TURNER PUBLISHING • December 4, 2021
The Madison Branch railroad bed will be made into a 32-mile trail through Kennebec and Somerset counties, connecting to Maine Interconnected Trail System (ITS) and Maine ATV Trail System (MATS), after the state finalized purchase from Pan Am Railways recently. The trail passes over the Kennebec River and the Carrabassett River, and through the towns of Oakland, Fairfield, Norridgewock, Madison, Anson, North Anson and Embden. The water crossings are traversed with trestles that will eventually provide safe passage over the rivers for recreational purposes. When construction is complete, the trail will connect thousands of miles of local ATV and snowmobile trails and allow ATV riders and snowmobilers to travel from Oakland to Bingham and beyond, including the Moosehead Lake Region. The route will also be available for non-motorized recreation, including hikers, bikers, and skiers.