Fort Point Trail Project

Introduction

The Fort Point Trail is the only public land access to historic Fort Point State Park; the only public access in St George to the river for recreation, birding, picnicking, fishing and clamming; a special place with views up and down the river; an important attraction in town, the highest used trail in town, and a relatively short, easy walk.

Unfortunately the trail has deteriorated due to very high use and erosion; the existing bog bridging requires significant maintenance on a yearly basis and the trail was closed from late spring into summer the past two years due to the poor trail condition.  Over the past two years the commission has explored cost effective ways to improve the trail.

The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) has identified the project as worthwhile and has encouraged the town to apply for a Recreational Trails Program Grant to  provide funding for development of a firm and stable Universal Access (UA) trail to the state's Fort St. Georges Historic Monument. 

Updates

December 2023 - Fort Point Trail is Now Open

The Fort Point trail is now open to foot traffic only.  Bicycles and motorized vehicles are not allowed as they would damage the trail. Our contractor, Kennebec Trail Company, completed their portion of the work just before Christmas. The added work on the State property combined with their high standards and working through an extremely wet season delayed the planned Fall completion. The trail may be closed on occasion due to weather conditions that could cause damage to the trail if in use. 

While Kennebec Trails was finishing up the last of the trail, Conservation Commission members along with help from a group of Blueberry Cove middle grade students constructed the area around the kiosk.  The loan of an excavator from Hoppe’s Tree Service and the student help made for quick work on the kiosk area. Our thanks go out to these students and to Hunter and Tim Hoppe. 

trail trail trail trail trail

October 2023

Significant progress has been made over the last six weeks. The trail section on the State property at the “Point” has been completed including firm surfaces at three picnic table locations adjacent to the path. Approximately 1/3 of the access trail on the town property is now complete, including a short section of boardwalk.

ft pt

August 2023

The work on the point is nearly complete.  A path has been created around the entire circumference of the point.  The Kennebec Trails crew will have to go to another job site for about 5 weeks before they can return to finish work on the trail.  They will complete the trail from the Point and work their way back to the trail head.  The trail will be closed until completion.

Point 1 Point 2 point 3

July 2023

The commission has been working for several months to expand the Universal Access trail to include State property at the point. We are happy to announce that the State Bureau of Parks and Lands has recently funded an additional $45,000 for this portion of the trail. Due to the historic nature of Fort St. Georges the first activity before proceeding with trail construction was to conduct an archeological investigation to ensure that no artifacts are disturbed.

On July 10 & 11 two archeologists from the Maine Historic Preservation Commission assisted by 14 local volunteers and commission members conducted the investigation. The investigation included digging 30 test holes (20”x20” sq. and 12” to 36” deep) spaced equally along the proposed trail route and sifting the material looking for artifacts. No significant artifacts were found in the top 6” allowing the trail construction to proceed as planned.

dig 1 dig 2 dig 3 dig 4

June 2023

The bridge at the stream crossing has been completed.  This will allow the Kennebec Trails crew to get equipment and materials to the end of the trail, where trail construction will start.  The trail will remain closed until all construction is completed in the fall.

bridge

May 2023

Construction has finally begun.  Kennebec Trail Company has started delivering materials to the site and doing the initial prep work for the bridge crossing over the stream.  We expect the new bridge to be complete before the end of June.  Full trail completion is expected in the fall. Progress updates will be posted here.

Ft Point Trail Construction Fort Point Construction Ft Point Construction Ft Point Construction Fort Point Construction

December 2022

Since selecting Kennebec Trail Company (KTC) as the contractor we held an on-site kickoff meeting in August and conducted a trail walk in October finalizing the trail reroute. On November 4th volunteers and Conservation Commission members cleared the new trail corridor of downed trees and brush. The contract was finalized and signed on November 15th. Some preliminary work may occur over the winter but the major work will be in May through August 2023.   

August 2022

We have reviewed proposals from potential contractors for both the trail work and the bridge.  We completed follow up questions with the potential suppliers and also completed reference checks including some on site visits.  We recently received approvals of our recommended contractor from the Select Board and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) Bureau of Parks and Lands.  The selected contractor for both the trail construction and the bridge is Kennebec Trail Company (KTC) located in Bath, ME.

During the next month we will prepare the contract and have an on-site kick off meeting with KTC.  Some preliminary work will be started this fall but the major work will be in May through August 2023.  As the work proceeds, we will continue to post information on the Town Website and provide updates in the town newsletter.

January 2022

GREAT NEWS !!

The Conservation Commission is happy to announce that on December 22, 2021 we were awarded a Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant in the amount of $120,000 for the Fort Point Trail Rehabilitation Project.  

We THANK those supportive neighbors, volunteers and the generous folks who contributed to help us meet the matching funds requirement for the grant, we could not have been successful without your support. Our goal is to complete the project by the Fall of 2022. 

Rehabilitation Plan for the Fort Point Trail

The Town of St George Conservation Commission has developed a plan to significantly improve the Fort Point Trail.  We applied for a Maine State grant through the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) to cover the majority of the construction costs.

For more information

Would you like to help?

The total cost of the project is estimated at $166,000.  The RTP grant will cover $120,000.  Current donations, pledges, in-kind labor and Town contributions total $44,000.  We are looking to make up the $2,000 shortfall with additional pledges.  

Donation Pledge Form

If you have any questions or would like more information please email the St. George Conservation Commissiion here.

Fort Point Trail Ad Hoc Committee

Note: The Select Board disbanded the Ad Hoc Committee in April 2021 and assigned the continuing effort to the Conservation Commission

The Select Board has established a Fort Point Trail Ad Hoc Committee.  Key elements of the committee charge include:

  • Work with trail consultants to develop a UA trail design, develop project costs and complete a property survey of the project area.
  • Raise funds through private and municipal sources to fund engineering design and a survey.  
  • Coordinate with the BPL on the development of a maintenance agreement.
  • Complete applications for project funding grants from the Recreational Trails Program, Land and Water Conservation Program, and other relevant funding opportunities
  • Coordinate with the St. George Historical  Society on preservation of historic resources within the project area

Committee Members

  • Lori Gary, Community Member
  • Tom Gorrill, Conservation Commission
  • Jerry Hall, Select Board
  • Ken Oelberger, Conservation Commission
  • Dale Pierson, St. George Historical Society
  • Tim Polky, Town Administration

The full committee charge can be found at Fort Point Trail Ad Hoc Committee Charge