In March, a group of community leaders, volunteers, and outdoor enthusiasts were sitting around a table at the Main Street Skowhegan office discussing the AmeriCorps Outdoor Recreation Program, an initiative to provide free outdoor activities and gear for community members. They came to the realization that a movement is underfoot, just scratching at the floorboards, in Skowhegan. We have multiple trail networks, a bike pump track, a downtown river gorge with a plan for the Run of River whitewater kayak and surf park, Lake George Regional Park, Eaton Mountain, and many other places ripe for outdoor recreation. We have free, guided outdoor programming and activities, and we have a growing gear library to help our locals get started outside. But what we don’t have is a unified initiative with a cohesive story to tell. 

Enter stage right: Skowhegan Outdoors

Main Street Skowhegan decided to go big or go home, bite the bullet, and just do it. At the end of June, they decided to launch the—now official—Skowhegan Outdoors initiative. It begins with a website, some messaging, and a somewhat-consistent graphic identity. And it will grow from here. 

The launch of the Skowhegan Outdoors Initiative is another step toward ensuring that everyone in the Skowhegan community has equitable access to the outdoors, opportunities to attend free outdoor activities, and the tools to experience the natural world on their own. It’s an effort to tie together all the work that is happening across the community in the outdoor space, including information about trail development and free outdoor programming. Skowhegan Outdoors will help bring people together through shared experiences, promote our outdoor spaces and facilities, and catalyze a shift toward a more active lifestyle in Skowhegan—a lifestyle that is accessible to everyone.

We know you want to learn more, so go big or go home, bite the bullet, and just go for it—click this link: https://skowheganoutdoors.com/