Waterville’s Quarry Road Trails Puts MTP Funds to Work

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.
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Mountain Biking Takes Off

According to Jeff Tucker, Waterville’s Parks and Recreation Quarry Road Trails Program Director, the MTP grant has unlocked a project that the city has been pursuing for over a decade. Crews have already completed construction on the first of four planned single-track trail expansions: a three-quarter-mile trail intentionally designed for beginners.

This new trail has been a goal for Quarry Road Trails advocates for ten to fifteen years, according to Jeff. "Previously, our trail network was dominated by more technical trails that weren't accessible to everyone. We wanted to create a trail where hikers, casual walkers, and beginner-level mountain bikers could all feel comfortable."

Located on the East side of the park between the access road and a prominent escarpment, the new trail takes advantage of the park's flattest and driest terrain. Securing the route required navigating a land use agreement with accommodating local private landowners, a partnership that paved the way for the city’s successful MTP application.

The construction bid was awarded to Central Maine NEMBA (CeMeNEMBA), a group that brought deep familiarity to the project having previously built trails at Quarry Road and the nearby Pine Ridge system. Taking advantage of dry weather windows, the crew has already completed vital bridge work and opened the first trail to the public.

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Some years ago, QRT constructed a new trail along the Messalonkee Stream. Organizers quickly realized that the new trail was bringing in a whole new group of users, including families, beginners, and advanced riders alike. Following that success, the park has seen a steady increase in summer visitors. Whereas QRT used to be known as a winter destination, the warm weather months now form an important part of the park’s seasonal cycle, making additional investment a logical step. 

Likewise, the new MTP-funded trail will see constant summer use in the years ahead. And so far, early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, since it provides an accessible, low-barrier experience for trail users of all abilities. 

"I’ve seen mountain biking really take off here," Jeff notes. “It’s really cool to see how many people are using the trails, like group rides departing from the parking lot at the end of the workday.” This project makes outdoor recreation even more accessible to area residents, workers, and visitors, advancing an important goal for the City and the park's volunteers. 
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New Trail Through an Old Quarry

With the beginner trail open, CeMeNEMBA has already begun laying out the next phase of the single-track project, which will introduce three distinct, mountain-bike-specific sectors by the end of the summer.

One sector will feature a dedicated downhill trail, a unique option that will significantly round out the park’s trail diversity. Another highly anticipated loop will wind directly through an abandoned 19th-century slate and shale quarry.

"The old quarry is a geologically unique feature that used to be a draw for hikers even before the park formally opened," Jeff explains. "We've never been able to safely take advantage of it until now. Soon, trail users will be able to ride right through it and learn about its history." Visitors will even be able to scan an on-site QR code linked to a Maine Public documentary detailing the site's historical significance.
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Public-Private Partnership Success

The Friends are a vital part of the functioning of the park. Not only does the volunteer group conduct much of the fundraising and hands-on work at the site, they also provide a vital connection between the municipal leaders and the park’s stakeholders. 

In fact, Jeff credits much of the success of QRT’s MTP application to the comprehensive Trails Plan developed in 2020 and recently expanded by the Friends of Quarry Road Trails. He says the group's investment in detailed trail planning meant that, "we weren't going in blind during the MTP application or the contractor bidding process. We knew our exact trail types and costs." 
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As an added benefit, because so much of the planning was conducted by and with the Friends, the plan went through multiple community stakeholder channels before being finalized. "This process flagged vital project components city staff wouldn't have thought to include on our own," notes Jeff.

​Hanna Bouchard, President of the Friends of Quarry Road, attributes much of the venue’s overall success to the work of the volunteer group. Reflecting on the early days of the site, she says, “The area was an overgrown thicket at the end of a nearly-impassable road until local individuals came together with the City to turn it into Waterville’s largest park. We’re proud to be the City’s partner for continued development at the park and we are grateful to the many private and public partners and donors who have financially enabled this venue to bring the joys of accessible outdoor recreation to thousands of Mid-Maine residents and beyond.”
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Building an Outdoor "Swiss Army Knife"

The MTP funding stretches far beyond dirt and bridges. At QRT, construction is set to begin later this summer on a brand-new trailhead building, which will be constructed by the city's Public Works Department and completed by November 2026.

Jeff describes the future facility as a "Swiss Army Knife building" - a highly adaptable, multi-purpose space designed to serve both summer and winter operations. The building will be used to host events, house trail maintenance operations, and eventually anchor a community "gear hub" stocked with mountain bikes, canoes, kayaks, and other equipment. The goal is to ensure central Maine residents have both the high-quality trails and the necessary equipment right in their backyards.

This facility focus will also deepen regional collaborations, such as Quarry Road's partnership with nearby Skowhegan Outdoors (an initiative of Main Street Skowhegan). Skowhegan’s facilitators regularly lead free skills clinics and community programs at the Quarry Road facilities. "They are doing cool things that everyone needs to keep their eyes on," Jeff says. "It’s amazing to see towns just up the road learning from each other and collaborating to eliminate barriers to the outdoors."

Weathering the Storm with Climate Resistance

The MTP projects getting underway at Quarry Trails now build upon a recently-completed $1.5 million renovation of the park's access road and parking lot, funded by the Northern Borders Regional Commission (NBRC) and the USDA. For Jeff, the timing of the state and federal funding couldn't be more critical as central Maine confronts increasingly severe and unpredictable weather patterns.
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"The soils here are not great, and we are constantly fighting drainage. Increased, intense rain events are the hot topic now," Jeff explains. "It used to be that an inch of rain meant standing water in the parking lot, and our Nordic ski trails would regularly turn into hockey rinks. Now, the new infrastructure sheds water beautifully. We had heavy rain last night, but I'm walking around the site today and it's completely dry and usable."

Once the single-track trails and building are finalized, the city next will pivot to using in-house labor to upgrade culverts and rehabilitate its classic Nordic ski trails.

The park's early development focused on development the Nordic ski trail system, which a former Olympic skier helped plan. Friends President Hanna Bouchard celebrates the park's expansion over the years, saying, “Quarry Road Trails has now become a regional recreation hub for winter sports, mountain biking, hiking and paddling!” (Read more about the park's history here.)
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Reflecting on the scale of the state's investment, Jeff notes how the MTP grant acts as the vital final piece of the park's puzzle. "We are incredibly thankful for the federal road and parking infrastructure funding, but the $250,000 from the Maine Trails Program is the highly impactful stuff that makes more community programming possible. It will significantly enhance our ability to host events and welcome people to what should feel like a shared backyard for everyone in central Maine."

The city plans to host an official open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony in the fall of 2026 to celebrate the completed trail network and welcome the community to the new space.
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As we celebrate this milestone, the Maine Trails Coalition wants to extend thanks to the Bureau of Parks and Lands and the taxpayers of Maine. Your votes in 2024 are officially at work on the ground, removing barriers, and helping ensure that Maine’s spectacular outdoors are truly for everyone. 

Learn more about Quarry Road Trails by visiting quarryroad.org or follow QRT on Facebook. 

-Author Leigh Hallett served as the Director of the Maine Trails Coalition during the 2025–2026 implementation of the Maine Trails Program. This article is part of a special series documenting the local impact of MTP.