Bike Maine's Narrow Gauge Pathway
Mountain Bike Trail Winds Along Beautiful Carrabassett River
Jul 17, 2009
The Narrow Gauge Pathway is a multi-use trail for non-motorized sports: biking, hiking, horseback riding. Winter enthusiasts can snowshoe or cross country ski (the trail is groomed by the Town of Carrabassett Valley).
Bikers can do the basic 10-mile trek or extend it to a 12.6-mile round trip. Park at the Town of Carrabasset Valley office on the Carriage Road, just off State Route 27, the major road in the area. Gather the bike and gear and head to the trail, which is a left turn from the parking lot, then a left turn onto a gravel road called Houston Brook Road (which turns into the Narrow Gauge Pathway). Directional signs have been posted.
Nice Example of a Maine Multi-use Trail
The Narrow Gauge Pathway is a double-track biking trail with crushed rock for a base — good for mountain and hybrid bikes, but not well suited to street bikes. It's well maintained, but riders will occasionally come across a downed tree or an eroded spot. Several picnic tables have been placed streamside among the trees, making picnicking and rest stops very convenient.
The trail largely follows the curves of the Carrabassett River and is a slight uphill grade for the entire trip from the town office to Campbell Field (the 5-mile mark). Campbell Field is a marked left turn off the pathway. Cross the river on an attractive wooden arched bridge (a good photo op). Campbell Field consists of a parking lot and a restroom.
Bikers can take the same trail back to the town office parking lot from Campbell Field, making a 10-mile trek. It's downhill all the way, so be alert and ready to brake if necessary on a rough patch. Alternately, bikers can continue on the Narrow Gauge Pathway another 1.3 miles to the parking area just across from the access road to Sugarloaf USA before returning to the parking lot at the town office, making a 12.6 mile trek.
Find additional details plus a map of the trail at the town's website.
Origins of This Maine Rail Trail
The Pathway was once the rail bed for the narrow gauge railroad that serviced the Carrabassett Valley, Kingfield, and Bigelow Stations area prior to construction of the road network that exists today. The railway was only two feet wide, hence the moniker "narrow gauge." Its primary purpose was to transport timber and lumber, but also carried some freight and passengers.
The narrow gauge railway existed from the 1890s to 1920s in this area of western Maine until roads and trucks became the dominant mode of transportation. The Town of Carrabassett Valley turned the rail bed into a multi-use pathway in 2001.
More Fun Activities in Maine
- Drive farther on the Carriage Road (gravel, hilly) another 2 miles to park and walk to Poplar Stream Falls (drops of 24 and 51 feet). This part of the Carriage Road is controlled by the Penobscot Indian Nation and is only open mid-May to early November.
- Hike a 2.5 mile trail to the Poplar Streams hut, the first one created by the nascent Maine Huts & Trails organization.
- Visit SugarloafUSA for winter sports or, in the summer, golfing, hiking, mountain biking.
- Eat and shop in a beautiful small Maine town: Kingfield is immediately south of Carrabassett Valley and has a few quirky shops and restaurants (along with a playful atmosphere).
Interested in more riding? Read another Suite 101 article listing additional eastern US mountain bike trails to enjoy.
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