Sebago to the Sea Trail - Grand opening Sat Oct 13th

http://www.sebagotothesea.org/news.html

Unfortunately an 8 mile section had to be turned into a paddling route as the abandoned railbed they were intending to use was rehabilitated without a bike path. The paddling route is nice, not a lot of traffic and quite "wild" for being just outside of Portland

So users should bring both their inflatable boats and folding bikes for this trail. Seriously, though. This is a wonderful addition to trails in Maine. Every time I use or drive beneath the pedestrian bridge in Kennebunk I am awestruck that this was able to be built. Won't the 8 mile section be a bike path eventually? That's what I understood would happen, just not right away.

The 8 mile section was all set to be a rail trail as it had been shut down for 20 plus years. It is the former Mountain Division line that runs up through Crawford Notch. Just about the time Sebago to the Sea had all their plans set some politician got hold of money (possibly ARRA money) to rehabilitate the rail line to Windham and there wasnt money to install the parallel bike path. The organizers are hoping to find funding somewhere but it will not be inexpensive. The nice part with the RR along the river was there there was very little development over the years so it feels quite wild in spots. The section of river has dams on either end. When I was a kid, they used to shut off the river to work on the dams and run it close to dry which did in most of the cold water fish. Very few folks canoe it.

I've done the river section twice. It's nice for a day trip if you live in a vicinity but it is nothing spectacular just for someone to plan and come visit from faraway.

The section from South Windham to Sebago lake is really nice for a day trip on a bicycle. It has a paved strip most of the way, until the two ponds near the YMCA campground.

It is also nice to be walked as a day trip. I have done the trail either on bikes or on foot. It gets quite buggy during the sprint and early summer.