Great
Washington County Bike Ride
Author unknown
Please print off a copy to use on your vacation in the Eastport / Calais area.
Of course this will change as we develop the Downeast Sunrise Trail, but until then this is still a good and fairly safe ride all on rural roads.
Specific suggestions for a great bicycle
tour: Corresponds to Map 36 and 37 of the DeLorme Atlas and the Moosehorn
National Wildlife Refuge map. (About 63 miles total. Some on paved road, some
on good grade gravel road.)
· From Calais, start on the River Path at the parking lot below the Tourist Information center. Go up-river as far as you can, (about one mile) turn left and follow the road out to Route 1.
· Ride the shoulders of Route 1 to the Charlotte Road.(about 2 1/2 miles.)
· Take a left on the Charlotte Road. After about 2 1/2 miles you can stop at the Refuge Headquarters. There are toilet facilities there. Maps and a nature walk are available also.
· Continue for about 8 miles on the Charlotte Road to Round Lake where you will make a sharp left turn to go past Pennamaquan Lake (on your right) to the center of Charlotte(about 1 mile).
· Continue about 3 miles on this road to Ridge Road. (Pennamaquan Lake will be on your right.)
· Turn Right on Ridge Road and ride about 2 miles to the bridge across the Pennamaquan River. There is a nice area just before the bridge where you can go down to the river to eat your picnic.
· Go over the river and then turn left on the road to Pembroke. (the river will be on your left.)
· Ride about 2 1/2 miles and then turn left at the little bridge just BEFORE you get to Route 1. Be sure to stop at the dam and walk down to see the fish ladder, the falls and remnants of an old iron foundry.
· Ride 1/2 mile back up the other side of the Pennamaquan River back toward Ridge Road. After riding 1/2-mile from the little bridge on the river road, you will see the railroad trestle off to the left. This is from an abandoned railroad spur that used to go from Ayers Junction to Eastport. It is now a snowmobile trail and quite rideable with a mountain bike. There is a good view of the wetland from the trestle.
· Return to the river road and continue your ride along it for another 2 miles till you return to Ridge Road at the bridge where you had your picnic.
· Turn right on Ridge Road and ride about 2 miles to South Meadow Road.
· Turn right on South Meadow road. After riding 5 1/2 miles to Perry, Cross Route 1 to the Shore Road. About 1/2 mile on the Shore Road there is a dirt road off to the right. This leads to boat ramp and picnic area on Gleason Point. And by now, perhaps it is tea time and you would like to gaze at Deer Island across the Western Passage.
· Back on the Shore road ride for 3 miles until you can turn right on the Gin Cove Road. Ride about 3 miles on the Gin Cove Road and you will return to Route 1.
· Cross Route 1 to Lake Road. After riding about 3 3/4 miles with Boyden Lake on your left, turn left when you get back to Ridge Road. (Whatever you do, do NOT turn right and go on the section over Robbinston Ridge unless you feel like climbing something like Cadillac Mountain several times. It really rolls with steep ups and downs.
· The view is pretty from the camp ground at the summit, but I recommend driving here, for all but the strongest bicyclists.)
· Ride 1 1/2 miles on Ridge Road, stopping along the way to walk down to the boat ramp on Boyden Lake.
· Turn right on Station Road (The same road on the left is South Meadow Road that you already rode on but it has a different name on this side of the intersection.)
· Go back to Charlotte about 3 1/2 miles from your turn off the Ridge Road and then another 1 mile back to the Charlotte road.
· Turn right on the Charlotte Road and retrace your earlier ride about 7 1/2 miles back to the Moosehorn Wildlife Refuge Headquarters. (You know what's there now). Now get out your Wildlife Refuge map.
· This time turn right from the Charlotte Road on to Goodall Heath Road (exactly across from the entance to the Headquarters.and shown on the Refuge map) Bear left and then go across a little bridge about 1/2 mile in on the dirt road there will be a Y in the road. Then 1 1/2 mile farther along there is another Y. At both Y intersections bear to the right. After about 3/4 mile you will pass Vose Pond. Riding another 3 miles brings you to Icehouse Road.
· Turn right on Ice House road and in about 3/4 mile you will reach Route 1. Turn right and follow Route 1 back to Calais. (about I mile) The road shoulders are wide on this stretch so you can ride on the road or, of course, you can go back down to the river trail if you wish.
If 63 miles is too far for you there are opportunities to take shorter Loops. Both of the shorter loops start at the Boyden Lake boat ramp.
Short Loop One (18 miles):
One of my favorite shorter loops would start at the Boyden Lake boat ramp where there is a good parking area. From there you can follow the previous instructions from Boyden Lake and make an 18-mile loop on Ridge Road, South Meadow Road, the Shore Road with its picnic area/boat launch, Gin Cove Road, Lake Road and back on Ridge Road to the Boat launch and a swim.
Short Loop Two( 29 miles)
Short Loop One can be lengthened to 29 miles if you continue on past the Boyden Lake boat ramp parking lot on the Ridge Road and then past South Meadow Road to the Pennamaquan River, going over the bridge and turning down to Pembroke, visiting the iron foundry and the fish ladder. Return to Ridge Road on the northeast side of the River and turn right on Ridge Road to return to the Boyden Lake boat launch where your car awaits.