05/07/2026
Beginning May 23rd in Maine, you can climb aboard the Downeast Scenic Railroad in Ellsworth for a fun day of sightseeing in one of Maine’s most beautiful regions! This 90-minute, 12-mile round-trip ride leaves from the Hancock Station platform near Ellsworth and follows the historic Calais Branch of the former Maine Central Railroad. Along the way, you’ll roll through quiet woods, open marshland, fields, old rail crossings, and across the restored Union River Bridge. The trip is narrated by volunteers, with stories about local rail history, old stations, sawmills, blueberry sites, nesting ospreys, beaver lodges, and the days when summer travelers rode this line toward the coast on the famous Bar Harbor Express. The railroad says this was the first passenger train to return to these tracks since 1960, making the ride feel like a living piece of Downeast history. You can bring a picnic, buy light snacks onboard, take photos of the locomotive switching ends, and possibly tour the railyard or see the Maine Central #470 steam locomotive restoration project after your ride.
