Maine is one of the most bike-friendly states in the USA, so biking around Portland is easy and offers plenty of opportunities for scenic, historical, and cultural exploration. Here are the top five bike paths to give visitors a taste of the city.
Back Cove Trail is one of the oldest and most popular trails in the city. This three-and-a-half-mile trail loops around Back Cove and offers fantastic views of the Portland skyline. As you loop around the trail, you will get a good look at some of Portland’s neighborhoods. The path is paved, filled with stone dust, and is mostly flat with a slight rise on the stretch that parallels I-295. Under Turkey’s Bridge, Back Cove Trail connects to the Eastern Promenade Trail.
Another waterfront trail, the Eastern Promenade Trail was built along an old rail corridor and connects to the Back Cove Trail at Turkey’s Bridge and continues along the harbor, offering scenic harbor and ocean views. This stone dust trail is mostly flat with a couple spots with a slight rise as it follows the rock-lined harbor coast. You can take a break from biking to swim or picnic at East End Beach.
Trail head at Commercial and India Streets, Portland, ME, USA, +1 207 775 2411
Established in 1855, Evergreen Cemetery covers 239 acres of land, making it the second largest cemetery in Maine. The cemetery has a number of noteworthy headstones, a park area with four ponds, and a network of wooded trails. Some of Evergreen Cemetery’s trails are paved and some are left natural, and the trails all have a moderate slope. Across Stevens Avenue, the Evergreen Cemetery trails connect to Baxter Woods. The cemetery is open from 7am to 4:30pm daily.
672 Stevens Ave, Portland, ME, USA, +1 207 797 4597
Fore River Sanctuary is an 85-acre preserve that is home to Jewell Falls, Portland’s only natural waterfall, and the former Cumberland and Oxford Canal. The 2 mile trail begins at the Congress Street trailhead, passing over the bridge and following the former canal path for half a mile. The trail then crosses over wetlands by way of two boardwalks and heads uphill to the loop that leads to Jewell Falls. This trail is close to the Capisic Brook Trail, the Fore River Trail, and the Stroudwater Trail.
1401 Congress St, Portland, ME, USA, +1 207 775 2411
Riverton Rail Trail, called ‘Sandy Road’ by Riverton neighborhood residents, is a straight trail that follows the roadbed of the historic Portland-Lewiston Interurban Rail line from Portland’s trolley era. The one-and-a-half-mile trail cuts a straight line through rock outcroppings and thick forest. It is a mostly flat trail except for a steep gully that interrupts the old rail line. A freight train rail line that is still in use runs parallel to the trail and occasionally breaks up the wooded quietness.
Wall St., Portland, ME, USA, +1 207 775 2411
By Paige Watts
