Bethel ME transport
Anyone out there in hikerland have ideas for getting from Grafton Notch/Bethel to the Augusta Airport? Looking for bus or train service.
Pretty simple, there is no train or bus service in Maine with the exception of the I 95 Corridor and even then the train service only runs from the NH border to Brunswick along the coast. your choices are hire a shuttle or hitch. Getting from Bethel to Augusta airport is difficult as there is no direct route. The most direct route is RT 26 south to 219 in Paris Maine and then cross country through a lot of very rural towns to Winthrop and then to Augusta. There really are no scheduled airlines to speak of flying out of Augusta, it is a small airport that has a national guard base adjacent to it. It is about the same driving time to get to the Portland Airport from Grafton Notch as it would be to the Augusta airport. Most of the people on the AT shuttle list for the Whites and western Maine will do shuttles to Portland or Augusta but its an expensive shuttle.
The closest bus service is a daily bus service from Gorham NH to Logan Airport in Boston. It leaves Gorham around 7 AM so you will need to book a hotel room in town or book a place at the The Barn in Gorham. You can arrange a local hiker shuttle to get you from Grafton Notch to Gorham NH (be careful there is Gorham ME not that far away). Trail Angels in Berlin NH, a private shuttle service, is usually the best bet unless the guy who shuttles out of White Birches campground in Shelburne is doing shuttles this year. FWIY, unless cell service has improved, there is no cell service in Grafton Notch. There usually is service from the ridgeline on either side so if you need to contact a shuttler you need to call from the ridgeline an hour or so in advance before you head down into the notch. Note that the local shuttlers are very busy and booked in advance during hiking season and need to plan in advance to deal with folks needing a ride, a trip to Portland or Augusta takes them out of area for 4 to 5 hours and they may not be able to fit in last minutes requests.
Note that the Mahoosuc trail section to the west of Grafton Notch and AT in Western Maine are rugged and tend to be underestimated by many hikers. More than few folks end up needing to bail part way through an extended section hike at Grafton Notch and it not unusual for folks to get pushed back a day. Not sure if the Andover slackpack option is still available, but that option is not there for the Mahoosucs. There is some dayhiking activity in the Grafton Notch area so a hiker may get lucky and bum a ride down to Bethel but once the day hikers clear out, a hiker needing a ride may be spending an extra night out. Walking to the nearest store in Bethel is not recomended as RT 26 is winding and narrow with almost no shoulder until it intersects with RT 2.
FWIW, I was curious about the flights.
American and/or Delta currently service Augusta.
They currently fly direct to/from Atlanta and Charlotte throughout the day. There is one flight per day to/from Washington and DFW
My guess the flights listed for the big carriers are code share flights with Cape Air, a small commuter airline with 9 seat planes (the 9th seat is the co pilots seat).
Looks like Portland Airport is the best option for return flight to ATL. So to tweak the thread, how are options from Bethel to Portland Airport?
Same options as before, there is no public transportation to Bethel from Portland. The closest bus is in Gorham NH which is about 40 miles from Grafton Notch. The Portland Jetport, taking the shortest very rural route via backroads is 82 miles (per google maps). My guess is about $200 to $250 for a shuttle to Portland or $100 for one to Gorham NH plus a place to stay that night. Portland airport has flights all day but around 6PM its gets real quiet so unless you want to spend a night in Portland you would need to meet a shuttle by noon to catch a late afternoon flight. Due to local traffic in Portland it is about a 3 hour drive. The best deal on flights is Boston or you can get dropped off at South Station and take Amtrak rail service south. Amtrak also runs from Portland to Boston but you need to hoof it through Boston between North and South Station. Most folks would take a bus from Portland to South Station in Boston and skip the Downeaster Amtrak route (although it is somewhat scenic) as the buses go to Logan Airport and South Station.
Here is the Concord Coach Schedule from Gorham https://concordcoachlines.com/wp-con...or-Website.pdf
Obviously if you can end your hike in Gorham NH its a lower cost/ hassle. If you can add in half the Mahoosucs, you coudl take a blue blaze down from Gentian Pond Shelter via Austin Brook Trail to North Road and then hitch into Gorham.
Ignore my post, I was looking at Augusta GA.Originally Posted by Daybreak
That explains a lot
You might want to call the Flight School in Augusta and ask if there's someone who will pick you up and deliver you to wherever you want. When I started my Long Trail hike a few autumns ago I had an instructor from Newport VT fly down to Hanover NH (Lebanon, technically), pick me up and drop me off at the trailhead after landing in Newport. I flew over the LT doing 140mph while looking at the Green Mountain peaks I was going to hike in the next weeks.
Give me a mile of trail and I can show you the forest. Give me a mile of runway and I can show you the world.
Long Trail Completed 2021.
Collegiate Loop 2022
There is a good bus service from Lewiston or Auburn to Portland and Boston.
I have opted for shuttle from Grafton Notch back to Gorham and bus from there to BOS. Thanks all for the info! Any shuttlers to suggest? Many from the list are no longer operating.
Trail Angels out of Berlin NH has a good reputation. https://www.trailangelshikerservices.com/ You could also check with White Birches Campground in Shelburne, there was a seasonal camper who offered shuttles.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote