Androscoggin River Bike Path, Brunswick

An accessible path that's plowed and sanded in the winter.

This flat, 5.3 mile out and back path is just outside of downtown Brunswick. The paved path is 14 feet wide, suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. There are also benches and bathrooms along the way. The surprise I found here was a large, somewhat empty dog park near the beginning of the path. I'm not usually into dog parks, but this one was different...spacious, just a few dogs, just my speed.

Parking for this trail is located at 92-98 Water Street. This is also the parking for the Merrymeeting Dog Park, so you can plug that right into your GPS. As you near the end of Water Street, you'll find the parking lot on your left, just before the boat ramp. The trail begins just up ahead, under the bridge.

This trail includes scenic overlooks of the Androscoggin River and connects in-town Brunswick with Cooks Corner. It is part of the East Coast Greenway, which is a biking/walking trail leading from Maine to Florida.

The path was somewhat noisy at times, because of its close proximity to the highway. Still, nobody I came across seemed to mind. I saw all kinds of people with smiling faces, enjoying a break from work, morning walk or quiet sit on one of the granite benches.

Once you've had a nice long walk on the trail, head into downtown Brunswick for some coffee at Little Dog and shopping at Nest. Makes for a nice, well rounded day.