Here at at the Lake Auburn Community Center our trails serve as the gateway to Auburn’s Community Forest, along the West side of Lake Auburn.
Take the Conservation Trail 500 feet to access Merrick’s Way, recently dedicated to Merrick Chadbourne, from the Community Center parking and picnic area. Merrick’s Way supports a wide variety of uses excluding recreational ATV use due to prohibition on the adjacent properties. The trail serves as year-round, sunrise to sunset access for hundreds of acres of protected watershed and community forest lands. Merrick’s Way is the historic, original “Spring Road” which led early settlers from West Auburn Village to the hotel and spring house attractions along the shores of Lake Auburn. With snow pack it is groomed for multi-use and is great for hikers and bikers in the spring, summer, and fall.
The trail is hardened grass and gravel and was abandoned in the 60s as a road. Though the original historic “Spring Road” was built in 1879, this trail has been in use since the mid 1700s. It brought the early settlers from West Auburn Village to the Lake Auburn spring house and hotel amenities. From the LACC parking area, the trail begins with gentle grading and becomes steeper through the gravel sections. Merrick’s Way is lined by stone walls and country views and was also recently upgraded by the Auburn Water District.
Features include field and wooded vistas, wildlife sightings, great walks through rock culverts, and a pedestrian footbridge stream crossing. This trail was a recipient of the Maine Recreational Trail Grant Program.
For more information about surrounding trails, visit our listing on the Maine Trail Finder website here: https://www.mainetrailfinder.com/trails/trail/lake-auburn-community-center