kind of) as we literally pounded our way down this viewless trail. Of the six miles we rode, probably 1.5 was "doable" on a regular bike otherwise it was just extremely difficult to navigate.
There is no river..... but there is a bit of a cess pool looking pond. We went in the middle of a drought which probably worked to our advantage as any water on this trail would make it nearly impassible.
After six miles, we decided enough was enough so we chose to take the road back. Mind you... riding along Route 11 was our only choice (think massive commercial district with significant traffic)... and yet.. it was still better than trying our hand at that return on that trail. Thank goodness we were all relatively adult... at least numerically... taking a kid on this would be a HARD no.
Unfortunately, we see a real opportunity to for rail trails but if the funding isn't there to maintain it then it's not going to get much use. That was the case with this strip.... and, hopefully with some resources, it can meet its potential of being a fun day of recreating.
Although some reviews were disappointed with the trail surface, I thought it was much better than others I have ridden. I found minimal ruts. I did like that it ran parallel to the Cocheco River. The sounds of the running river and views of it were great. The part that ran through Dover itself were refreshing. It also runs by the Dover Baseball fields. Porta-Potties were available at the ball fields although they were in poor shape.
Got on the trail by the little river, but found the trail was only one mile in one direction and 1/3 mile in the other. Surface was too much loose sand and gravel for running and biking. Probably a fun trail for ATVs or dirt bikes, but avoid for running or biking.
Lovely trail but in some spots not wide enough for a bicycle in each direction. Also somewhat hilly so unless you’re in tip top shape or riding an E-bike could be a struggle. If you do decide to ride be aware crossing the rails. I took quite a spill because the angle was not sharp enough and the front tire slid out from under me. #wearahelmet
I was quite disappointed with this trail. Here is why:
1) Very close to a major noisy highway (Rt. 11)
2) The first half is sandy and 4 wheelers have made it rough.
3) Nothing much to see. It says that it runs along a river. Perhaps but I never saw a river.
The ride back from Farmington to Rochester on Rt. 11 was much more scenic. Thus the 1 star rating.
The first part of the trail had good surface and was wide. After about a mile it turned into a narrow rutted footpath. We lost the trail at the railroad station so we rode to Fisher St an found it. We returned along the trail, wide and paved to the train station then back on the footpath.
Beautiful trail but very narrow making it very hard for bikes going in opposite directions to pass each other. Other negative are the railroad ties that you need to bike over in some places. Please be careful!
We did this in two parts: Kennebunk-Biddeford, and South Portland-Saco. To do just Kennebunk to Biddeford & back is a bit too easy and dull - straight, flat, 12 miles round trip; although, you might want to reserve time to explore downtown Biddeford. Biscuits! Doughnuts! Brewery! Etc.
The Portland-Saco stretch is more varied. If you start from Bug Light Park, like we did, I think it comes out to more than 20 miles; for a shorter ride, start from the parking lot on the trail proper. There is the most excellent empanada place in Saco where you should try to have lunch. The marsh is fun with interesting birds.
Interesting to be able to see the entire loop from the starting point. Only one real incline at the overpass. We added an out and back on Eastern Promenade Trail to get 9.9 total miles.
This is a 3.6 mile loop around the bay. The trail gets a lot of use, which makes it very safe. Only one hill. Great trail for bikers, runners, or walkers.
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