#eastcoastgreenway — Public Fediverse posts

TrailBlog > #Maine’s #EasternTrail

"About The Trail:

Maine’s Eastern Trail is a 28.8 mile asphalt, concrete and crushed stone rail-trail in Cumberland and York counties. Allowed activities on this #WheelchairAccessible trail include walking, running, biking, inline skating, fishing and cross country skiing."

Learn more:
https://www.railstotrails.org/trailblog/maines-eastern-trail/

#SolarPunkSunday #AccessibleTrails #MaineTrails #RailsToTrails #BikeTooter #BikeTrails #MaineBicycleCoalition
#EastCoastGreenway #HikingTrails #SpendTimeInNature #SpendTimeOutdoors

‘The gap is gone!’ New stretch of #EasternTrail opens 15 months early

The 1.6-mile segment of the Eastern Trail linking #ScarboroughME and #SouthPortlandME opened Thursday.

by Salomé Cloteaux, August 7, 2026

SOUTH PORTLAND — "Finally, the gap is closed. After over a decade of planning, setbacks, fundraising and permitting, the 'Close the Gap' project opening a key segment of the Eastern Trail is finished, 15 months ahead of schedule.
The 1.6-mile section of the Eastern Trail connecting Scarborough and South Portland opened Thursday in front of a few hundred cyclists, walkers and runners who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"Closing the gap — between the Wainwright Sports Complex in South Portland and the Nonesuch River in Scarborough — created a continuous 16-mile trail without on-road gaps from Bug Light Park to downtown Saco. It was a long-awaited step to fully connecting the #EasternTrail, a 65-mile off-road trail from South Portland to #KitteryME.

" 'It’s also about more than just opening a section of trail; it’s about connecting communities and fulfilling a vision that has been years in the making,' South Portland Mayor Elyse Tipton said. “The gap is gone!' "

Read more:
https://www.pressherald.com/2026/08/07/the-gap-is-gone-new-stretch-of-eastern-trail-opens-15-months-early/

Archived version:
https://archive.md/htxMX

#SolarPunkSunday #AccessibleTrails #MaineTrails #RailsToTrails #BikeTooter
#BikeTrails #MaineBicycleCoalition
#EastCoastGreenway #HikingTrails

#Maine - New section of #EasternTrail opens 15 months early

by Katie Delaney
Fri, August 7, 2026

"A new section of the Eastern Trail is now open.

"It's the final link connecting Bug Light in #SouthPortlandME and downtown #SacoME. The 1.6-mile addition to the trail goes through Scarborough and South Portland. Now people can walk, run, and #bike along 16 miles of uninterrupted #OffRoadTrail.

"It's part of the greater #EastCoastGreenway, which goes from #Maine to #Florida.

"Bit by bit, gaps between paths are being filled until it becomes a complete off-road journey along the coast. The new Eastern Trail section is the latest step toward that goal.

"At a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, South Portland Mayor Elyse Tipton said it's about more than just connecting trails.

" 'It's about connecting communities and fulfilling a vision that has been years in the making,' she said.

"The project was completed 15 months ahead of schedule.

" 'Which is something frankly just unheard of,' Tom Hall, the town manager of Scarborough, said. 'All the credit in the world goes to this group of folks that got together to really deliver a first-rate project.'

"Avery Seuter, from Wells, was eager to try out the new trail.

" 'First reactions, this is just gorgeous, like you couldn't have picked a better area to come through,' he said, walking along the trail."

[...]

"The executive director of the #EastCoastGreenwayAlliance said their next goal to get closer to completing the Eastern Trail is to close the gap over the #SacoRiver and down to #KitteryME."

Read more:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/section-eastern-trail-opens-15-155200326.html

#SolarPunkSunday #BikeTooter #BikeTrails #WalkingTrails #SpendTimeInNature #SpendTimeOutdoors #EastCoastUS #MaineTrails #RailsToTrails #MaineBicycleCoalition #EastCoastGreenway #AccessibleTrails

So, the news isn't all doom and gloom... The #SouthPortlandME to #SacoME portion of #EasternTrail is about to be completed (August 6th is the date). That means folks can walk / bike from #BugLight in South Portland, ME to #KitteryME! Wow!

Eastern Trail "Close the Gap" Project

"The Eastern Trail is a vital multi-use trail of state-wide significance in Maine. The trail extends 65 miles from South Portland to #KitteryME, and travels by scenic #woods, #TidalMarshes, and classic #MaineVillages. Since its Scarborough developments from 2004-2006, the trail has provided millions of people with a recreational and transportation resource that connects them to the beautiful Maine landscape.

"A key piece of trail is missing in Scarborough. A 1.6-mile 'gap' interrupts off-road travel between South Portland and Saco. The construction of this critical trail segment will close this gap and provide 16 continuous off-road miles reaching from South Portland’s Bug Light to Downtown Saco. The cost to close this gap is $7.1 million dollars. Funding was sourced from the Town of Scarborough, City of South Portland, Maine Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and #EasternTrailAlliance individual and corporate donors.

"After several years of work to raise the necessary funds, complete the project design, align stakeholders, and acquire the necessary permits and land rights, the project went out to bid in Spring 2025 and construction began in June."

Read more:
https://www.scarboroughmaine.org/stay-connected/municipal-projects/close-the-gap

#SolarPunkSunday #MaineTrails #RailsToTrails #BikeTooter #BikeTrails #MaineBicycleCoalition #EastCoastGreenway #AccessibleTrails #HikingTrails

So, here's a situation where the #PingreeFarmRoad highway overpass, also on the #NorthShoreMassachusetts , already has a structure that could be transformed into a #WildlifeCrossing over a major highway, but it's falling into disrepair. I plan on contacting some organizations back in #Massachusetts to see what can be done to make this happen!

Abandoned Interstate 95 Overpass (#GeorgetownMA)

Hidden deep within the Georgetown-Rowley State Forest lies an abandoned overpass spanning Interstate 95 — a rusting, graffiti-covered bridge with a fascinating backstory dating to the 1970s.

https://www.goxplr.com/abandoned-interstate-95-overpass-georgetown-ma/

#BCT and Pingee Farm Road

"This section begins by crossing Boxford Rd. and the bridge boardwalk over the Mill River. The BCT connects a variety of trails before emerging onto Pingree Farm Road. This old road crosses over Route 95 and is decorated with eclectic street art or graffiti - depending on your point of view. The trail continues west and then turns south merging at Hemlock Junction with the Border to Boston Trail and #EastCoastGreenway. It bypasses the Kelsey Arboretum on its way south into Boxford. This recording ends at the boardwalk across Lowe Pond because of technical difficulties. The hike actually continues through #BoxfordME, past Round Top and the monument for Camp Curtis Guild, the Boxford village cemetery, Boxford Center, the Boy Scout Park, Fish Brook, and Lockwood Forest before coming out onto Middleton Road. The total distance for this day is about 9 miles."

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/massachusetts/bct-and-pingee-farm-road

#SolarPunkSunday #Massachusetts #PreservedLand #WildlifeCrossing #BayCircuitTrail #BayCircuitTrailAndGreenway #LandConservation #ConservedLand #WildlifeCrossings

#Maine - #EasternTrail

"The Eastern Trail is a 62 mile multi-use, non-motorized greenway, that connects Bug Light in Casco Bay, South Portland to Kittery, Maine. Approximately thirty percent of the trail is off-road, and the trail is a part of the #EastCoastGreenway which will eventually connect #CalaisMaine to #KeyWestFlorida, approximately 3000 miles. The Eastern Trail is currently composed of 21 miles of off-road trails on the former Eastern Railroad bed with the remainder 41 miles on public roads.

"The entirety of the Eastern Trail is built to ADA standards. The trail surface varies between pavement and stone dust/gravel. Most of the trail is 10-12 feet wide, with some sections with an 8-foot width. There is a 30-inch opening between the bollards at entrances to keep out motorized vehicles, but wide enough to allow access for wheelchairs.

"The off-road section connecting Scarbrough to Saco privdes access to the 2200-acre Scarborough Marsh, which is Maine's largest salt marsh. Heading north on the trail from Pine Point (ME-9) or south from Eastern Road in Scarborough provides access to this 2.5 mile stretch of trail.

"Heading south from Pine Point Road, the trail crosses the York County and Cumberland County boundaries and users can walk/bike from Scarborough, through Old Orchard Beach to Saco, where the current-off-road trail ends at Thornton Academy in Saco, approximately 6 miles from the Pine Point kiosk.

"There are kiosks at 3 parking areas, that give some history and points of interest along the trail. For example, the Eastern Trail is built on the old Eastern #Railroad line that was built in 1840 and abandoned in 1945. Also, Charles Lindberg flew into the now abandoned Scarborough airport several times. And, a trestle once carried open air trolleys from the rail line to Old Orchard Beach for summer tourists."

Source and FMI:
https://www.mainetrailfinder.com/trails/trail/eastern-trail-saco-to-scarborough

Eastern Trail Guide (downloadable PDF and booklets): https://www.easterntrail.org/eastern-trail-maps/

#SolarPunkSunday #MaineTrails #MaineByFoot #MaineByBicycle #Nature #SouthernMaine #AccessibleTrails #BikePaths #EasternTrail #AbandonedRailroads #RailsToTrails #EastCoastGreenway

Took full advantage of cool cloudy day to explore the northern half of the #FarmingtonHeritageCanalTrail https://fchtrail.org/ in #connecticut, part of the #eastcoastgreenway. The section I rode was wide, paved trail and to me was very flat, but a nice ride. Lot’s of small businesses, parks, #publicart along a quiet green space that used to be railroad. Several very nice murals give good reasons to stop and look around at old commercial buildings. #biketooter #bicycle #cycling

Unseasonably warm day here in Rhode Island and I managed to get out for a 22-mile ride on the #BlackstoneRiver #Bikeway and #EastCoastGreenway. No deer this week but you could periodically smell the skunks stirring for Spring.

Loved book by Lisa Watts
Crossing Bridges: What Biking Up the East Coast Taught Me About Life After 60
Funny and Introspective account of her two month #bike travel on the #EastCoastGreenway from Florida to Maine, and her approach to her #thirdact in life #BikeTooter
https://CrossingBridgesMemoir.com

Lovely, albeit chilly, bike ride today. 20 miles at a glacial pace along the #BlackstoneRiver and #EastCoastGreenway while slow it felt good to stretch the legs. Spring isn't here yet, but I can now imagine its arrival. Even got to hang out with some deer. Always a bit of a surprise to see so many deer in the heart of an urban environment.

No picture today on my bike ride because I forgot because I was having too much fun. It was nice to get out on an unseasonally warm day for 30-mile ride along the #EastCoastGreenway in Rhode Island.
#BikeTooter

@kimu love those car-free #EastCoastGreenway sections. Nice to be able to relax, let the mind wander a bit and just pedal.

Lovely, albeit cold, day biking on the #BlackstoneRiverBikeway. Lovely light and their was lots of standing water from all the recent rains. Great way to start the new year. #BikeTooter #bicycling #EastCoastGreenway

After two weeks without my bike, got a chance for the past few days to hike some sections of the Farmington Canal Trail in #Connecitut USA, part of the #eastcoastgreenway. This part built on the rail bed between #hartford and #newhaven where Southington is working hard to recover the old buildings and put new businesses into operation. Celebrated with #publicart some even done by YMCA graffetti classes!

More of this, please!

Work continues on New Hampshire section of trail stretching from Canada to Key West

"It's a four-phase project on the Seacoast. Phase 1, which is being worked on now, is an 8-mile railroad stretch of compact sandstone stretching from Portsmouth to North Hampton.

"'We're taking an abandoned rail corridor and turning it into a useful public facility in place that people can come out, have a safe place to ride their bikes, take their kids to ride their bikes,' Bogle said. "Seniors can get out and have a beautiful place to walk and ride.""

https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-east-coast-greenway-construction/44967090

#EastCoastGreenway #RailsToTrails #Biking #Hiking #NewHampshire

My 2023 bike tour is complete. PGH to Wash DC to Richmond, VA and then DC to New Haven, CT. 1,059 miles and zero flats. Lots of interesting sights. Really enjoyed riding across bridges I'd only previously drive across. Big thanks to the #EastCoastGreenway and the #GAPTrail and the #CandOCanalTrail #BikeTooter #bicycling

Final tune-up ride before my tour tour starting on Friday. Doing the GAP, C&O, and the #EastCoastGreenway between Richmond, VA and New Haven, CT. Hopefully it'll be a fun couple of weeks. #BikeTooter #touringcyclist

22.8 mile (36.7 km) trip to Andover and back today. First post-COVID ride but lungs worked fine. #eastcoastgreenway #eastcoast #bicycle #fahrradtour

In case you need a reminder, Woonsocket has you covered. Remember, "You are Beautiful". Nice day on the Greenway. 46 miles from Providence to Blackstone, MA. #Surly #DiscTrucker #BikeTooter #bicycling #EastCoastGreenway #Woonsocket

One of the great things about the #EastCoastGreenway in Rhode Island is that good snacks are readily available right on the trail. Stopped in for a couple of Weiners w/everything and extra celery Salt at the Woonsocket New York Lunch Weiner shop. Nice little snack 1/2 way through a ride. #BikeTooter #Surly #DiscTrucker

HOWDY AGAIN!

Hilco Redevelopment Partners is seeking feedback about open space features for the redevelopment of the Alexandria power plant which will impact the Mount Vernon Trail. We encourage all trail users to submit a response by May 31. Read more about our suggested feedback and the link to submit feedback on our website:

https://mountvernontrail.org/2023/05/20/comment-on-trail-improvements-and-open-space-plan-for-power-plant-redevelopment/

@[email protected] #BikeVA #BikeDC #SharedUsePath #AlexandriaVA #ALX #MVT #MountVernonTrail #EastCoastGreenway #YourVoiceMatters #Cycling #TrailRunning

Forgot to post this from a recent ride. No bike photo because I was sitting on the bike. Highly recommend riding the Blackstone River Greenway if you find yourself in, or near, Rhode Island. #BikeTooter #bicycling #EastCoastGreenway

A coworker has been managing the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway Trail construction. Ted and I went for a spin and were delighted to ride on the open sections which now end at Mount Vernon Rd. Trail should be complete in next few weeks and complete Fairfax County's portion of the East Coast Greenway. #bikeva #eastcoastgreenway

@springlite got it last Winter from Legend Bikes here in Providence. I've put about 2,000 miles on it so far. Super happy with it - it's been great both on the road and on Gravel, have had zero problems. Did RAGBRAI last year and doing the GAP/C&O plus the Richmond to NYC portion of the #EastCoastGreenway this Summer.

Record warm February weather here in #Providence (over 60 degrees) meant I had to dust off the #Surly #DiscTrucker #Bike and take it out for ride on the #BlackstoneRiver #Bikeway and the #EastCoastGreenway it was a lovely ride saw the usual variety of wildlife and lots of people out and about. Cranked out an easy 20 miles enjoying the breeze taking advantage of the slightly longer days #BikeTooter

On this #throwbackthursday, I want to look back on the fantastic #eastcoastgreenway #biketour i took with my best friend in 2019.

#bikestodon #BikeTooter

🚴 I very rarely post links to video, let alone to CNN, but this is about a friend's grandson, so... an exception! It made me smile, and that's almost always worth a note. If you're interested in the #EastCoastGreenway or #Unicycling, you might be entertained. Ahh... to be 19 again and still know what I know now.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2022/12/13/teen-unicycles-east-coast-affil-wway-pkg-cprog-vpx.wway