Coastal Maine Ride

View the route on the East Coast Greenway Map Tool

The Route

This trip can be done as a one way paired with train or bus or as an out and back. There are Amtrak stops in Portland, Freeport and Brunswick, as well as BREEZ bus with multiple stops along the route. This route is almost entirely on road on rolling urban, residential and rural roads. This route is signed with East Coast Greenway and U.S. Bike Route 1 wayfinding signage. There are many hotel and camping options in Freeport and in Brunswick. Note that in peak season in July and August, campgrounds and hotels fill up well in advance, so plan ahead.

Distances:

• Portland to Freeport: 19 miles
• Portland to Brunswick: 29 miles
• Portland to Brunswick to Portland round trip: 58

Start in Portland picking up treats at Standard Baking Co. to take along for snack. Head north out of Portland along the Eastern Promenade enjoying views of Casco Bay. As you pedal over the bridge to Falmouth, make sure to pause to see the sculpture of the osprey nest.

From Falmouth, you’ll be pedaling through residential neighborhoods along the waterfront. Route 88 has a decent shoulder for most of the route, and traffic volume at off-peak times is fairly quiet.

In Yarmouth, in the summer months, make sure to pause to visit the Beth Condon Memorial Butterfly Garden in celebration of Beth’s life. Since Beth’s tragic death cycling, the town of Yarmouth has been working tirelessly to complete the greenway and their protected shared use path network to allow safer travel for people on foot and bike.

In downtown Yarmouth, the library has bathrooms, shade, water, WiFI and some quiet spots to sit outside. Lunch options include the Rosemont Market & Bakery right downtown, as well as an ice cream option at the Honeycone north of downtown.

There’s currently construction under I-295, so use extreme caution when crossing under the highway.

From there, there’s a wide shoulder on Route 1 all the way into downtown Freeport.

In Freeport, explore the L.L. Bean flagship store, as well as many other retail and outlet shops. If you’d prefer quieter, residential roads, you can turn onto U.S. Bike Route 1 rather than staying on Route 1 into downtown Freeport, and the two routes reconnect north of downtown.

If you turn off onto U.S. Bike Route 1, make sure to stop for wood fired bagels or a snack or sandwich at South Freeport Village Market.

If you stay on Route 1 on the East Coast Greenway to head into Freeport, before heading to downtown, stop at Maine Beer Company for great wood fired pizza.

Freeport’s Amtrak station is right downtown, in the heart of the shopping district.

In Freeport there are multiple hotels along Route 1 and in downtown. There are also two amazing coastal campgrounds: the town-owned Winslow Park and nonprofit-owned Wolfe’s Neck Farm. Both coastal properties are worth a visit for the views of the water even if you don’t camp there. Both campgrounds book up months in advance and require multiple night stays some times of year, so plan accordingly. Wolfe’s Neck Farm’s walk in section of the campground, the quiet cove is great for those traveling without a car.

From Freeport, prepare for hills! Enjoy the climbs up and down along residential and rural roads between Freeport and Brunswick. Consider a visit to Pettengill Farm if you'd like to see an historic salt marsh farm property that is now in conservation.

On the way to or from Brunswick, if you’d like a longer route on more coastal roads, consider taking Flying point road instead of Pleasant Hill Road. Or if you are doing an out and back, take one each way.

In Brunswick, consider a visit to the world-class Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum or Bowdoin College Museum of Art as you pass Bowdoin College on your way into town. If you are interested in civil war history, consider a visit to the Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain Museum. Check hours in advance because they are quite limited. The Harriet Beecher Stowe House where Beecher wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin is also a block from main street. It’s closed to the public, but you can get a great view from outside the building.

In Brunswick, there are tons of great dining options, including Zao Ze Cafe, Gelato Fiasco, and for a fancy dinner out, there’s the recently opened Tao Yuan.

Brunswick has multiple hotels right downtown very close to the downtown Amtrak station, as well as a number on Route 1 and at Cook’s Corner.

If you choose to continue on toward hotels or camping past Cook’s Corner, stay off of Route 24 and enjoy the perimeter trail around the former naval airforce base. Wild Oats Bakery on the former base is worth a visit, for pastries, sandwiches and salad.

For coastal camping in Brunswick, consider Thomas Point Beach, which offers a reduced rate for cyclists.

This route crosses the ancestral lands including those of the Abneki, Wabanaki and Passamaquoddy.

Know before you go: The Amtrak Downeaster requires bicycle reservations. They also require that you remove your front wheel to load your bike on the train. Greater Portland Metro BREEZ bus with bike racks services this corridor with regular bus service. In peak season in July and August, campgrounds and hotels fill up well in advance, so plan ahead. In particular, coastal campgrounds book up months in advance and require multiple night stays some times of year, so plan accordingly.

• Route created by Allison Burson, National Greenway Director of the East Coast Greenway Alliance.