Bike Tripping off Route One
These are some of the big opportunities to get out from behind the wheel, hang on to your handlebars, put on your helmet and get some needed exercise after a long road trip. Seeing the country by bike is great for several reasons; you’re not spending for gas or adding to greenhouse emissions, you take in so much more at a slower speed, without being enveloped in your car. You can smell what’s going on, too. I find that connecting to people is much easier, too. “Where did you ride from?” is usually what I get asked right up front. People know you’ve had a much more interesting experience having ridden your bike than having driven a car. They’re inquisitive because you’re different. I mean yikes! Just look at those bike shorts, right? Most of these trails allow you to get away from vehicular traffic, sometimes into some wild and beautiful areas. Most of the trails are part of, or connected to the East Coast Greenway, a 30 year old initiative to connect the entire eastern seaboard by bike trail. https://www.greenway.org/ There’s also US Bicycle Route 1, overseen by AASHTO, the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials, which makes things pretty confusing. For this trip, I’ll try to point out the connections to the Greenway and leave Bicycle Route 1 for another day.
Itinerary
 | Calais, a walking start on a flat trail Calais Waterfront Walkway, Calais, ME 04619, USA |
 | The Longest Continuous Off-Road Section of the East Coast Greenway |
| Another intersection of 1a |
| The Longest Section of the Sunrise Trail Along Route 1 |
| Western terminus of the Sunrise Trail, just behind the LL Bean Outlet on Route 1. |
| The West Side Trail in Yarmouth |
| Imagine Life on the Road |
| The Entrance to the Western End of Neponset River Greenway |
| Washington Secondary Trail |
| Farmington Canal Heritage Trail |
 | Iconic Bike Path in Boston Boston MA |
| Where the Eastern Trail for Bikes adopts Route One Biddeford ME |
| When Webster's Dictionary is looking to define "Quaint"....Columbia Falls, ME Columbia Falls ME |
| Accessing the Sunrise Trail in East Machias & Machias Machias ME |
| Where it All Begins - The East Coast Greenway Calais ME |
 | An East-West Bike Route 2 Lincoln Memorial Cir NW, Washington, DC 20002, USA |
Calais, a walking start on a flat trail
Calais Waterfront Walkway, Calais, ME 04619, USA
The Longest Continuous Off-Road Section of the East Coast Greenway
Perry, Maine is the Northeast terminus of the Sunrise Trail, a 87-mile multi-use rail-to-trail route that is the longest continuous off-road section of the East Coast Greenway.
Another intersection of 1a
At Whitneyville (1a) there’s another intersection of 1a and the Sunrise Trail
The Longest Section of the Sunrise Trail Along Route 1
Harrington to Cherryfield has the longest section of the Sunrise Trail running directly along Route 1. Don’t forget to stop for blueberries when they’re in season, since Cherryfield is the self-proclaimed “wild blueberry capital of the world”, but doesn’t that name make their claim just a bit confusing?
Western terminus of the Sunrise Trail, just behind the LL Bean Outlet on Route 1.
The West Side Trail in Yarmouth
For those looking for some single track off-road dirt on their Route 1 biking adventure, you may want to try the 8.2 mile West Side Trail in Yarmouth. It has a bit of an urban flavor, since it follows I-295 for while, but it has enough in the way of hills to keep the riding interesting. https://www.mainetrailfinder.com/trails/trail/west-side-trail
Imagine Life on the Road
The Entrance to the Western End of Neponset River Greenway
The entrance to the western end of Neponset River Greenway is a very close drive from old Route 1 (Washington St) in the Readeville section of Dedham, Mass. It runs northeast from there, almost to the Dorchester Bay Basin (Pope John Paul Park in Dorchester), about 8 miles to the present-day Route 1 (I-93 & the Big Dig). There are plenty of river views to be had along stretches of macadam and packed gravel. There’s a caution or two in the reviews about riding the trail during prime-time, when pedestrians – many with dogs and strollers might be most prevalent. Find your space & choose your pace! I recall a special time walking one of my sons in a stroller around the Dorchester Basin on a chilly day, when a passer by gave me his encouragement to me “YEAH, MAN!
Washington Secondary Trail
The oddly named “Washington Secondary Trail” runs parallel to the Pawtuxet River for much of its 17 mile length. Some of the River crossings are on repurposed railroad bridges. Cranston, RI is your closest Route One jumping off point, if you swing west on Potter’s Ave to find the eastern end of the trail, there’s a parking area on Depot Avenue. The trail runs West-southwest, almost to the Connecticut border. https://www.traillink.com/trail-maps/washington-secondary-bike-path/
Farmington Canal Heritage Trail
If you’re in New Haven with a bike, consider riding the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, another part of the Rails-to Trails East Coast Greenway. A former freight canal built in the 1820s and 1830s, the trail follows the right of way which was converted to the New Haven and Northampton Railroad in 1848. It was commonly known as the “Canal Line”. The Canal Heritage Trail is in the midst of a “fill the gaps” campaign to assist local governments in completing the last few segments of the paved trail all the way up to Northampton, MA, 81 miles away. https://fchtrail.org/
Iconic Bike Path in Boston
Boston MA
Where the Eastern Trail for Bikes adopts Route One
Biddeford ME
When Webster's Dictionary is looking to define "Quaint"....Columbia Falls, ME
Columbia Falls ME
Accessing the Sunrise Trail in East Machias & Machias
Machias ME
Where it All Begins - The East Coast Greenway
Calais ME
An East-West Bike Route
2 Lincoln Memorial Cir NW, Washington, DC 20002, USA
Where the East Coast Greenway meets the Great American Rail Trail, an East-West Bike Route
Peter Evans ME Calais Feb 10, 2021 Off The Path Trips
Feb 10, 2021
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