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.
We rode this trail from the Water St. parking lot in Augusta. This is virtually the beginning of the trail except for a very short segment that goes down to a park at the river level. The trail takes a break in Hallowell's Granite City Park. There is some historical information here and Adirondack chairs set up to view the river. At the Park, the trail goes onto the street for less than a mile (stay on the main street). There are some really cool old buildings in the town. The trail then goes up to the right. This is a relatively flat and easy ride. It is all paved with few bumps.
This is an old dirt road that’s been gated off at the end of the tar portion. Nice, flat, and wide with occasional views of Lake Auburn. It’s a favorite with local runners. We have encountered a few dogs off leash despite local ordinances so beware of that. A nice early morning walk or run.
The family all loved this rail trail. The unpaved section was a bit hilly and rocky (about 1 mile). The paved section ran parallel to the train tracks. Really cool bridge over the water. Also stopped by the Orchard Ridge farm along the way. Visited the animals and had tasty donuts, fudge and cheese.
This is a great trail if you’re looking to take out your atv or utv. At 87 miles from start to finish I was able to complete the trail in about 7 hours with frequent stops/breaks and average 40PMH. The trail is pretty smooth with little rough terrain/hills. We did not explore any trails off the main trail but would’ve liked to find a good place to eat lunch. Some parts are good for legit mountain bikes, short walks or equestrian use. Definitely a good trail if you just wanna get out and ride.
I will preface this by saying I'm basing my opinion on being a runner. It is probably a great trail for dirt bike riders, ATV riders, snowmobilers, etc. For runners the surface is soft in places, pitted in places, has lots of rocks in places, and overall is just not a great surface for runners.
Trail is very rocky. This trail is primarily used for ATV riders.
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.
We rode this trail June 5, 2020, from Fort Kent to St. Francis. We found the trail to be in excellent shape (hard packed crushed stone) and well maintained. Given its great condition, we did not find riding our e-bikes on this trail to be a challenge. There are some beautiful views of the St. John River about half way into the trail. Ours was an early morning ride, allowing for a glimpse of various wildlife along the way - a family of raccoons, a Green Heron, Bald Eagles, Pileated Woodpeckers, and other birds. Aside from seeing two ATV's, we had the entire trail to ourselves. We plan to ride it again this fall.
While the Randolph trail starts at the IGA parking lot and is a nice wide walking trail at that point when it crosses the next road parking is very limited (1-2 spaces, roadside) and the trail changes to a narrow walking path that is poorly maintained and eventually changes to a narrow poorly maintained track. Hikers should use their judgement regarding how far they want to continue. This section of trail should be avoided during spring break up and during periods of heavy rain. Hikers should use their judgement as to how far they want to continue especially with small children.
This really was a very pretty rail trail, with lots of fun stopping places on either end (and in the middle). In Augusta on one end, and Gardiner on the other, and Hallowell in the middle, you have lots of options for food and drink. The trail is super easy and flat. 13 miles round trip.
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.
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