Androscoggin Riverlands State Park, Turner

This state park, which opened in 2010, is about 2,700 acres! It contains 12 miles of frontage along the wide Androscoggin River, and has miles and miles of trails — a combo of walking/biking trails and ATV trails. Though some of the footpaths hew closely to the river, they’re often set back from the banks, unfortunately. The map indicates where you can access the water — at viewpoints you should definitely incorporate into your route.

Some of the trail loops are 10 miles or more, so you can prepare for a day’s worth of hiking if you head out here. A good map of this park is here. The ATV trails are not marked but they’re wide and easy to follow. The walking trails are blazed, but not meticulously so, though they typically have signs where they intersect with ATV paths.

The north part of the park has a larger parking lot and is more widely used, and there are more walking paths and more nice spots on the river here. (There is no easy access to the river in the bottom third of this park.) The ATV trails are not always pleasant for walkers because on nice weekend days, you might feel as if you could get run down by a motorbike. And they can be muddy.

The brochure recommends several loops for walkers and riders. Below are a few trails I recommend for hikers.

Homestead Trail (in red) — You can pick this trail up from the north end of the park — it’s about 2.5 miles one way. The mostly flat trail follows the shore of the river, though is somewhat set back from it, and is named after what appear to have been fairly significant settlements once upon a time. The foundation stones that remain form big footprints and are fun to explore. The Homestead Trail also takes you to a beautiful spot by the river with a picnic table, bench, and outhouse.

Ledges and Ridge Trails (in yellow): These two trails ascend—steeply in the case of the Ledges Trail and less steeply along the Ridge Trail—to a cliffside along the height of the ridge, with views through trees. The Ledges Trail is a half mile, and includes stone steps. It intersects with the Ridge Trail at a junction that can be easy to miss. The Ridge Trail is about 1.7 miles from end to end.

Bradford Hill Trail (in orange)— To reach Bradford Hill, a small hill with spotty views in the middle of the park, prepare for a long hike. From the north end of the park, the shortest hike to the hill is more than 8 miles round trip. Once you get to the ~1-mile foot path that summits the hill, you’ll find a well-marked path with short steep sections.

Pine Loop Trail (in green): If you leave from the southern parking area, the hike is about six miles, 2.5 miles off the four-wheeler route. The first 1.7 miles are along the Old River Road, an ATV/Snowmobile path, which is muddy at times and popular with four wheelers. At about 2 miles, you will come to the intersection of the footpath. If you go right onto the yellow-blazed footpath, you’ll pass a small river inlet, and then continue along a trail set back from the river by quite a bit (100 meters). (This beginning section of the trail had a lot of ticks in October.) In frustration, we bushwhacked to the water’s edge since there’s no excellent access point. The return is along a slightly overgrown woods road.

Directions: There are two trailheads and parking areas, on the north and south end. For the south end, head north on Route 4 from Auburn. Soon after crossing the town line into Turner, you’ll see Conant Road. Follow that around a sharp bend, and continue for approximately 0.85 miles — look for the trailhead and parking on your left. There’s room for up to six vehicles. The main lot is north, off Center Bridge Road, about a half mile west of Center Bridge, on the left.