The Troll Valley Campground offers two loop trails especially designed for mountain biking but are also suitable for walking and hiking. The two trail loops are Tom’s Challenge and the Maze, both of which leave from the back of the campsite lodge. Both trails are also are marked with white blazes (or posts along the edges of fields) and are one way trails. They wind along a single track over an old cross-country ski trail system, through the woods, and around the campground. The Maze is the easier of the two loops and it weaves primarily around the camp buildings and tent sites. The upper loop, Tom’s Challenge, ascends a more challenging hill which provides spectacular vistas in the spring and in the fall when the leaves change color. Because the trails utilize the old cross-country ski trails as well as single track through forested areas, they can vary in width ranging from a wide cross-country trail immediately to a narrow path. The trailheads and ends for the loops are located close together, making it easy to create a longer three-mile loop.
Hikers who are unfamiliar with mountain biking trails should note several important details:
These trails are designed to be travelled in one-direction only, meaning that they are only blazed in one direction. Following the trail backwards is very difficult because of the lack of blazes indicating direction for a reverse loop. Because of the single track, riding a mountain bike in the reverse direction could be dangerous due to oncoming traffic.
The trails also have many switchbacks, especially along steeper grades on Tom’s Challenge. In some places, these hairpin turns may be confusing for hikers because blazes on adjoining sections of trail may be visible. In such instances, stay on the beaten path.
Finally, the trails are designed to provide obstacles for bikers and may not always follow the most logical walking path. For instance in the Maze, the trail follows a narrow strip of woods between two old cross-country ski trails rather than following either of these trail.
The owners of the Troll Valley Campground maintain these trails free of charge to the public, but ask that visitors check in at the main lodge before and after using the trails for safety reasons. During hunting season, Troll Valley Campground is posted, thereby prohibiting hunting in the area of the trails. Visitors may expect reasonable safety year-round as a result.
The trails open with the campground at 8:00 in the morning and close an hour before sunset. Paper maps of the trails are available upon checking in at the lodge.
The campground owners require mountain bikers to wear helmets while using the trails, and welcome dogs but only on a leash.
Visit the Troll Valley Campground online for more information or contact:
Troll Valley CampgroundFrom South and West: From the intersection of ME Route 133 and US Route 2 in Farmington (at the entrance of Franklin Memorial Hospital), drive east on US Route 2 about one half mile. At a blinking yellow light, turn left onto Red Schoolhouse Road, and continue on this road for about a mile. The entrance and sign for Troll Valley Campground will be on the right. Parking for the trail is next to the lodge. Please check in and out at the lodge, where you can also get a paper map of the trails.
From North and East: From the intersection of US Route 2 and ME Route 4 in Farmington, drive west on US Route 2 for 2.4 miles. At the first, and only, blinking yellow light, take a right onto Red Schoolhouse Road, and continue on this road for about a mile. The entrance and sign for Troll Valley Campground will be on the right. Parking for the trail is next to the lodge. Please check in and out at the lodge, where you can also get a paper map of the trails.
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