Trails for all
At the heart of this initiative is our commitment to inclusivity – ensuring everyone, regardless of physical ability, can enjoy the beauty and benefits of being outdoors. Our goal is to offer several year-round options for safe, enjoyable recreational spaces across the Pemaquid Peninsula. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating and expanding access to nature for everyone!
We now have two all persons trails open close to downtown Damariscotta: the Rhoda and Lee Cohen River Trail connecting Round Top Farm and Whaleback Shell Midden State Historic Site, and Castner Brook Community Forest.
Planning a visit?
Get details about each trail and information for visitors at coastalrivers.org/activity/accessible.
The Rhoda and Lee Cohen River Trail
Sixteen years ago, at a town planning event, community members voiced a fervent wish for a public trail along the Damariscotta River. Fortuitously, this wish happened to align with an idea hatched at Damariscotta River Association (now part of Coastal Rivers) several years earlier: to create a trail connecting Round Top Farm to Salt Bay Farm. And – what if that trail were accessible?
Imagine an 8’-wide pathway within easy reach of the downtown Twin Villages, gently graded, with a smooth-packed stone dust surface. Wide enough for two or three people to walk side-by-side, and firm and level enough for bikes, strollers, walkers, and wheelchairs.
Now picture that trail winding over a mile along the beautiful upper Damariscotta River, passing safely under Route 1, with tree-shaded benches for resting and enjoying the view along the way.
The wonderful news is that with your help, after more than two decades of dreaming and planning, that shared vision is now becoming a reality!
A trail in three parts
The newest portion of what is now known as the Rhoda and Lee Cohen River Trail was added in October 2024 (shown in yellow on the map below), thanks to a grant from Bangor Savings Bank, and connects Round Top Farm to Church Street across from Sullivan Tire.
Like the original third of a mile that links Round Top Farm to Whaleback Shell Midden State Historic Site and Great Salt Bay School, it’s not your average trail – this one meets high accessibility standards, suitable for wheelchairs, strollers, and bicycles, as well as those on foot.
It is a joy to see a daily parade of neighbors using the new walking path: parents pushing strollers, backpack-toting students racing past, people on bikes, walking dogs, out for a run or a stroll.
And with your continued support, we are looking forward to extending the trail once more, taking it all the way to Coastal Rivers’ Salt Bay Farm!
The final, and most challenging, section will start from the existing accessible trail at Whaleback Shell Midden State Historic Site, owned by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, and follow the Upper Damariscotta River to Salt Bay Farm on Belvedere Road.
The all persons trail at Castner Brook Community Forest
In October 2025, we completed construction of a 950-foot ADA-accessible trail that starts at Piper Mill Road and winds through beautiful, shaded woods right near downtown Damariscotta. The trail is sturdy, smooth, and inviting – and perfect for anyone looking to enjoy a peaceful stroll, whether you’re walking, pushing a stroller, or in a wheelchair.
Generous support was provided by the Athletic Brewing Company and their Two for the Trails grant program, which provides up to $2 million each year as part of the company’s commitment to protect, preserve, and maintain local trails.
Coastal Rivers is seeking funding for the next part of this project, which is to construct an accessible bridge over the brook along with a seating area, hopefully in spring of 2026.
More accessible trails in the works!
In addition to extending the accessible Cohen River Trail along the Damariscotta River at Round Top Farm, an accessible forest loop trail is in the works at Keyes Woods Preserve in Bristol. Construction began in fall 2025 with the goal of completing the trail by summer 2026. We are also working with consulting partners at Haley Ward to develop plans for fully accessible trails at La Verna Preserve, also in Bristol.
