I was excited when the Eastern Trail in Maine announced that the 1.6-mile gap in its trail south of Portland was finally, finally closing.
This project has been a long time coming, even if construction was faster than expected once shovels finally met ground. Not only is it a key part of the trail that one day should stretch from Portland to the New Hampshire line but it’s also part of the developing 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway that runs from Calais, Maine, at the Canadian border, to Key West, Florida.
Sadly, I couldn’t be there for the opening or make it to Maine to check out the trail. But a friend was there for the ribbon-cutting. Here’s her report:
Bicycle riding on trails isn’t exactly my thing, but the opportunity to be one of the first riders trying out the now-closed gap on the Eastern Trail sounded like fun. My wife and I saddled up to join 300 riders, walkers and rollerbladers — plus local dignitaries and even an oompah band — for the grand opening.
And wow! The new section is stunning, both in its design and functionality.
We picked up the trail in South Portland’s Wainwright Recreation Complex (one end of the new section) and pedaled first on wide asphalt then hard-packed limestone, taking in Maine’s natural beauty at every turn: native plants, birdsong, a sparkling pond, the Nonesuch River, and further west, dense forest.
New split-rail wooden fencing guards each side for a short stretch from the recreation complex’s parking lot, then gives way to thick goldenrod borders. Rounding several corners, we saw thoughtfully-placed benches, dedicated to private and corporate donors, and eventually reached a clearing where we could see the pond.
But what was suddenly flying towards us? Golf balls! We ducked!
The trail’s pond neighbor is the Pleasant Hill Driving Range, within reach of a good golfer’s drive – and we could easily hear the swoosh of clubs striking balls. There’s a nice metal mesh fence, though, and a sign warning us to keep alert.
As we stopped to check it all out, we spied dozens of balls at the bottom of the pond awaiting clean-up by an Aqua Zamboni.
Keeping our heads low, we continued on the trail up a (pleasant) hill, arriving at the busy Pleasant Hill Road intersection flashing yellow lights (beacons) that walkers and bikers can activate with a touch of a button to help them across the road. Drivers should take note … and stop.
Looking for food? There are two popular local eateries to choose from here. The Honeycomb Cafe is just yards from the intersection and shares a parking lot with the golf range; it serves breakfast, lunch, glitzy coffee drinks and smoothies, all from sustainably-sourced ingredients. Al’s of Scarborough is adjacent to the trail once you cross Pleasant Hill and is an old-fashioned pizza joint, run by the Fasulo family since 1982, that also boasts a pretty good lobster roll.
Next, a large bulk appeared in the distance, looking like the front end of a roller coaster. This turned out to be a bridge that crosses over the CSX railroad tracks and required getting into an easier gear and even standing up on pedals to get over.
We stopped at the top for a selfie, and as we do, hordes of mostly smiling opening-day riders pass, possibly because they can see the downhill they’re about to be rewarded with. We let it fly too, though mindful of the trail’s posted 15 mph limit–difficult not to exceed!
Finally slowing, we found ourselves on dirt single-track, surrounded by Maine’s gorgeous pine trees. The trail narrows significantly here, and young riders might find the dirt and grass challenging as the ground is not flat.
Those “ET” signs with arrows that we spy are godsends because older paths through the woods could be mistaken for the actual trail.
Suddenly we’re approaching another beautiful bridge–not quite as high as the first one–that takes us over the Nonesuch River. We ride over and are quickly back in the forest. Woodpeckers, rosy finches, cardinals, hawks, goldfinches either accompany or scold us!
After meandering for another half-mile, the new section ends. Gap closed! We keep pedaling anyway, onto appropriately named Eastern Road. Though residential developments line both sides, the roadway is generally quiet with a 25 mph speed limit and bike lanes in each direction. In a little more than a mile, we cross Black Point Road (another set of flashing yellow beacons) and continue straight toward the two-mile section of the trail along the photogenic Scarborough Marsh.
Finishing the 1.6-mile section 15 months early was an epic win for the dozens of stakeholders, not to mention for South Portland and Scarborough residents as well as people who work in the two towns. Commuting by bicycle–popular in Maine–is now much safer for anyone who works at one of the many businesses (plus a branch of the Maine Department of Transportation) on Pleasant Hill Road. Before the trail section opened, cyclists going towards South Portland had to climb a nasty hill, then navigate a four-way stop to turn left onto Highland Avenue.
From South Portland’s Bug Light Park, at the edge of Casco Bay, to Pleasant Hill (and the golf balls) it’s a mostly flat eight miles one way and easily navigated by novices and even small children on small bikes.
With ample parking at both Bug Light and Wainwright, it’s a wonderful way for families to spend a pleasant afternoon.
More ambitious riders can keep going south; It’s 16 miles from Bug Light Park to the town of Saco, followed by Biddeford. The trail uses some local streets through these communities before it’s once again far from traffic heading further south.
