Kennebec River Rail Trail: short Augusta return
Maine · Rail-trail
Take the main river rail-trail south. Turn at the first one-mile granite marker or before an earlier road, barrier or uncomfortable transition, then retrace. Do not climb the Capitol Park connector, reach the stone-dust change around miles 1.5–1.75 or continue into Water Street / Route 201 in Hallowell.
Plan your ride
- Location
- Augusta · Maine
- Ride length
- Up to 2 miles return
- Ride format
- Out-and-back
- Surface
- Asphalt northern main trail
- Road crossings
- Take the main river rail-trail south. Turn at the first one-mile granite marker or before an earlier road, barrier or uncomfortable transition, then retrace. Do not climb the Capitol Park connector, reach the stone-dust change around miles 1.5–1.75 or continue into Water Street / Route 201 in Hallowell.
- Elevation
- The railbed provides a modest-effort expectation, but this is an editorial inference rather than a numerical slope survey. Operator identifies steep 5–12% access at Capitol Park and Hallowell; those approaches are excluded.
- Starting location
- Kennebec River Rail Trail Memorial Bridge Parking, Water Street, Augusta, ME
Two-mile maximum return using the operator’s quarter-mile markers. The full 6.5-mile corridor includes an on-road Hallowell section excluded here.
Approximate named public facility/access-area reference. Follow the guide to designated public visitor parking and the signed path; not a surveyed stall.
Kennebec River Rail Trail: short Augusta return — detailed guide
Source review: 2026-10-21. A dated source review does not guarantee current-day conditions.
Augusta, Maine · Up to 2 miles return · Asphalt northern main trail
Start: Public rail-trail parking under Memorial Bridge, Kennebec River Rail Trail Memorial Bridge Parking, Water Street, Augusta, ME. Operator explicitly lists this public trailhead and recommends it among the easiest entrances. Follow Memorial Bridge / rail-trail parking signs off Water Street, use designated trail spaces and walk any lot / track approach. Nearby business and state-office parking are separate.
Ride: Take the main river rail-trail south. Turn at the first one-mile granite marker or before an earlier road, barrier or uncomfortable transition, then retrace. Do not climb the Capitol Park connector, reach the stone-dust change around miles 1.5–1.75 or continue into Water Street / Route 201 in Hallowell.
Distance: Two-mile maximum return using the operator’s quarter-mile markers. The full 6.5-mile corridor includes an on-road Hallowell section excluded here.
Permission and effort: Operator policies designate bicycle use on the shared rail-trail. The railbed provides a modest-effort expectation, but this is an editorial inference rather than a numerical slope survey. Operator identifies steep 5–12% access at Capitol Park and Hallowell; those approaches are excluded.
Planning: Dawn–dusk. No current ordinary trail or parking tariff established; posted terms govern. Pedestrians have priority; pass left with an audible warning. Pets on leashes at most five feet. Smoke-, tobacco- and cannabis-free trail. Ordinary pedal cycling covered.
Access reviewed October 20, 2026 Central (October 21 UTC): Fresh route and parking pages retain the northern asphalt section and Memorial Bridge entrance. No current inspection or flood clearance supplied. Winter plowing is not sanding or salting and can leave ice; choose dry unfrozen conditions.
Bring water and choose suitable weather. Parking walking is extra. No surveyed parking-space pin or navigable GPX is supplied.
Sources: Operator selected course and surface transitions · Operator public starts · Operator approach grades and winter limits · Operator bicycle rules