Amherst Overnighter

• The ideal months to ride this route are late April after the mud season through November until roads start getting used by the logging trucks.
• Campsites are free and dispersed; they are first-come, first-served.
• Each site has spots for about four tents.
• Overnight parking is limited in Orono, but there is a park and ride in Bangor eight miles away.
• Be mindful of logging trucks. They literally and legally own the road and let cyclists use it. They get right of way (rule of gross tonnage)
• The paved roads on most of the route have relatively low traffic. On the section that uses Route 9, traffic is generally a little higher (1-6 cars per minute) but shoulders are much wider.
• Larger tires are optimal for this route, but bikes with tires small as 35mm have completed it too; gravel bikes will have a little bit of underbiking in Amherst Forest.
• The last mile up to the two campsites is a hike-a-bike for most cyclists but is well worth the effort.
• For most bikepackers, this route will take about nine hours of moving time to complete.
• Amherst Communtiy Forest Trail Map is available here.

• The only two campsites are located within the Amherst Public Reserve Land. The two sites are Partridge Pond and Ducktail Pond, and they are marked on the map.
• Both sites are free and first-come, first-served.
• You also are allowed to bush camp in the Amherst Community Forest as long as fires are built in designated fire rings.

• Being that this route is located in Maine, there is plenty of water to filter from along the way.
• The best water to filter is at the remote untouched lakes where the campsites are located as they are spring fed.
• Food shopping can be done at the Old Town Hannaford’s grocery store or at the gas stations along the way.

location Orono-Partridge Pond Campsite

Day 1 (26 mi +1,520 ft)

Continuing from Orono, you’ll ride farther on the county road and then turn onto Stud Mill Road, a logging road used heavily in the winter but seldom in the spring, summer, and fall. Biking this road on a warm spring day will surely lead to wildlife sightings of deer, turkey, eagle, and the occasional moose or black bear. Once you pull off onto Titcomb Pond Road, you’ll leave behind the wide, smooth gravel roads and get into a little bit of chunky and loose gravel. This section takes you into the scenic mountains of the Amherst Community Forest. Expect to rarely see another cyclist or vehicle and enjoy the views of the various bluffs. You can even glimpse Acadia National Park in the distance at one spot. Entering the community forest on the long downhill is a blast. Look for a small footbridge on the right side to access the hike-a-bike to the camping spots. While this push might be difficult initially, arriving at the first campsite will give you an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and appreciation for working through that section.

location Partridge Pond Campsite-Orono

Day 1 (36 mi +1,660 ft)

On the second day of the trip, you’ll travel through Clifton and its recognizable mountains with large granite slabs and bounders. The gravel roads around Chick Hill consist of smooth gravel logging roads and rolling terrain with a little doubletrack. On the final stretch of gravel, you will pass through the Bradley Experimental Forest and chemo pond. Looking at the different forestry research sites will help pass time on this doubletrack. At the end of this stretch, you’ll pop out at the Maine Forest and Logging Museum. Feel free to look around and see the different pieces of equipment on display and the fish ladder that the alewives run up in early May.