Hey hikers! After my jaunt to the County, I made a couple more stops on my way home to Bethel. My first stop was in Millinocket to check out the Mike Michaud Walking Trail. I have actually known Mike since I was a kid. He got me my first autograph from Michael Jordan during one of my many stays at Shriners Hospital.
But enough about me, back to the trail! This trail is mostly fully paved, and utilizes built sections and sidewalks around town to create a 1.6-mile long trail. The trail literally starts right off the parking lot of the Granite Street School. Parking is recommended along the road near Kermit Crandall Park, but I parked at the school because it gave me a safer spot.
There isn’t a ton to tell about this trail since it is paved but I will give you the highlights.
I did encounter one section that they didn’t pave for some reason, at a spot where the trail crosses a dirt road. It is maybe 20 feet or so across and wasn’t rough the day I was there.
I also had difficulty navigating some of the places where the trail crossed roads or made turns. It seemed like someone might have stolen a sign or two. I used Maine Trail Finder maps to figure it out, which made it quite easy to do.
There is one long steep hill after crossing Center Street.
There aren’t many resting spots along the trail as they would literally have to put them on private lawns. There are a couple of them, but unfortunately they aren't built to accessible standards.
If you do start at the school and take a right onto the trail, you will be greeted by the best view of all at the end of your hike. The trail crosses a bridge just before returning to the school.
I really like this idea of using infrastructure that already exists and adding sections to it in order to make a town walkable. Is it the most adventurous trail? No. Does it give everyone in the town an opportunity to explore, exercise, and get outside? YES! That is what trails are all about! They don’t need to be a rugged path through the backcountry. They can serve a community in a lot of different ways, and still take you to a beautiful view and get you into places you could never access otherwise. If you are in the Millinocket area you should definitely try this trail out.
If you have a different type of mobility issue or a different disability and you visit this trail or others, please comment on this post and give us your feedback. The more knowledge we gather and share, the more people we can get outside using the trails of Maine!
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