Accessing the Sunrise Trail in East Machias & Machias

I rode and ran a little more than 30 miles of the Sunrise Trail in August, 2020. Because most of the trail is coarse gravel, I would recommend a mountain bike, or nothing less than a hybrid with wide tires for biking the trail in and around Machias. Further complicating the issue is the prevalence of ATVs. Most of the drivers were courteous to those of us without motors, but occasionally there were a few who felt entitled to own the road. ATVs can also kick up a lot of dust, which can slow your cadence down for a few hundred yards until the cloud dissipates. That being said, the opportunity to view the Machias River from the perspective of the old rail line and to see some of the industrialized remains in these towns reveals so much of the past. There’s a great deal of nature to see, too, as you head uphill, away from the towns and into the woods.  Part of the section between E. Machias and Machias runs along a beautiful open marsh section near the mouth of the Middle River.   There are plenty of casual parking places along Route One that will give you easy access to the trail, which is well-marked.