Auburn Between Forest Trails and City History

If you’re looking for a hotel in Auburn, it’s worth deciding what you want to focus on during your trip first. Wooded trails, river views, stories about the city and historic commercial buildings sit alongside outdoor events. For winter trips, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ski school lessons are additional options.

Forest Trails and Mineral Hunting

Mount Apatite Park is in western Auburn and covers 325 acres of wooded terrain. Its approximately four miles of non-motorized trails are open to hikers, mountain bikers, cross-country skiers and snowshoers. This range of activities makes the park worth considering if you want to include activities on foot, by bike or in the snow in your plans. Hobbyists may search the tailings piles for apatite, tourmaline and quartz specimens; special rules apply. The Sherwood Forest Conservation Area, also known as the Alexander-Harkins Preserve, is open to the public and has a connected trail network of 2.1 miles. In terms of trail length, the approximately four miles of non-motorized trails contrast with the 2.1 miles of connected trails.

Riverwalk, Stories and Art

The Riverwalk follows the Androscoggin River and offers views of gardens, outdoor artworks and benches. Beyond Festival Plaza, the trail continues and branches toward Bonney Park or across the John T. Jenkins Memorial Pedestrian Bridge to the Lewiston side. Along the Riverwalk, Auburn’s Storywalk shares stories about the city through 16 panels. This means that river scenery and a cultural storytelling stop sit alongside each other on the same named trail.

Festival Plaza and Historic Commercial Buildings

Festival Plaza is downtown; it serves as a venue for outdoor events and as a gathering place for residents and visitors. It hosts Auburn’s three major events: New Year's Auburn, Auburn Lobster Festival and Auburn's Blues & Brews. The events schedule may change, so check the dates before your trip. Historic buildings surround the plaza and have shaped Main Street since the mid-19th century. The Auburn Commercial Historic District has the largest concentration and density of historic commercial buildings in Auburn. These are two distinct perspectives on the city’s history: the plaza highlights its setting on Main Street, while the district highlights the concentration of historic commercial buildings.

The display cases between the waterfalls and Bonney Park also feature art and cultural contributions, changing monthly from May through November, weather permitting. If you want to include these displays in your plans, take both the time period and the weather caveat into account.

Winter Activities

Winter activities vary in focus: at Mount Apatite Park, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are possible uses of the non-motorized trails. At Lost Valley, the ski school offers lessons for all ages and ability levels; Nordic equipment and snowshoes are also available to rent. Lesson offerings and rental inventory may change seasonally. Check what is currently available before your visit. This will help you decide whether to plan for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, or to look for ski school lessons and rental equipment.

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