Caribou: Trails, Museums and Motorsport History

For a stay in Caribou, you can distinguish between two areas of interest: trails and winter sports on one hand, and museums and motorsport history on the other. If you are looking for a hotel, this distinction can help you decide what to focus on first when planning your trip. The trail options range from a 1.5-mile path to a snowmobile network of more than 110 miles; the museums cover different historical themes.

Trails and Winter Sports in Caribou

More than 110 miles of groomed snowmobile trails connect Caribou with Presque Isle, the lake region, Portage, Allagash and Canada. The trail network is established, but grooming and conditions vary by season. Trail selection and travel dates therefore go hand in hand: check seasonal conditions before setting out if you are planning your trip around the snowmobile trails.

The Aroostook Valley Trail offers a different route. It passes through Caribou, is 28 miles long and runs as a multi-use trail from Presque Isle to New Sweden. The trail is intended for year-round use by multiple user groups; check seasonal conditions before your trip. Its length and named endpoints distinguish it from both the snowmobile network and the shorter trail at Collins Pond.

The Collins Pond Walking/Bicycling Path is 1.5 miles long. In terms of trail length, that is a different scale from the 28-mile Aroostook Valley Trail or the snowmobile network. Check the path's local maintenance conditions before your visit. Dragon World, a landscape playground, is located in the park at Collins Pond. Check its current operating status before visiting.

Museums and Motorsport History

The Caribou Historical Center & Museum contains more than 10,000 artifacts relating to Caribou's early history. The collection covers family life, medicine, education, business and agriculture. These topics give local history a concrete framework, spanning everyday life and its necessities as well as learning and working life.

The Nylander Museum of Natural History in Caribou was dedicated in 1939 by Lewis Barrows, Governor of Maine, and built as a WPA project. Part of the preserved Nylander collection is on permanent display at the museum year-round; check current visitor access before your visit. The museums offer different historical perspectives side by side: Caribou's early history at the Historical Center & Museum and the natural history collection at the Nylander Museum.

Spud Speedway is also part of the town's history. Spud Speedway was established in Caribou, Maine, in 1964. Spud Speedway is a motorsports and winter sports facility in Caribou. If you would like to plan your trip around an event there, check the current schedule in advance.

Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests

The three trail options differ in scale and use: a seasonally groomed snowmobile network of more than 110 miles, a 28-mile multi-use trail between Presque Isle and New Sweden, and the 1.5-mile path at Collins Pond. For a culture-focused stay, the collections' themes take center stage; those interested in motorsports or winter sports can also consider Spud Speedway's history and current schedule.

Discover more destinations: Caswell, Presque Isle.

Return to the overview of the wider region: Aroostook.