You may have heard about the Merrymeeting Trail — a 26-mile multi-use trail that would join the Kennebec River Rail Trail in the north to the Androscoggin River Bicycle and Pedestrian Path in the south, linking Augusta to Brunswick (and one day to Bath!) in an incredible “capital to coast” connection. For over a decade, towns and volunteers along the route have worked to make this vision for connected communities a reality.

The Merrymeeting Trail would connect the following locations:

• Androscoggin River Pedestrian Bike Path in Topsham that links Brunswick to Topsham
• The village area in Bowdoinham
• The village area in Richmond
• The village area in Gardiner
• The Kennebec River Rail Trail that links Gardiner, Farmingdale, Hallowell, and Augusta

122,250 people live within 10 miles of this trail system. Additionally, the Merrymeeting Trail could serve as an alternate route on the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000 mile national trail linking Calais, Maine with Key West, Florida.

The Merrymeeting Trail would strengthen and improve our communities, serving as an economic engine that attracts consumers, tourists, businesses, and jobs to our historic downtown villages. It would also enhance our communities’ connections to several major water bodies, including Merrymeeting Bay, a 20,000-acre tidal estuary with significant natural habitat, popular with locals and tourists for sailing, kayaking, swimming, walking, bird watching, fishing, and duck hunting.

The Merrymeeting Trailblazers are a group of local citizens, town staff, and nonprofits that have been working together to build support for the trail since 2008. The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust currently serves as the coordinator and fiscal agent for this group. Merrymeeting Trailblazers is the official ‘friends group’ for the trail, rallying supporters from our region and working to raise funds.