A few miles from busy U.S. Route 1, Black Woods Scenic Byway offers a lovely 12.5-mile route on Route 182, starting in Franklin and extending easterly to Cherryfield, encompassing trailheads and boat launches to our mountains and lakes. Highlights include bicycling, boating, canoeing, kayaking, foliage-viewing, hiking trails, lakes, ponds, rivers, mountains, the Atlantic Ocean, and wildlife.
The two anchor towns, both beautiful communities, have populations of fewer than 2,000 each. The towns go back to the 18th century. Franklin’s namesake was Benjamin Franklin, and the leading products in the early years were ship masts, railroad ties, and granite. Today, blueberries and Christmas trees are big. The town is dotted with historical sites, like its cemetery and grange hall.
