Imagine a 72-Mile Off-Road Trail Loop between Portland, Lewiston-Auburn, and Brunswick, Maine.

Hello! We’re Casco Bay Trail Alliance. Our mission is to plan and support a multi-use trail loop through the communities of Auburn, Brunswick, Cumberland, Durham, Falmouth, Freeport, Lewiston, Lisbon, New Gloucester, North Yarmouth, Portland, Pownal, Topsham, and Yarmouth.

When completed, this continuous off-road corridor will be an incredible community resource, providing a safe active transportation corridor, promoting public health, and helping to reduce emissions and protect the environment.

The Casco Bay Trail will also provide a critical resource for people who don’t or can’t drive – or simply want to drive less. The proposed trail would connect to multiple bus routes and other public transportation, supporting an integrated transportation network in Maine. 

Casco Bay Trail, Portland to Yarmouth

The southern gateway to the Casco Bay Trail loop is in the East Deering neighborhood of Portland, where the Roux Institute plans to build its new campus. A 10-mile rail trail would run from Portland, through Falmouth, Cumberland, and into Yarmouth. The Casco Bay Trail would link to the Back Cove, Bayside, and Eastern Promenade Trails in downtown Portland and to the West Side Trail in Yarmouth. From downtown Yarmouth, one could fork left to follow the loop clockwise toward Lewiston-Auburn, or fork right to follow the loop counter-clockwise toward Brunswick.

Royal River Greenbelt, Yarmouth to Lewiston-Auburn

Forking left in Yarmouth, the envisioned rail trail continues for 15-miles through North Yarmouth, Pownal and New Gloucester, and then to an 8-mile connector trail from the Auburn border to downtown Auburn and downtown Lewiston. The greenway would run through the Royal River watershed, passing near many parks and preserves, including Riverfront Woods Preserve, Chandler Brook Preserve, Baston Park, the Pineland Farm Trails, the Bradbury-to-Pineland Trail, Pisgah Hill Preserve, Intervale Preserve, and Thurston Wildlife Marsh.

Androscoggin Trail, Lewiston-Auburn to Brunswick

This 23-mile segment would start from the Lewiston-Auburn Greenway, follow a new rail trail to Lisbon, where it would connect to the Papermill Trail through Lisbon, and across the river from Durham, then continue along the Androscoggin River through Topsham and into Brunswick.

Casco Bay Trail, Brunswick to Yarmouth

This 16-mile segment would run from Brunswick through Freeport, where it would connect to the Beth Condon Pathway back to downtown Yarmouth. This part of the greenway loop would also run through Royal River Park in Yarmouth, and connect to the Androscoggin Bicycle and Pedestrian Path in Brunswick.

An East Coast Connection

The combined 72-mile greenway loop will be part of the 3,000 mile East Coast Greenway. When completed, the East Coast Greenway will likely be the most visited park in America. The Casco Bay Trail network, because of its location on a major commuting corridor in the state, will be among the most heavily used Maine segments, attracting visitors from around the country and world.

Sounds terrific, right? We think so too!

Learn more about the Transformative Impact of long-distance trails.

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