Eastern Promenade Trail, Portland ME

• 2 & 4-star trails
• 2 miles each way
• Easy | Low gradient
• Portland, ME | Maine
. ME Rail Trails

colorful red diesel locomotive pulling a train of passenger cars, adorned with red, white and blue bunting. A person on a bicycle is riding alongside the train.

Sharing the trail with the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad.

The railroad arrived in Portland in 1842, moving agricultural goods onto ships bound for Europe and ferrying passengers as far as Boston - which was served by six trains each day. Portland even boasted four passenger railroad stations and a locomotive works. Thanks to the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad trains still power around the city's Eastern Promenade today, though only running a one-and-a-half mile out-and-back service for sightseers.

Hopping on the train in downtown is a great way to see the views of the Eastern Promenade, but if you're looking for some exercise or want to explore Portland's peninsula at your own pace, then the paved pedestrian and bicycle trails that run parallel to the narrow gauge railroad tracks are a great option.

⬤ Asphalt ⬤ Live Rail ⬤ No Access ⬤ Parking

Trail Options Expand KML · Google Earth ·

1 4★ Eastern Promenade Trail 1.8 mi ea way, easy
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions GPX?

2 2★ Bayside Trail 1.0 mi ea way, easy
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

1 Eastern Promenade Trail
Enjoy the sea breezes along this smooth and mostly flat coastal trail that suitable for all ages. Bordered by green parkland and greeting you with wide views of Casco Bay, from here you can also access the East End Beach or rent a kayak from the Eastern Promenade Beach. The trail continues beyond the length of the railway tracks until you reach Tukey's Bridge. From here you can pick up the Bayside Trail and return towards town, or continue on the 3.6 mile full-circuit Back Cove Trail.

2 Bayside Trail
Located between Portland and Interstate 295 the Bayside Trail doesn't have much to offer by way of views, and aside from terminating a couple of blocks from Deering Oaks Park it doesn't take you anywhere interesting. The trail leads through commercial buildings and parking lots and includes several road crossings. It's always great to see car-free trails for pedestrians and bicyclists, but this one doesn't offer much for sightseers.

⚠ Trail Conditions: Smooth asphalt trails, often with separated bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Mostly flat but with some gradient near Tukey's Bridge.

Blue bay and cloudless blue sky. White boats moored in the foreground. In the middle distance a railroad trestle crosses the water and meets with an old steel truss swing-bridge which is clearly no longer in service.

Casco Bay views, and the East End Rail Bridge.

From left to right: pedestrian trail, grass verge, cycle path, grass verge, railroad tracks. Two cyclists head in the same direction as the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad train.

Separate trails for pedestrians, cyclists and locomotives!

An old brick three-storey warehouse building with broken windows in a poor state of repair. The third floor is a clear afterthought built out of flimsy materials and extending precariously outward beyond the original building footprint.

A surviving Portland Company works building close to town.

Tangents:
• Official Link: Eastern Promenade Trail
• Facebook Group: Comment on this article

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