Explore the best rated trails in Jay, ME, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Whistle Stop Rail-Trail and Presidential Rail Trail . With more than 17 trails covering 128 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.
This is a very enjoyable trail from Augusta to Gardner. Much of it is along a high bank of the river with wooded views to the east side. At the Augusta side, in season large sturgeon jump high and loudly flop into the water below the damn. Passing through Hollowell is a treat with its interesting shops and a great halfway stop for drinks and/or food at its several restaurants. Gardner on Thursday evenings has an antique car show in the river park with music and food trucks.
We just did the trail. A good portion is closed due to winter flood damage which removed parts of the trail. Rubble replacement now. Entire trail passible but closed sections rough. Trail is downhill west to east
Plenty of parking at the Pondicherry Wildlife trail head. We ride fat tire ebikes. The trail presented little issue with some rougher, more narrow sections close to the refuge. There is a lovely viewing platform near the start of the trail. We rode in late September. The foliage was not peak but stunning none the less. The trail had only a few leaves and few puddles. Not the best for a standard bike but perfect for bikes with wider tires. We rode up to Randolf and turned around, 34 miles. not busy but we saw other riders, dog walkers, hikers and a couple of horse riders. Great views of the mountains when you break into a meadow or wetland. really fun. I took off a star because standard bikes might struggle.
Really enjoyed our ebike ride to and from beginning to end and back. Easy parking right over the bridge from Mill apartments on the left! So well maintained, scenic and safe feeling for 2 seniors. Delicious pizza in Lisbon Falls.
So, the positives first. It's a well paved trail with views to a picturesque river.
However, forget the "ring your bell" or "on your left" helps. The proximity to Rt 1 (sometimes within 15 ft. or so) - and the associated traffic noise - all but end any communication, signals, or thoughts of a nice scenic contemplative ride. Also, parking at either end was sparse. And, yes, somewhat thankfully, it is short. A one and done.
My husband and I were so looking forward to this trail. We started at the west end (as it was closest to our vacation rental) with the intention of riding as much as we could, hopefully to the end. We got about 5 miles in, subjecting our bikes and our bodies to the ongoing bumps along the way. Once we got to the very narrow (about 12 inches wide) section with grass grown into the path, we gave it a try and finally decided to turn around not knowing if it was going to get any better. We decided to drive over to the east end thinking that would be a better place to ride (based on reviews). We got 3 miles in from that end. We simply weren't enjoying the very rough ride that this trail provides. Again, we were very disappointed. What we did see along the west route was beautiful and exactly the type of scenery we were hoping for. But the uncomfortable nature of the ride made it very undesirable.
We are on week 2 of a 2-week Northeast rail trail tour and we’re experienced cyclists. I should have believed the Trailguide when it warned that this one wasn’t well-suited for hybrid bikes. We only made it 6 miles out of Livermore Falls before turning around. There were only a few stretches of packed sand. The rest was loose sand or chunky rock. For reference, we were riding an Allied Alpha and a Cannondale Supersix Evo SE. Would have been a blast on a fatty.
Started from the Gorham parking lot. This was my first e-bike ride on a rental. Heart health issues so I couldn’t ride a regular bike. Rode all the way across to Rt 115 and maybe 1/2 mile after we crossed the highway. I really enjoyed the trail up until hwy 115 where it got to a single lane and overgrown brush. By this point I was getting tired and we turned around. This was about 16 miles from start in Gorham. It was very scenic going past the marsh ponds and through the woods.
Ok, so having ridden the length from Sunset Cemetery north to 201 in Bingham here are my recommendations. The path from the Cemetery to Tavern Road you can probably skip. It's considerably rougher and doesn't offer much in the way of views. I would suggest parking at the Jotham and Emma bridge that separates Solon and Embden and picking up the trail via Tavern Road. However there is still a land dispute going on so the trail ends abruptly with fencing and "NO ATVS" signs posted. Now to be clear there are no "No Trespassing" signs, just the ones about ATV's. I asked some locals at 201 motor sports (after leaving the trail where indicated and biking into town via the road) and they didn't seem to think it would be an issue. That being said if you stay on the trail, be prepared to work around construction fencing, game cams and caution tape. I did notice that my bicycle tracks weren't the only ones. This route gives you about 16 miles round and overs a pretty good trail and beautiful views. This is not a cruiser style or road bike route. Some spots are smoother than others- best with a hybrid or mountain bike. Also go mid week and preferably after a recent rain. There will be less dust and less ATV's out and about. Regarding the drivers of said ATV's I found most (and there weren't many) to be polite, cautious, and gave me lots of space. Some however seemed annoyed I was out there. Just like anywhere I suppose.
First time on this trail and we loved it! We were on gravel grinder bikes, and the trail was perfect for this type of bike. We found the trails were in great condition. We did an out and back turn around at 6 miles. We will definitely return possibly for increased distance and more exploration on trails around Titcomb ski area.
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