Ellsworth to Brewer
&
Downeast Trail

A Proposed Rail-with-Trail

Historic Railroad Mileage Charts

Bar Harbor Branch

Calais Branch

Near Ellsworth. Photo by K. Votava of ECGA.

Near Machias. Photo supplied by ECGA.

East Coast Greenway Designation

Note that this Trail will become part of the East Coast Greenway, (ECG) a multi-user trail that will run from Maine to Florida as the 'urban equivalent' to the Appalachian Trail. As such, the entire ECG has been designated as a Millennium Trail.  

Status Report to ECGA (2001 State of the Trail Report)

• ME-1 Downeast Trail

• Endpoints: Canadian Border at Calais to Ellsworth

• Miles: 113

• Landscape: rural, small town, urban

• Jurisdiction: Towns, MDOT, US Dept of the Interior

• Status: planning/design

• Condition: RR ROW is unimproved

• Next steps: begin construction of designated portions

• Funding allocated: $250,000

• Contact: Sally Jacobs, Sunrise Trail Coalition, [email protected];
  John Balicki, MDOT 207-287-6600, [email protected]

• ME-2 - Ellsworth to Brewer

• Endpoints: Ellsworth to the Penobscot River in Brewer

• Miles: 31

• Landscape: rural, small town, urban

• Status: small segment of off-road in planning/design stage

• Condition: unimproved RR ROW

• Next steps: planning/design balance: construct first segment

• Funding allocated: n/a

• Contact: John Balicki, MDOT 207-287-6600, [email protected]

Temporary on-road bike route

The Bike and Pedestrian Section of ME-DOT have prepared temporary on-road bike routes for the East Coast Greenway that also serves the planned rail-trail as follows:

• Ellsworth to Brewer Trail is covered by the River Route document on pages 9-10.

• Downeast Trail is covered by the entire Downeast Trail document.

Please Note: To view any of the Bike Tour documents that are linked above, you must have a document viewer that will read PDF files. To get a PDF reader, please click HERE.

Intercity Bus Transportation to the temporary on-road Trail

• Vermont Transit (Greyhound) stops in Bangor on a daily basis and also stops in Ellsworth and Bar Harbor on a seasonal basis. This bus accommodates bicycles in boxes as part of baggage allowance! 
• Concord Trailways stops in Bangor on a daily basis. Unboxed bicycles accommodated in baggage bins under special rules! Concord Trailways operates a seasonal airport limousine on a reservations-only basis between Bangor, Ellsworth, and Bar Harbor Cyclists are encouraged to inquire about the bicycle policy of this limousine.
• West's Coastal Connection stops in Bangor, Elsworth, Machais, Perry, & Calais  on a daily basis with stops on signal at intermediate points between Ellsworth and Calais. Note that bicycles may be brought inside this coach!
• SMT (from the Maritime Provinces) stops at Bangor and St Stephen on weekends only. See Vermont Transit (Greyhound) for schedule. Bicycles accepted when boxed only (boxes are not provided) and will be charged two times (2x) the applicable Parcel Rate. 
• Cyr Bus Line stops at Bangor on a daily basis. This bus accommodates bicycles in boxes!

Ferry Transportation to the temporary on-road Trail

• The Cat is a high-speed seasonal ferry operating between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth, NS. Accommodates bicycles on an extra-charge basis! Note that Island Explorer offers connecting bus transportation to Trenton during the summer months. All Island Explorer busses have two sets of bike racks!
• Maine State Ferry Service operates from Bass Harbor  to Swans Island & Frenchboro on a year-round basis. Accommodates bicycles on an extra-charge basis! Island Explorer offers connecting bus transportation to Trenton via Bar Harbor during the summer months. All Island Explorer busses have two sets of bike racks! 
• Beal & Bunker Mail Boat operates a ferry from Northeast Harbor to Cranberry Isles, Isleford, and Sutton on a year-around basis. Accommodates bicycles on an extra-charge basis! Island Explorer offers connecting bus transportation to Trenton via Bar Harbor during summer months. All Island Explorer busses have two sets of bike racks! 
• Cranberry Cove Boating Co. operates a ferry from Southwest Harbor to Islesford and Great Cranberry Island on a seasonal basis. Accommodates bicycles on an extra-charge basis! Island Explorer offers connecting bus transportation to Trenton via Bar Harbor during the summer months. All Island Explorer busses have two sets of bike racks!

Local Bus Transportation to the temporary on-road Trail

• The Bus - Bangor Bus Div. provides city bus service within Bangor, Brewer, Hampden, Veazie, Orono, and Old Town on Weekdays and Saturdays. Note that Brewer North Loop busses allow bicyclists to escape city traffic between Downtown Bangor and the end of Eastern Avenue. All city busses have bike racks! 

• Island Explorer provides frequent daily transportation on a seasonal basis  from Trenton and Bar Harbor through Acadia National Park and nearby settlements.  All Island Explorer busses have two sets of bike racks!

• Downeast Transportation provides rural public transportation on a year-round basis (bicycles presumably not accommodated):

  • mid-day on weekdays within Ellsworth

  • a weekdays only round trip to Bar Harbor

  • a once-per-week service to outlying towns on the mainland and Mount Desert Island.

• Pleasant Point Transportation provides rural public transportation on weekdays only from Pleasant Point Reservation to Eastport and Perry with twice-per week service beyond Perry to Calais. Cyclists must inquire about the bicycle policy of this bus.

• Indian Township Transportation presumably provides transportation on a comparable basis from Indian Township Reservation Princeton and Calais. Cyclists must inquire about the bicycle policy of this bus. 

Rizzo Associates Study

Rizzo Associates evaluated the feasibility of constructing a rail-with-trail project from the beginning of the Calais Branch Railroad in Brewer to the end at St. Croix Junction in Calais. An inventory of key features and characteristics of the railroad corridor was conducted for the 132-mile length of the project. After identifying areas where a rail-with-trail project would be difficult to construct due to land use, topographic or environmental constraints, alternative trail locations and parallel roadway segments were investigated. Please refer to this study for more information about the  proposed trail.

Articles in the News:

• Sunny plan for Calais intermodal center (09/05/01 - Bangor Daily News)

• Bangor-to-Trenton railway to be studied - (June 26, 2001 - Bangor Daily News)

• Greenway trail to link Calais, Key West ( 06/04/01 - Bangor Daily News)

• State to aid in Calais trail extension (05/02/01 - Bangor Daily News)

• Ellsworth OKs location for bike, people path (01/10/01  - Bangor Daily News)

• Is Rail Restoration On the Right Track? (Ellsworth American 11/11/99)

• Group pushes for Down East trail (Foster's Daily Democrat 08/23/99)

• Group favors 126-mile trail from Brewer to Calais (Bangor Daily News - August 21, 1999)

• Legislator pushing trails over rails (Ellsworth Weekly 7/30/98)

• Touting a new trail (Ellsworth Weekly 7/30/98)
• Brewer-to-Calais Rail Plan Backed By State’s Transportation Chief (Ellsworth American 1/21/99)

Go to:

• www.new-england-rail-trails.org

• Rail-Trails of Maine

• Calais Waterfront Walkway (east)

• Search This Site

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