What if my 11-year-old swerves on to the road so she doesn't run over a caterpillar?
What if my 13-year-old decides to look at the birds flying overhead or simply daydream while riding and crosses the shoulder line?
What if one of the girls hits an unexpected dip or pothole and takes a tumble into the road instead of onto the shoulder?
What if an inattentive driver swerves onto the shoulder and into one of us?
To more experienced bike riders, I may sound overly worried, but since each of the above scenarios has happened (except the inattentive driver scenario, thank goodness) while riding in our low-traffic neighborhood, I err on the side of caution while riding with my kids. That's not to say I have never taken them road riding, because I have (the ice cream store two miles from our house being a favorite destination). But I find I don't enjoy the ride nearly as much as I do when we are on bike paths, out of the line of traffic. And because I really would like to enjoy myself and not stress about cars whizzing by, I have been motivated to find trails that keep us off the road.
So here are a few off-road suggestions we've enjoyed that have put my mommy brain at ease. Other than road crossings, there is no on-road riding on any of them.
EASTERN TRAIL, SCARBOROUGH
This trail is a lot of fun for my birding enthusiasts, who enjoy frequent stops to look at and take pictures of the marsh birds. The smooth, packed-gravel surface and lack of hills on this path make for a very easy and pleasant ride with kids. The one downside is the lack of places to sit down to have a picnic lunch, something we usually like to do. We found a spot near the trail head to spread out our picnic blanket for a few minutes (the dampness of the marsh soaks through blankets, even nylon, pretty quickly) but stayed clear of the "No Trespassing" sign on one side of the parking area.
TRAIL: Scarborough Marsh (part of the Eastern Trail that connects trails from Maine to Florida)
LENGTH: About three miles one way
TERRAIN: Packed gravel
TRAIL HEAD: The trail head is well-marked on Pine Point Road, with a sign for the Eastern Trail about a quarter-mile east of the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center.
BATHROOM: None
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash
13-YEAR-OLD: "I liked how smooth and even it was. I liked looking out on the marsh when we were bike riding. It was really nice. I liked watching all the birds around the marsh and I stopped to take some pictures, too."
11-YEAR-OLD: "I liked looking at the marsh. I liked the trees on the trail that covered it and made it nice and shady. I liked all the birds, too. They flew right over our heads. It was fun to ride and look at everything. I liked skipping rocks in the water at the trail head, too."
Biking Eastern Trail at Scarborough Marsh at EveryTrail
BACK COVE, EASTERN PROM TRAILS, PORTLAND
To avoid road riding, we only spend a short time on the Back Cove trail before connecting to the Eastern Prom. There are hills on the Eastern Prom trail, but nothing too difficult for bikes with gears (younger riders with gearless bikes might opt to walk their bike in some spots). My youngest daughter first rode this path when she was 9 years old without difficulty. There are plenty of things to look at, including a colorful graffiti wall, wastewater treatment plant (the roiling brown water is quite a site), the Narrow Gauge Railroad and East End Beach. When we ride here, we usually make a detour off the main path to visit Fort Allen Park's cannon and enjoy our snack sitting atop the hill at the picnic tables above East End Beach.
TRAIL: Back Cove Trail to the Eastern Prom Trail (part of the Portland Trails)
LENGTH: About three miles one way
TERRAIN: Packed gravel on Back Cove Trail; Eastern Prom is paved
TRAIL HEAD: We use the lot off Preble Street Extension.
BATHROOM: At East End Beach
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash
13-YEAR-OLD: "I like this trail because there is a lot to look at. I like seeing the train pass by, too. I don't like the hills too much, but there are not too many of them and they are not too hard. And I like going to see the cannon. You can see Fort Gorges from there, too."
11-YEAR-OLD: "I usually see lots of birds there and it is a nice place to have lunch. I also like the cannon, but not the riding up the big hill to get to it. Seeing the train
is cool, too."
MOUNTAIN DIVISION TRAIL, STANDISH
We have biked this trail from Standish to Windham (about 10 miles round-trip) but have also taken less ambitious rides that only cover a few miles as well. There is one big hill near Otter Pond in Standish, but overall it's a fairly level, packed gravel trail ride. There are four road crossings from Standish to Windham and all but one are lightly traveled roads (one road may take a couple of minutes to cross with its faster moving cars). There are benches along the trail for pit stops and picnic lunches. Very often we share the trail with horses (near the Standish end) and my kids think that makes this trail extra special.
TRAIL: Mountain Division Trail
LENGTH: 4.7 miles one way
TERRAIN: Packed gravel
TRAIL HEAD: We use the trail head off Route 35 in Standish, but there are trail heads in Windham and Gorham as well.
BATHROOM: Porta-potty at Standish trailhead
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash
13-YEAR-OLD: "I like seeing the horses on this trail. It's pretty easy except for the giant hill at the railroad tracks. I don't like that hill too much, but I like this trail."
11-YEAR-OLD: "This trail is a looooong ride but I like to see the horses and I like to look at the river. I was happy the first time I rode the whole trail when I was 9 years old. It was almost 10 miles! That's a lot for a kid."
Mountain Division Trail at EveryTrail
We have enjoyed several other off-road trails around the state that include:
* Greenbelt Trail in South Portland
* Kennebec River Rail Trail in Augusta
* Androscoggin River Bike Path in Brunswick, Topsham
* Carriage Trails Acadia National Park
Read all Kid Tracks blog entries related to biking.
Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, June 2009
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