# Greater Greenville Maine Loops



## tomcat (Nov 11, 2012)

I do these rides fairly frequently so I don't have a specific date.  I haven't been able to use AZ for a while due to living in a dial up only area, but after 5 years I got DSL at my house.  Here is a the post for these two fun loops.

Sorry they ramble but they are in somewhat of a wilderness area so I tried to make it concise.  Both loops are on dirt except for very beginning 4 miles to close loops on RT 15.  These are by far best rides I have found in Moosehead Region but require plenty of endurance.

I start at the end of North Rd just north of Greenville which is the the road that accesses Big Moose and Little Moose hiking areas (about 1 mile before road to Squaw Mtn Ski area.  I ride RT 15 about 4 miles on the pavement to make it a loop.  After RT 15 there is no more pavement.  I turn onto Burnham Pond rd a logging road and follow for 3.5 +- miles where it becomes an ATV/Snowmobile trail too.  There are mile markers for the logging and this is followed to the 7 mile marker passing awesome views taking in the Bigelow Range and riding under Eagle Rock (northern most peak of Big Moose Range and a beautiful hike).  The ATV/Snow trail turns off onto more of a jeep road than logging road and follows this for several miles in and out of puddles staying fairly flat to rolling before reaching a marked jct.  One way points to Forks, other Greenville.  Following Greenville trail you are now SW of Big Moose and follow ATV trail signs on logging rd that winds with nice ups and downs, nothing too steep.  Shortly the trail enters actual technical ATV trail which is very rooty and muddy.  This section ends on North Road around 20 miles into it.  Continue straight and start climbing towards trailhead for Notch Ponds on the Delorme.  After passing Notch Ponds Trailhead the trail continues past it and becomes continually rougher jeep road before it is impassable by all but ATVs and very high SUVS.  This is a very steep climb over 1000' of gain before finally reaching height of land in a couple miles.  At height of land you are back on a smoother logging road which descend all the way back to North Road passing Little Moose trail head and eventually Big Moose Trailhead.  It's easy cruising back to the start. 28 Miles with no retracing any trail, all but 4 or so off road.  There isn't really much singletrack but everything else with some killer views and lots of moose.

A variation of this ride is 37 miles.  At the split mentioned earlier for the Forks,  go towards the Forks.  It is simialr riding that will take you to another junction that will say Greenville 12 Miles, the Forks 15, Bingham 51.  Follow the Greenville route and this will eventually bring you out near Greenville Junction.  Up until Greenville Jct, the trail sticks to ATV/Snow trails mixing dirt road, Narrow ATV trail, numerous short ridable water crossings with generally faster rolling topography with a few steeper short hills. The trail goes behind Big Moose Inn formerly Greenwood Motel and begins climbing at 32 miles on a narrow ATV trail that is semi technical at places.  You begin 4 ascents each getting Steeper. The third ascent goes up in four or 5 tiers and is about as steep as you can possibly pedal a bike up.  Its so steep and loose that the local ATV club installed cement blocks in the ground for traction for the ATVs to prevent shredding the trail.  This gains i would guess between 500-1000 feet before finally dropping hundreds of feet to another logging road.  Now you go up again I would estimate another 500 feet elevation gain of logging road before cutting off onto another rough ATV trail.  Finally at the end of the climb you drop all of the elevation you gained on a very technical rocky and at places sloppy ATV trail and drop off less than a half mile behind where you started on North Rd. which is an easy coast back to the car 37 extremely tiring miles later thanks to 3+ miles of climbing 32 miles into it.  
Both these routes are easy to follow by following ATV and Snowmobile signs even if you aren't too familiar with the area and have a delorme to consult before hand.  I think there may even be maps of ATV/Snow trails at Northwoods outfitters in Greenville.


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## BackLoafRiver (Nov 13, 2012)

Sounds like a scenic and cool set of loops. At some point we should connect up for a ride. I am always game for exploring parts of the state by bike!


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## tomcat (Nov 14, 2012)

@Backloafriver  There are a few nice places in Greenville and on AMC/Roxanne Quimby land.  Nice long cruising loops.  I'm guessing the season is done with mud now.  Next year I'd definately be up for taking you on one of these rides


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## BackLoafRiver (Nov 14, 2012)

That'd be cool.  I am still riding here. Some of the central Maine stuff is still rideable and I am hoping to log a few more miles before I put the MTB in storage.


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## bigbog (Nov 16, 2012)

That must be a great ride tomcat.   It's certainly nice country.


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