Weston Woods & Waters consists of about 300 mostly wooded acres, encompassing a total of about 2.5 miles of Kennebec River frontage. One of the principal trailheads (with a parking lot) is at the well-established Nathan Street Boat Launch. From here, hikers can access the Main Street Connector and travel 0.25 miles to Main Street. Or, access the River Trail which runs north for 1.5 miles to the Weston Avenue trailhead. Throughout most of this stretch the trail is wide and flat, only a few meters from the water, affording peaceful views across the river.
After crossing Weston Avenue into the woods, an expanding network of trails roams throughout the wooded peninsula, currently about 3 miles of trails. There are views of farm fields protected by an agricultural easement held by Maine Farmland Trust, and upriver views of the Kennebec River and Weston Island. The trail passes the remnants of the old Weston family burial ground, cellar holes, and other historic artifacts. Weston Woods is well suited for hiking and trail running.
In the winter, the trail along the river, as well a half mile portion of the trail in the wooded area, is groomed (but not tracked) for snowshoeing and skiing. Apart from the groomer, no motorized vehicles are permitted on any of these trails. There is some parking along Weston Avenue, where the trail crosses the road, but it is limited.
A new trailhead with parking is under construction (summer of 2022) on Park Street (ME-43), providing access to the full trail system via the Weston Woods Loop and Orange Trails.
To read about Enock's experience using a wheelchair on these trails in MTF Stories, click here. Following Enock's visit, SLT installed two accessible bridges across the gully and another we location, to make the trail more enjoyable and accessible for all.
For more information, please contact:
Somerset Woods TrusteesMAIN STREET TRAILHEAD
On Main Street about 900 feet east of the bridge over the river is a large cinder block building housing High Tide Low Tide Seafood and other businesses, on the north side of Main Street. Take the gravel lane that leads north behind this building and ends in a field. Park here and find the trailhead at the top of the field. In the winter, this gravel lane is unplowed and visitors should park on Main Street.
NATHAN STREET BOAT LAUNCH
Heading north on Madison Avenue from the center of Madison, take a left on Nathan Street (0.4 miles from Main Street). There is a boat launch at the end of Nathan Street, offering parking. The trail runs north-south along the river through the boat launch area.
WESTON AVENUE TRAILHEAD
From the traffic light on Main Street, head north 1.3 miles to where the trail crosses the Weston Avenue.
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