Narrow Gauge Pathway, Carrabassett Valley

I love this town trail, mainly because the river it follows—Carrabassett River—is so beautiful and always different, depending on the time of year and day, the weather and cloud coverage.

Plus, it’s easy and flat, so everyone can travel along it. You can push a stroller or wheelchair along it. For those who want more variety, or to do loops, there are many footpaths/single-track bike trails that weave around the main path. To find a good map of all of these intersecting trails, check out The Outdoor Center’s website, which should have a summer and winter map available of the area.

If you start at the Carrabassett town office/town park and go west, the trail gradually climbs, just enough to notice if you’re skiing or riding a bike!

Official distances for the trail say roughly six miles one way, which I think includes the section along Huston Brook Road. The actual path is closer to 5.0 miles, according to my GPS.

Finally, a bit of history: The two-foot narrow gauge line was extended into Carrabassett first in 1894, primarily to haul timber and lumber, but it also carrues passengers. The line was added to in 1900, bringing it to Bigelow Station, where there was a steam sawmill. The rails were removed in 1927, the same year Route 27 was built between Kingfield and Eustis. In 2001, the town reconstructed the old railroad into a recreational path. You can read more here.

Directions: You can park at three different places: The town office/town park, at 1001 Carriage Road. Then you have to walk down Huston Brook Road to the Narrow Gauge Pathway, about 1.25 miles. But it’s a nice walk. You can also park at the airport off of Route 27. Additionally, you can park and pick up the trail off Campbell Field Road as well as near Bigelow Station, where the trail head is about 1,000 feet past the Access Road to Sugarloaf on the right (north) side of Route 27.