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3.6 miles
Distance
9 ft
Climb
-8 ft
Descent
00:24:30
Avg time
10 ft
Altitude max
2 ft
Altitude start
3 ft
Altitude end
-2.3%
Grade max
4.4%
Grade min
1,854 ft
Distance climb
1,804 ft
Distance down
3 miles
Distance flat
00:24:30
Avg time
Back Cove Trail Details
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Activities
- Mountain Bike
- E-Bike
- Gravel Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
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Riding AreaDowntown Portland
Portland, Maine -
Difficulty Rating
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Local Popularity70 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 75 in E-Biking
- 100 in Trail Running
- 90 in Hiking
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Global Ranking
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Trail TypeGravel Path
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Bike TypeGravel
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DirectionBoth Directions
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eBike AllowedYes up to Class 1
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Land OwnerCity of Portland
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OSM Way
One of the oldest and most popular of the trails in Portland, Back Cove offers great views of the Portland skyline. Ideal for walking, running, biking (road/mountain) and dog walking. There are benches and two water fountains (seasonal) along the trail. Portable toilets are available in the parking areas at Preble Street Extension and Payson Park.
Loop trail with stone dust and paved surfaces–mostly flat with a slight rise along the stretch that parallels I-295. The Back Cove Trail connects to the Bayside and Eastern Promenade Trail under Tukey’s Bridge. This trail is maintained by the City of Portland.
Local Trail Association
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Please consider joining or donating to the local trail association to supportDonate to earn trail karma!
trail development & maintenance.
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 2 rides
- 12 miles average
6 Months
- 11 rides
- 13 miles avg distance
All
- 61 rides
- Last: Jun 25, 2026
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
Back Cove Trail Trail Reports
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Trail reports are used to indicate a trails current condition and inform builders and other riders about any issues on a trail.
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Trail Conditions
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- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
- Snow Covered
- Snow Cover Partial
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- Icy
- Prevalent Mud
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Directions to back-cove-trail trailhead
(43.664100, -70.266950)
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Routes with this trail
★ 3.0 • 12 miles • 580 ft • 28 • Loop •
A tour of Portland Maine trails starting and ending at the parking area off of preble street. This route...
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Nearby Trails
- Bayside Trail 2,356 ft
- Bayside To Back Cove 2,969 ft
- Deering Oaks Woods Path 4,026 ft
- Deering Oaks Park Bike Path 4,531 ft
- Deering Oaks Park Access Road 5,207 ft
- By Baxterm419
GP NEMBA & contributors - #279432 - 2,260 views
This trails GPS track was originally sourced from OpenStreetMap and will always be available for download in OSM Format.
Frequently Asked Questions About Back Cove Trail
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Where is Back Cove Trail located?
Back Cove Trail is located in Downtown Portland, Portland, Maine, United States. It is part of the Downtown Portland trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 43.6641, -70.26695.
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How hard is Back Cove Trail?
Back Cove Trail is rated as White difficulty.
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What is the elevation gain for Back Cove Trail?
Back Cove Trail has 9 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 8 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 0 ft to 10 ft.
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Is Back Cove Trail a point to point trail?
Back Cove Trail is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is gravel path.
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