The Messalonskee Stream Trail is listed alternately as a 3.2, 4 mile, or 6 mile total out-and-back trail along its namesake in Oakland, Maine, open from sunup to sundown. Description and maps are available at the site of Kennebec Messalonskee Trails. I completed this trail in mid-November, and again in early May. On both occasions, they were lightly trafficked, with an emphasis on dog walkers. In November, a notice was posted for hikers to wear orange, due to archery season. In May, there was more mud, more birds, and the streams were running much faster.
Parking is available in a small fenced-in lot off Kennedy Memorial Drive, just before the bridge next to the Oakland Town Office. An alternate start point is at the north end, off Rice Rips Road. This is a very quiet, accessible trail for being relatively close to I-95. The trail, constructed by the Maine Conservation Corps, emerges from a gap in the fenced area, and climbs to a ridge overlooking the river. On the opposite side of the stream are the castle-like ruins of the Cascade Woolen Mill, with graffiti and tumbling walls, reminiscent of a Stephen King story.
Hiking in Maine 