Downeast Sunrise Trail To Be Extended To Ellsworth’s High Street

The Downeast Sunrise Trail, used by thousands of ATV'ers and bikers will be extended from the current trail end at Washington Junction to somewhere behind L.L. Bean and the Comfort Inn on High Street in Ellsworth.The state has awarded Lane Construction the over $800,000 contract to extend the trail another two miles ending just a hundred feet or so from Ellsworth's busiest road. The work will begin this spring and end sometime in September.  The new section of trail will follow beside the rail bed used by Downeast Scenic Railroad and will have crushed concrete for a surface.

The Downeast Sunrise Trail currently runs about 80 miles between Pembroke in Washington County to Hancock.  There are many off shoots from the main trail that riders can take further north and west.

There are currently no plans to add a new parking area at the end of the new Ellsworth extension.  There is a much used parking area at the current trail end in the Washington Junction rail yard, with one ATV clubhouse across the street and another to be built further down the road.