Hey fellow hikers! On my way home from the County, I made a couple stops in Penobscot County. My last blog was about my visit to the Mike Michaud Trail in Millinocket; my next stop was the Lincoln Community Walking and Fitness Trail. I had been wanting to visit this trail for a while, but I never seemed to have the time. I made it a priority this time because I thought it was going to be a really great trail. I was definitely right about this one.
The description on MTF is accurate but missing some details.
Great local walk/hike through wooded and open areas. The trail is handicap accessible, with no steep inclines. Enjoy the picnic area near a beautiful rock wall. Wildlife includes deer, rabbits, squirrels, turkeys, and other birds.
There are eight fitness stations located throughout the trail including:
Pull up station
Sit up station
Push up station
Balance beam
Monkey bars
The description could also include the surface type, width of the trail, the exact percentage grade of the steepest incline, the best place to park, and many other things. And, it should also probably use the phrase "accessible to persons with a disability" instead of the the word "handicap" to describe the trail. An even better way to say it would be "accessible to wheelchair users" as the trail doesn’t have any accommodations for people with other disabilities. I just point all of that out in case there are trail description writers out there who are reading this.
OK back to the actual trail! I had a hard time finding a good place to start based on the parking locations on the MTF map. First I went to both schools and it didn’t look accessible from those parking lots. On my last attempt I found a dirt parking area that is somewhat in the middle of nowhere. Of course if I had paid attention to the directions on MTF, I would have known this was the usual designated parking, at the end of Lee Road.
Once I parked, I looked around and found that I had to cross a lawn to get to the trail. It was slightly uphill, but not rough at all. I found it easy to push myself to the trailhead.
Once I was on the trail I started finding the eight fitness stations that are mentioned in the description. They are not designed for people with disabilities to use.
The trail is easily six to eight feet wide throughout and has a small gravel surface. It is very compacted in most areas which makes it very easy to roll over.
It is quite true that there are not any steep inclines on the trail. There are some long inclines, but there are also resting spots at various locations.
I eventually came out behind the school near the track, and had to push up a somewhat steep hill to get back to the trail. There was a couple doing laps on the track watching me struggle a bit, and eventually they asked if I needed help. I am sure you can guess I told them no and that I was OK. I was, but help would have made it easier.
I made my way back around the track through the parking lot to try to find where the trail connected again, and found a gap in a fence by the tennis court. I went up the hill through the gap and found the trail again. This isn’t obvious from the map.
After that little confusing moment it was smooth sailing back to my van. However, there was an incline coming out of the trail to the parking area, which is long and slightly steep at the end. I guess I didn't notice on the way in.
My route was just under 2 miles round trip, which is super long for an accessible trail. A serious gem for the Lincoln community. If you are in the Lincoln area and want an easy hike through the woods, I would highly recommend this one! Just be sure to park on Lee Street.
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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