Trail access in Franklin County preserving community connections

SUN JOURNAL • June 16, 2026

A High Peaks Alliance op-ed series that began with land, family and public access in western Maine has turned to something simpler in its third installment: what happens when strangers meet on a trail. In “Togetherness on the Trails,” Kingfield resident Dan Rhodes reflects on the sense of openness people often experience outdoors, contrasting it with the tension and impatience of places such as airports. On a trail, he writes, encounters with others are usually welcome. “The kinship we feel on trails is real,” Rhodes wrote, “maybe because there’s no separate agenda like there is at an airport.”