Orono: Stillwater Trail, University of Maine Campus, & DeMeritt University Forest Trails

There are some excellent options for running in Orono, located 8 miles north of Bangor. Located on the Penobscot & Stillwater rivers, the town is also home to the 11,000 University of Maine at Orono. There are also running tracks at Orono High School (just off the Stillwater Trail) and at Alfond Stadium at UMaine.

Stillwater River Trail. This is a pleasant, farily narrow gravel trail that follows the west bank of the Stillwater River for 1.8 miles between Brownie’s Park @ the Rt. 2 bridge and Bennoch Rd. The are nice views of the river. For a longer run, cross the Rt. 2 bridge (good sidewalk) to add with the UMaine campus trails. ROUTE MAP

University of Maine Campus & Trails. The campus itself features a good network of pedestrian roads and paths, the heart of it lying between Sebago Rd. and the Gym/athletic complex to the north. Be sure to run ‘The Mall’.

There’s also the fantastic DeMeritt University Forest trail system, which starts at the Athletic Center area. The 15 miles of trails are divided into two sections: the South Section, between Rt. 2 & Rt. 2A (Stillwater Ave.) consists mainly of cycle paths and several loop options around woods and fields. From the New Balance Athletic Center, there’s a 2.5 mile paved Recreational Trail (yellow in trail map).  There’s also some singletrack at the northeast end. The North Section, north of Stillwater Ave., features mainly wooded trails through the University of Maine Forest.  TRAIL MAP