- Departments
- Economic Development
- Orono Economic Development Corporation
- Caribou Bog Trail Center
Caribou Bog Trail Center
Announcing the new Caribou Bog Center!
The Orono Economic Development Corporation (OEDC) has announced plans to renovate the prior Taylor Bait Farm business buildings and repurpose as the Caribou Bog Center, a four-season outdoor center. The building is located off the Taylor Road in Orono and is centrally located within the Caribou Bog Conservation Area (CBCA), a corridor of conservation lands and extensive trails extending from the Bangor City Forest north to Old Town. The new Center will work to enhance the overall "experience" for Nordic skiers, mountain bikers, birder watchers, and runners/walkers.
In January 2021, OEDC was awarded a $120,000 Recreational Trails Program (RTP) matching grant through the Maine Trails Advisory Committee of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry toward renovation costs. The main building will be the Center, providing family users an indoor facility to change, sit, picnic, and socialize, and the connected building will be used for storage, equipment maintenance, and ski waxing/bike tuning. The Center is being designed for meetings, functions, and educational programming, and parking will be available adjacent to the new Center. Depending upon contractor availability, renovation construction is planned for this summer with a goal of opening for the 2021/22 winter season!
Click Here to View the Project Renderings in Detail
How can you help?!
The renovation budget is now estimated to be in excess of $200,000, so additional funds or in-kind building material donations must be raised toward the RTP matching grant. As the Penobscot Valley Ski Club (PVSC) has for many years supported the CBCA ski trail grooming efforts through equipment investment and volunteer time, uses the site as a Nordic race “venue,” and hopes to utilize the new building for meetings and equipment storage, PVSC has partnered with OEDC to act as the Fiscal Sponsor for all Caribou Bog Center donations. Whether you are a member of PVSC or not, your tax-deductible donations may be sent to:
Penobscot Valley Ski Club
P.O. Box 873
Bangor, ME 04402
Memo line: CBC Renovation