This trail is wide, flat and goes on for miles - 28.9 miles to be exact. It includes 22 off-road miles in addition to scenic, on-road miles connecting Kennebunk to Bug Light Park in South Portland. It is flat almost the entire way, so it's perfect for all ages of walkers, runners and bikers. It's also a great choice for mud season.
Our favorite starting point is at the Eastern Road parking lot in Scarborough. This trailhead leads to the Scarborough Marsh, the largest contiguous salt marsh system in Maine. This section of trail offers benches for resting along marshy viewing areas, in addition to shady wooded sections of trail.
When our boys were young, we'd load bikes into the car and head for this trail. Most of these photos were from that time, which explains why our now teenagers appear as young chaps on wee bikes in these pics.
During one of these trips, we biked with my brother-in-law and nephews from this section of trail all the way to Old Orchard Beach for a day of rides and riding the waves. I don't remember how old the boys were and my hands were too full for taking photos, but I'm guessing they were between the ages of 7-9? Or 8-10? Whatever the ages, it was a full day affair, but quite an adventure for our kids. I think it was somewhere around 14 miles, round-trip. A bit ambitious with young bikers, but we made it! We never doubted they could do it, so neither did they.
This trail was built along the old Eastern Railroad Corridor. This was the first railroad to connect Boston to Portland operating from 1842-1945. The vision to create the Eastern Trail began in the 1990's. To read the full history on this trail's evolution and the future goals, find the Eastern Trail Alliances's website here.
The Eastern Trail is dog-friendly and wheelchair accessible. Recreational uses include walking, biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Enjoy it in all seasons!