Things To Do on an eBike in Franklin County
Franklin County rides center on Carrabassett Valley, where the town, the mountain bike club and the resort each manage different trails.
The directory's three cards are on the eBike shops in Carrabassett Valley page. We present the Narrow Gauge rule as a conflict because two local sources disagree.
Where to ride in Franklin County
The valley's riding is gravel pathway and mountain bike singletrack, and the eBike rules differ by trail and by the year of the notice.
Riding in Franklin County, Maine.
The Narrow Gauge is an easy gravel pathway with a gradual grade, while Freeman Ridge and the Sugarloaf trails are purpose-built singletrack.
1. Narrow Gauge Pathway, Carrabassett Valley
The town describes a trail of about six miles with a gradual increase in grade from the southernmost trailhead at the Carrabassett Town Office. Campbell Field and the Anti-Gravity Center trailheads give a downhill ride out and a more challenging ride back, with picnic areas along the way.
Distance: About 6 miles per the town; 6.6 miles one way per Maine Trail Finder; start: Campbell Field, the Anti-Gravity Complex or the Carrabassett Valley Town Park; surface: Gravel and crushed stone.
eBike access: Conflict: the town calls the trail non-motorized, a November 2024 town news item says it reopened for foot and non-motorized or electric traffic, and a 2022 club post says eBikes were not allowed on the Narrow Gauge because easements limit use to non-motorized. Ask the town before you ride a motor. Etiquette and planning: Check the town's trail conditions, because the pathway sustained storm damage and reopened in November 2024. Managing source: Town of Carrabassett Valley, Narrow Gauge Pathway.
2. Carrabassett Valley trails, Sugarloaf Outdoor Center side
The Carrabassett Valley chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association reported that the town select board voted on May 23, 2022 to allow Class 1 eBikes on town land on the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center side of Route 27 on a trial basis from June 15 to November 1, 2022. Class 2 and 3 were not allowed on the valley trails.
Distance: Trail miles are on the 2026 CVTrails map; start: Sugarloaf Outdoor Center, south of Route 27; surface: Mountain bike trail.
eBike access: The 2022 post is the latest policy statement we found, and it was a trial, so confirm the current policy with the town. Etiquette and planning: Easements on the north side of Route 27 were described as limited to non-motorized use. Managing source: Carrabassett Valley NEMBA, E-Bikes in the Valley.
3. Freeman Ridge Bike Park, Kingfield
Maine Trail Finder describes a professionally built network of about two miles of single track and one mile of double track on an old woods road, mostly for intermediate riders. The park is still under development.
Distance: 2.6 miles of network, per Maine Trail Finder; start: Just outside Kingfield; surface: Single track and double track.
eBike access: We found no eBike statement on the listing. The park charges a fee and is open only during designated hours, so ask about eBikes and check its pass options. Etiquette and planning: Hikers and runners may also use the trails, so slow down for them. Managing source: Maine Trail Finder, Freeman Ridge Bike Park.
Planning a Franklin County ride
Call the Town of Carrabassett Valley before you ride the Narrow Gauge on a motorized bike, and use the Sugarloaf Bike Shop or Carrabassett Valley Bike for service questions.
For a day trip, Freeman Ridge Bike Park in Kingfield offers a pay-to-ride mountain bike network, and you can ask there about eBikes.
Half-day and full-day eBike plans
Half day: Ride the Narrow Gauge from Campbell Field downhill and back after confirming eBike access with the town.
Full day: Spend the morning at Freeman Ridge Bike Park after asking about eBikes and the afternoon on the Narrow Gauge on a non-motorized bike or as the town permits.
What not to ride
Class 2 and 3 eBikes on valley trails: The 2022 club post says Class 2 and Class 3 eBikes were not allowed on the Carrabassett Valley trails.
North side of Route 27: The same post says eBikes were not allowed on the Narrow Gauge or north side CVTrails network in 2022, because easements limited use to non-motorized.
When to ride Franklin County
Fall is a good window around Franklin, with cooler air than midsummer, but check land-manager closures first.
Shop hubs
The directory lists one town, Carrabassett Valley. Go to that town's page for contact details and claim links.
Rental and tour operators
We found no rental listing for this county. Ask the shops on the Franklin County eBike shops whether a loaner or rental exists.
Maine eBike rules snapshot
Maine sorts eBikes into three classes in 29-A M.R.S. section 101. An electric bicycle has two or three wheels, fully operable pedals, and an electric motor of less than 750 watts. A Class 1 motor assists only while you pedal and stops assisting at 20 miles an hour. A Class 2 motor is capable of propelling the bike by itself but is not capable of propelling it at 20 miles an hour. A Class 3 motor assists only while you pedal and stops at 28. A bike that meets the definition is left out of the moped, motorized bicycle, and motorized scooter definitions. We found no 2026 amendment to either section.
The operating rules are in section 2063, subsection 14, added by Public Law 2019, chapter 349. An electric bicycle operator is exempt from the Title 29-A rules on financial responsibility, licenses, registration, and plates. Since October 1, 2019, a permanent label must show the class, top assisted speed, and motor wattage, and the motor must disengage when the brakes are applied. A Class 1 or 2 may go wherever a bicycle may go, including bicycle paths, unless the municipality or agency prohibits it. A Class 3 stays off bicycle paths unless the path is inside a highway or roadway or the authority allows it. On a path designated non-motorized with a significant natural surface such as gravel, stones, or wooden bridging, an eBike needs the authority's permission.
Nobody under 16 may operate a Class 2 or Class 3, and a child under 16 may ride as a passenger on one only if the bike is designed for passengers. Any operator or passenger under 16 on any eBike wears a properly fitted bicycle helmet. A Class 3 needs a speedometer that shows miles per hour, and an operator is subject to the open container rule in section 2112-A. Private owners may restrict eBikes on their own ways and property. Read our Maine eBike laws guide, then check the sign at the trailhead.
Land managers add their own rules on top of the statute. The Bureau of Parks and Lands park rules say bicycles and other wheeled vehicles stay on roads and trails specifically designated for their use, and we found no statewide Bureau policy that names eBikes. Acadia National Park allows only Class 1 eBikes on its carriage roads and Schoodic bike paths.
Where a trail sign, a town ordinance, or a land trust says no eBikes, that rule controls. We name the managing source for each route below and mark what we could not confirm.
Our sources do not agree on the Narrow Gauge: the town says non-motorized, the town's 2024 news says non-motorized or electric, and a 2022 club post says no eBikes. Rangeley Lakes Trails Center describes a family-friendly mountain bike initiative in its Nordic network, but its page does not state an eBike rule.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Narrow Gauge Pathway?
A gravel multi-use trail of about six miles in Carrabassett Valley, per the town.
Were Class 1 eBikes ever allowed in Carrabassett Valley?
In 2022 the town allowed them on a trial basis on the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center side of Route 27, per the local mountain bike club.
Is Freeman Ridge Bike Park free?
No. Maine Trail Finder says it charges a fee for access and is open only at designated hours.
How big is Freeman Ridge?
Maine Trail Finder lists 2.6 miles of network, about two miles of single track and one mile of double track.
Who can I ask about Narrow Gauge rules?
The Town of Carrabassett Valley Recreation Department, whose page lists a phone number.
Are there bike shops in Carrabassett Valley?
The directory lists Carrabassett Valley Bike, Sugarloaf Bike Park and Sugarloaf Bike Shop.
Can an adult ride an eBike without a helmet in Maine?
In Maine an adult may ride without a helmet under the state law we read. Anyone under 16 needs one on an electric bicycle, and wearing a helmet is still sensible at any age on a mixed-surface trail. See the Maine eBike laws guide.
Does an eBike need a plate or title in Maine?
We found no plate requirement, because 29-A section 2063(14)(A) exempts electric bicycles from license plates and registration. The statute does not mention a title, and we found no title rule for a bike that meets the section 101 definition.
All shops in Franklin County
For the complete list (3 listings, 1 city), open the Franklin County eBike shops page.