The Kennebec Explorer 2018 Visitor's Guide to Maine's Kennebec Valley | Page 9
But we know that finding the best
spot to ride is harder than it seems.
Thankfully, resources online like
those at MaineTrailFinder.com will
point you in the right direction. Those
planning on biking in the region also
need to pedal over to CeMeNEMBA
for great places to ride and for lists of
guided ride events coming up.
Out in the snow
Time spent outside can take you off
the beaten path, make for an afternoon
well spent with family and friends, and
allow you to see a place in a whole new
way. Whether you’re into hiking, biking,
snowshoeing, or cross-country
skiing, the Kennebec Valley offers
hundreds, perhaps thousands of miles
of trails to be enjoyed in any season.
Snowshoeing is more than just great
cardio, it’s a chance to see the beautiful
and often busier-than-we-imagined
world of birds and animals during the
cold winter months. Most trails that are
hiked in the summer can be used in the
winter for snowshoeing. Another way
to enjoy the winter on foot is to find a
full-moon snowshoe excursion with a
warm cup of cocoa waiting at the end.
For the more robust, jumping on a pair
of cross-country skis and taking to the
trails—also called Nordic skiing—is like
snowshoeing in that it offers great
exercise and is a great way to see the
pristine winter world captured under a
brilliant white blanket of snow.
Shared-use trails
Most trails are open to all kinds of
non-motorized use. However, another
class of trails under development is
multi-use or shared-use trails, which
are available for activities ranging
from walking, horseback riding, and
Nordic skiing all the way to ATV riding
and snowmobiling in the winter. If you
plan to use these trails, please abide
by the posted signage.
Motorized use trails
For those looking to rev up their vacation
time, there is a vast and well-mapped
network of trails for motorized use only.
ATV and snowmobile clubs throughout
the region have great local maps and
resources that can often be found online
or in stores near the places you wish to
ride if you want to go it alone.
Hiking
How can you not love hiking? Think
of it. Aside from a pair of sturdy shoes
—and maybe some bug spray—no
special gear is required. It’s a sport that
you can enjoy in almost any season.
And it takes you into nature and away
from the crush of everyday life. Go
for a hike and embrace the sense of
adventure that comes with discovering
a new place from the outside in. We
promise you’ll return a changed
person. In fact, one of the world’s
most famous (and life-changing)
hikes, the Appalachian Trail, crosses
through the Kennebec Valley.
VISITOR RESOURCES:
Central Maine New England Mountain Bike Association – CeMeNEMBA.org
Mountain biking Lake George Regional Park – LakeGeorgePark.org
Our terrain in the Kennebec Valley
runs from flat to full-on vertical and
everything in-between. Which makes
it a great place to hit the trails on a bike. Maine Trail Finder – MaineTrailFinder.com | Messalonskee Kennebec Trails– KMTrails.com
Quarry Road Trails – QuarryRoad.org | Registered Maine Guides – MaineGuides.org
For more about outdoor adventure visit KennebecValley.org
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