Built on Trust: The Long Game Behind The Katahdin Region’s Emerging Trail Networks

7/27/2026

Maine Trails Program Grant at work in Northern Maine

Major trail networks aren’t built on single windfalls - they are built over time with stacked capital investments and deep community trust. Outdoor Sport Institute’s (OSI) recent success in Northern Maine proves exactly how powerful a diverse funding mix can be. By pairing a $1 million federal grant with a $250,000 Maine Trails Program (MTP) award, OSI has secured the vital state and federal pieces needed to accelerate a synchronized regional network known as Katahdin Area Trails (KAT).

This strategic capital stack is the engine behind the massive buzz currently surrounding the Katahdin Area Trails initiative. Between the communities of Island Falls, Millinocket, and Patten, an interconnected series of projects is underway to expand regional trail networks and build out community features. Led by OSI, the effort marks a major milestone for the new, bond-funded Maine Trails Program administered by the Bureau of Parks and Lands, showcasing exactly how state support can integrate with federal dollars to transform a region.

OSI will use the MTP funds to construct 1.6 miles of new shared-use track at Hammond Ridge, rehabilitate a key connector trail in the Millinocket community trail system, and carve out 2 miles of beginner singletrack in Island Falls starting this year. In early July, we talked with Mike Smith, Executive Director of OSI, to learn more about the nonprofit’s trail work in these communities and how they successfully secured significant federal and state funding for trail work in rural Maine.

MTP Grant Helps Rockland Residents Reach Forest Trails

7/24/2026

Selected as one of 44 projects statewide from over 100 Maine Trails Program (MTP) applications, Rockland’s Benner Hill Trail Development is proving just how vital state trail funding is for local communities. Backed with its $250,000 MTP grant, the City is kicking off construction on the highly anticipated project this July.

The ambitious project serves as a significant leap forward for the city's long-term Waterfront to Wilderness initiative, a decade-long vision to connect Rockland Harbor in the east to the pristine Rockland Bog in the west. When finished, the regional patchwork will span five to six miles of interconnected trails.

Waterville’s Quarry Road Trails Puts MTP Funds to Work

7/6/2026

From Winter Haven to Year-Round Hub

As summer reaches its peak, the historic Maine Trails Program (MTP) is visibly transforming the landscape of Maine’s outdoor recreation.

Funded by the state's 2024 Trails Bond and administered by the Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, this historic grant program is empowering local communities to turn long-held trail dreams into physical reality.

Located along the Messalonskee Stream, QRT is part of the Kennebec Valley region (photo courtesy of the City of Waterville).

In Waterville, the city-owned Quarry Road Trails (QRT) recreation area is currently executing a multi-phase upgrade that is redefining the park's seasonal cycle. Known traditionally as a premier winter destination, Quarry Road is utilizing a $250,000 MTP award to aggressively expand its summer footprint, building out critical single-track trails and a versatile new trailhead facility to anchor year-round public programming.

Maine Trails Program Funding Helps Transform Long Creek Trail

7/6/2026

South Portland - This summer marks an exciting milestone for outdoor spaces across the state as the historic Maine Trails Program (MTP) officially enters its first major implementation phase. Created by the Maine Legislature following overwhelming voter approval for the 2024 Trails Bond, the MTP is administered by the Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Though the first round of grant awards was announced just six months ago, several highly anticipated, community-led projects are already underway.

One such MTP grant recipient is the South Portland Land Trust (SPLT). The organization is using a $139,000 MTP grant to reshape its Long Creek Trail. The project will transform an established, urban hillside trail into a more inclusive community resource designed to welcome visitors of various interests, backgrounds, and physical abilities.

In mid-June, just as crews officially broke ground (the big day is pictured at right), we spoke with Tex Haeuser, SPLT Board President, to discuss the project’s deep neighborhood roots and what this funding means for an all-volunteer land trust and its stakeholders.

Maine Trails Program Success Story: Breaking Barriers at Old Boston Preserve

6/18/2026

Ogunquit - The Maine Trails Program (MTP) is currently the most robust and accessible funding mechanism available for trails in our state. Created following overwhelming voter support for the 2024 Trails Bond, the program is administered by the Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) within the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

Though the first round of historic grant awards was announced just six months ago, several highly anticipated projects are already underway. In Ogunquit, the Great Works Regional Land Trust (GWRLT) is using this crucial state investment to turn a long-held community dream into a tangible reality this summer with the construction of its first universally accessible trail at Old Boston Preserve.

"For Everyone, Forever"

The Great Works Regional Land Trust’s guiding motto is “For everyone, forever.” But true access requires intention. Leaders there realized that for people with limited mobility, traditional conservation lands remain out of reach. In fact, across the six towns GWRLT serves, their 22 existing trail networks all shared a familiar Maine characteristic: terrain dominated by roots and rocks. That is changing at the Old Boston Preserve in Ogunquit.

Thanks to a critical infusion of funding from the Maine Trails Program, GWRLT is currently constructing the first Universal Access trail in its network. When completed this fall, the project will feature a one-mile, universally accessible looping trail.

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