I do not like bike riding on the road with my kids. I find road riding- even short treks with a wide shoulder - to be stressful when the kids are with me. But I really enjoy riding and so do the kids.
Lucky for us, we live in Maine.
There are some great off-the-road trails – not to be confused with mountain biking – around the state that allow families to ride together without the worries of car traffic.
Exploring bike trails has been the highlight of our spring so if you're looking for a riding adventure for your family this summer, we have a few recommendations.
KENNEBEC RIVER RAIL TRAIL, AUGUSTA
This 6.5-mile trail runs through the towns of Augusta, Hallowell, Farmingdale and Gardiner. We started our ride at Capitol City Park in Augusta with plans to ride to Gardiner and back. Parents with younger children can easily track their distance on this well-marked trail to determine an appropriate length for your family's fitness level.
In Hallowell's business district my family opted to walk our bikes because this portion of the trail was on the road. We did some window shopping (the kids loved the animal wood carvings) before resuming our ride on the trail just outside the village. This short walk made for a nice break from the bike seats.
There was a semi-steep hill in Hallowell that my kids climbed fairly easily by managing their gears but kids riding bikes without gears may opt to walk up the short hill instead. At the end of the trail in Gardiner we found a shopping plaza with plenty of bathroom options and a bench in a small grassy area to sit and eat our lunch.
TRAIL: Kennebec River Rail Trail (part of the East Coast Greenway that connects trails from Maine to Florida)
LENGTH: 6.5 miles one way
TERRAIN: Mostly paved with about a half mile of packed gravel between Augusta and Hallowell
TRAIL HEAD: Capitol City Park in Augusta and Hannaford shopping plaza in Gardiner are the main points of entry with plenty of parking but there are many other access points as well.
BATHROOM: There are nearby businesses at both trail heads that have public bathrooms. There are also public bathrooms in downtown Hallowell.
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash
KID RATING: 5 stars (on a scale of 1-the worst to 5-the best).
12-YEAR-OLD: "I liked the bike path because it was smooth. There were not many people on the trail when we were there so it made it really easy for us to ride. I also liked passing by all the pretty shops in Hallowell."
10-YEAR-OLD: "The pavement was easy to ride on and I liked the railroad track crossings. I liked the wooden bridge with the brook under it. I also liked stopping for onion rings at the Hi-Hat Diner, I just wish I got more onion rings!"
ANDROSCOGGIN RIVER BIKE PATH, BRUNSWICK
This bike path in Brunswick is super family-friendly with plenty of scenic picnic spots and convenient (and clean) outhouses near both ends of the trail. A small, older playground at the Cook's Corner end of the trail motivated my kids to ride the full 2.6 miles of this trail when we were still working on our "bike legs" with our first ride of the season.
TRAIL: Androscoggin River Bike Path
LENGTH: 2.6 miles one way
TERRAIN: Paved
TRAIL HEAD: Main trail head is located at the end of Water Street in Brunswick. There is an entrance at the end of Grover Lane (near Cook's Corner) as well as a connection to Topsham via the Coastal Connector Bridge.
BATHROOM: There is an outhouse approximately 1/4 mile from the Water Street trail head and another about 1/2 mile from Cook's Corner.
DOG-FRIENDLY: No
KID RATING: 5 stars
12-YEAR-OLD: "The path is nice and smooth. I liked the roundabout at the playground at the end of the trail."
10-YEAR-OLD: "I liked the roundabout at the playground. It was fun. I liked stopping for a picnic on the trail. I liked the bridge too and going down the hill."
GREENBELT TRAIL, SOUTH PORTLAND
This urban trail required more "stop and go" than other trails we've visited because of the many street crossings. Even though most were in quiet, residential areas with no cars in sight, my husband and I feel it is simply good policy when riding with the kids to stop and look both ways before crossing every street.
There were two major intersections - one at Mill Creek (Broadway and Route 77) and the other on Broadway and Evans Street. We waited for the crosswalk signals (something most around us were not doing) which gave us a nice break from the bike seats.
We found one part of the trail a bit confusing simply because we were unfamiliar with the city. The off-the-road trail ends at Pearl Street with no trail markers to confirm that you follow Chestnut Street (we did spot a small arrow on the road at the end of Pearl Street veering to the left so we knew which way to go). We continued along the road for a short time before we picked up the trail again. Not a big deal, but be aware there is a short section of on-the-road riding on a quiet street.
The diversity of sights along this trail was fun - from a view of the water and lovely backyard gardens (the trail abuts quite a few homes) to the woods and open fields. And Mill Creek Park and Bug Light are great spots for a picnic lunch.
TRAIL: Greenbelt Trail (also part of the East Coast Greenway)
LENGTH: 5.7 miles one way
TERRAIN: Paved
TRAIL HEAD: Bug Light Park, Madison Street (off Broadway) in South Portland
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash
KID RATING: 4 stars
12-YEAR-OLD: "I liked how the pavement was smooth. You could hear a lot of birds on this trail. I liked seeing Bug Light. There were a lot of places where you had to cross the street and I didn't like that too much but it was OK."
10-YEAR-OLD: "I liked this trail because I could see lots of birds, like cranes and seagulls. And the trail was wide so I could bike next to my mom. We got to go and see Bug Light again and I love that lighthouse because I can run to the lighthouse and touch it and look over the edge at the water."
You can find trail maps and photos from these rides on my Kid Tracks blog. My family has more two-wheeling adventures planned so maybe we'll see you out on the trails this summer!
Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, June 2008
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