Fat Tire Biking in Maine: Rentals, Trails & Fatty Festival

Get on your bikes and ride!

Maine and fat tire biking appear to be made for each other.  Biking lets you see more backcountry scenery in a much shorter time.  Maine has crazy terrain, from snow to slush and from sand to boulders.  What’s a great way to see the landscape and easily navigate the varying terrain?  Fat tire biking, or “fat biking,” that’s what.  The larger size of the tires make it possible to ride any time of year, in nearly any conditions, including sand and snow.  Sounds like a match made in heaven for Mainers who want to enjoy the backcountry scenery (and stay fit!) year-round.

Fat Bike Poker Run @LostValley

Want to check out the sport?  Feeling up for some adventure?  Wanna hang with other fellow fattie fans?  January 29th The Green Machine Bike Shop from Norway is hosting its annual Fat Biking event at Lost Valley, the Fat Bike Poker Run.  This family friendly event features great prizes including a Free Fat Bike, Sky Diving Passes, White Water Rafting Passes and more!  This event promises to be fun for spectators as well, with a Beer Garden, live music, food and lots of other fun activities.

Maine Fat Tire Bike Festival @SugarloafMaine

Sugarloaf is hosting it’s 3rd Annual Fat Tire Festival this year, February 11 & 12th, 2017. The festival features fat tire races, a frozen fattie adventure ride, fat tire bike demos, and new for 2017 a guided night ride!  Visit the Sugarloaf website for more information, to register, and purchase tickets. 

Sounds neat, but how do I get into fat biking?

Honestly, it isn’t cheap.  Your average fat bike goes from anywhere between $800-$1,600 (based on a recent Craigslist search), although cheaper and of course more expensive models are available.  Just want to check out fat biking without the financial commitment?  No problem!  Below is a list of places in Maine that offer fat bike rentals, followed by fat tire bike trails throughout the state of Maine for your year-round riding enjoyment!

Maine Fat Tire Bike Rentals

Maine Fat Tire Bike Trails

THE HIGHLANDS

  • Orono Land Trust, Colburn Drive, Orono
  • Newman & Bangor Hills, Taylor Road, Orono
  • Perch Pond, Kirkland Road, Old Town
  • Bangor City Forest, Tripp Drive, Bangor
  • Marsh Island, 169 Gillman Falls Avenue, Old Town
  • Dedham Trails, 1 Bangor Road, Dedham
  • University of Maine Trails, Orono, 22 Hilltop Road, Orono

DOWNEAST & ACADIA

  • Hothole Valley – Wildlands, 1514 Acadia Highway, Orland

THE MIDCOAST

  • Camden Hills State Park, 280 Belfast Road, Camden
  • Camden Snow Bowl, 20 Barnestown Road, Camden

KENNEBEC VALLEY

  • Bond Brook, 1 Tall Pines Way, Augusta
  • Hallowell Reservoir, 1 Reservoir Road, Hallowell
  • Pine Ridge/Inland Woods, 4 Norman Street, Waterville
  • Androscoggin Riverlands State Park, 1005 Center Bridge Road, Turner
  • Allen-Whitney Memorial Forest, 92 Scribner Road, Manchester
  • Quarry Road Recreation Area, 99 Quarry Road, Waterville

LAKES & MOUNTAINS

  • Mount Apatite, 98 Small Road, Auburn
  • Range Ponds State Park, State Park Road, Poland
  • Highwater Trail Loop, State Road 113, Bethel
  • Narrow Gauge Pathway, 3209 Carrabassett Drive, Carrabassett Valley
  • Carrabassett Valley Overview, 5092 Access Road, Carrabassett
  • Pineland Farms, 15 Farm View Road, New Gloucester
  • Maine Huts & Trails, 1001-1005 Houston Brook Road, Carrabassett Valley

SOUTH & CASCO BAY

  • Presumpscot River Trails, 189 Summit Street, Portland
  • Bradbury Mountain State Park, 528 Hallowell Road, Pownal
  • Mt. Agamenticus, 385 Mountain Road, York
  • Portland Area Riding, 305 Commercial Street, Portland
  • Cape Elizabeth, 1000 Shore Road, Cape Elizabeth
  • Blackstrap Preserve, Blackstrap Road, Falmouth
  • Yarmouth West Side Trail, Tyler Drive, Yarmouth
  • Edmund L. Smith Preserve, 76 Guinea Road, Kennebunkport
  • Blackstrap Hill Community Forest, 1 Babbidge Road, Falmouth
  • Clifford Park, 1 Parent Avenue, Biddeford
  • Hadlock Community Forest, 88 Hadlock Road, Falmouth
  • Libby Hill Forest, 50 Libby Hill Road, Gray
  • Lowell Preserve, 47 Falmouth Road, Windham

Enjoy Maine’s winter adventures, and as always, Stay Untamed!

Angela Quintal-Snowman

About Angela Quintal-Snowman

Angela Quintal-Snowman is an Untamed Mainer from Deer Isle. A Maine native, she grew up in an outdoors family with her dad teaching her how to identify animal tracks and fish, and her mom teaching her campfire cooking and foraging skills.