Starting at the Airport Trailhead, follow a trail that heads north into the woods and cross the Carrabassett River on a footbridge. The Bigelow branch fell out of use in the late 1920s, and the town of Carrabassett Valley constructed the recreational path in 2001. The narrow gauge railroad reached Carrabassett Valley from the south in 1894, extending in 1900 to Bigelow, where the old railroad station still stands. The railroaders chose a 2-foot-wide narrow gauge for track separation instead of the 4-foot-8-inch standard gauge because it was easier and cheaper to build and operate through rough, mountainous terrain. The trail follows the bed of the Kingfield and Dead River Railroad that served loggers and sawmills in the area. Unlike most other remote rail-trails in the state, motorized vehicles such as ATVs and snowmobiles are prohibited. The trail surface, which is groomed in the winter for cross-country skiing, calls for the wider tires of hybrid or mountain bikes. The firm, crushed-stone surface hugs the north shore of the Carrabassett River for 5 miles as it rolls through a rocky channel in a forest. There’s plenty of room for backcountry experiences on the Narrow Gauge Pathway (also known as Carrabassett River Trail) nestled between Sugarloaf Mountain and the 36,000-acre Bigelow Preserve.
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