BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 23, 2021
Robbie McKay and her fiance Nathan Nipula were walking on her family farm in southern Aroostook County when Nipula spotted a rusted old sign that read “Pine Tree Trail.” They began to research its history, and found that it belonged to a scenic highway route spanning from Portland to Fort Kent, forgotten by time after the Interstate 95 highway was built. Now the couple is trying to raise money to bring back the Pine Tree Trail, so they can put up new signs along roads originally built for the trail, give drivers a scenic alternative to taking the interstate and help the economy of some of the towns on its path. The original Pine Tree Trail, created in 1937, goes through Routes 100, 11, 2 and 1. It stops at some of the major Maine cities such as Portland and Bangor, but also some of the smaller scenic towns. McKay said she expects the signs to be up by May of next year.