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The pandemic fueled a hiking boom, but there are still places to avoid a crowd on the trail
Foot traffic on Maine trails is has trailed off from the pandemic-crazed high of 2020, but still higher that before COVID-19. Here are some hidden gems.
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Hikers revel in the views while hiking theParks Bennett Loop in Bethel. With such an increased demand on trails, folks at Inland Woods + Trails took the initiative and in April constructed a 3-mile loop trail in the newly conserved Bethel Community Forest.
Photo by Gabe Perkins
From the North Maine Woods to western Maine, down through southern Maine and along the coast to the Downeast region, land managers echo similar reports on hiker traffic: It is down from the wild spike that occurred in 2020 due to COVID-19 – when trail use doubled in many places – but Maine’s trails are still busy.