Millinocket, Maine, was built to support a paper mill. When the mill closed in the early 2000s, the town struggled to redefine itself. Now, mountain biking is writing a new chapter, and $450,000 in fresh grant money is about to add six miles of advanced trails to the story—including rowdy gravity lines that could put this former mill town on the map as a Northeast riding destination.
The Outdoor Sport Institute (OSI) recently obtained $1.25 million in grant money: $250,000 from the Maine Trails Program (with a 10% OSI match) and $1 million from the Northern Border Regional Commission (with a 20% OSI match). This grant money will be used to build new trails in three towns in the Mt. Katahdin region over the next few years.
The southernmost of those towns is Millinocket, home to the Hammond Ridge trail system. With 14 miles of trails already built since 2016, the new funding will accelerate its growth into a true destination system.
To find out more, Singletracks spoke with Steve Kasacek, the Director of Trail Development at Outdoor Sport Institute; Matthew Polstein, the Founder and CEO of the New England Outdoor Center; and Dan Rogan, the Katahdin Region Coordinator for the Outdoor Sport Institute.
Built to support a paper mill, Millinocket has pivoted to outdoor recreation
Millinocket, whose name means “land of many islands,” is a small town of just over 4,000 people. It was incorporated in 1901 to support the Great Northern Paper Company mill built there two years earlier.
The town prospered while the mill operated, but when it closed in the early 2000s, Millinocket struggled to find a new identity. Fortunately, its proximity to Baxter State Park and Mt. Katahdin makes it a great place for outdoor recreation.
Kasacek told Singletracks that Millinocket is located near the southern entrance to Baxter State Park. It is also home to the oldest managed trails in the Katahdin Area Trails system. IMBA did the concept plan for them in 2015, and the first trails were built in 2016.
The Hammond Ridge Trails are anchored by the New England Outdoor Center
Founded in 1982, the New England Outdoor Center (NEOC) started as a whitewater rafting operation. It has since grown into a year-round outdoor adventure resort offering rafting, snowmobiling, Nordic skiing, canoeing, lodging, and dining.
Polstein, the founder and CEO of NEOC, told Singletracks it has 1,400 acres of land, including Hammond Ridge. Toward the end of the 2010s, he and Mike Smith, the Executive Director of the Outdoor Sport Institute, got together and decided to start focusing on mountain biking. They brought in IMBA to design the first trails there.
At first, the community had mixed emotions about outdoor tourism, but when the first trails were built, they got on board. “They see the trail in town. The community rides. The locals take pride in it,” Polstein said.
NEOC, where the Hammond Ridge trails are located, is about 15 minutes outside Millinocket. Kasacek said there are currently 14 miles of trails there. The use of those trails has been a catalyst for the center to add a brewery, an activity center, and a pizzeria to the site.
The grant money will go toward turning Hammond Ridge into a destination trail system
Currently, Hammond Ridge has some green XC and flow trails, blue XC trails, a series of climbing trails, and a couple of blue gravity trails. But its combination of elevation, rocks, and slope makes it a prime candidate for some rowdy riding.
“We did an updated master plan last year and have thirty-five miles of trails proposed for the site. Twenty-five of them are XC/shared-use trails, and 10 miles are gravity trails. Everything ranging from green to double-black,” said Kasacek.
The $450,000 in grant funding will help build six additional miles of trails, bringing the total to 20 miles. This includes technical shared-use trails, beginner-friendly flow trails, and advanced bike-only gravity trails originating from the Knife Edge Brewery trailhead at the NEOC.
With more trails on the way, Hammond Ridge is sure to attract even more riders to the Katahdin area
Rogan told Singletracks that “Hammond Ridge is the flagship trail system of the Katahdin region.” He said the infrastructure Polstein has added does an excellent job of bringing people into the area.
Polstein said he was inspired by the Kingdom Trails in Vermont after visiting them. “Everything here is purpose-built with thought.” The Kingdom Trails have not only brought tourists to that area of Vermont, but they have also made the area more livable for residents.
Kasacek hopes to begin construction on the new trails later this spring. Building will continue on this project and others in the region through 2029.
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