WATERVILLE — The Quarry Road Recreation Area, Waterville’s largest public park, has experienced record growth in recent years, and is set to offer fully lit night Nordic skiing this season.
At the Waterville City Council meeting Nov. 18, Matt Gilley, a member of the Alpine Subcommittee of the Friends of Quarry Road, discussed recent park updates, including expanded skiing opportunities.
Recreational opportunities at Quarry Road already include Nordic and alpine skiing, snowshoeing, running, walking, biking and more.
The city maintains 12 kilometers of groomed Nordic ski trails, and skiers this season are expected to have access to 1.5 kilometers of fully lit night skiing.
The city recently added 75 vertical feet to the alpine slope. The trails are the only ones in the area with snowmaking capabilities.
All services at Quarry Road are free, except the groomed trails.
The Quarry Road Recreation Area is owned by the city of Waterville and managed by the Waterville Parks and Recreation Department.
Friends of Quarry Road, a nonprofit volunteer group, works with the city to develop recreation spaces, host community events and promote economic impact.
The Quarry Road Recreation Area was founded in the 1930s, closed during World War II and later reopened by the Colby College Outing Club. The college operated the facility through the 1960s and 1970s, before it was abandoned.
In 2007, a group of volunteers began rebuilding the recreation area. According to the organization’s website: “Today, a new generation seeks to bring the benefits of outdoor recreation closer to home again, especially for winter activities. This recreational facility is poised to become a first class, four-season venue that is easily accessed by area residents and visitors from beyond Central Maine. The groundwork has been laid, both in history and in volunteer action of recent years, to reignite the longstanding love of outdoor recreation and winter sports in the Greater Waterville area. This time, the area will be open throughout the year for people from all walks of life to explore and enjoy for generations to come.”
The Friends of Quarry Road emphasizes the area’s capacity as a four-season resort, but its winter programming is the most extensive.
The ski trails were designed by John Morton, a two-time Olympian and one of the world’s leading Nordic trail designers. The trails serve as the home base for the Quarry Road Ski Club.
Gilley credits Quarry Road with sparking his two children’s love of alpine skiing, as does Councilor Scott Beale, D-Ward 6, whose son is among the top Nordic skiers in Maine.
“Together,” along with the Waterville Senior High School nordic ski team, Beale said, “we are creating a venue that serves nordic and alpine skiers of all ages and creates regional recreation and tourism, builds year-round economic impact and keeps Waterville’s legacy for outdoor adventures alive.”
Thanks to snowmaking capabilities, Quarry Road has become the go-to site when volatile Maine weather cancels plans.
“They reschedule and come to us because we can provide the snow quality needed for these races,” Gilley said.
Races and recreation are important economic drivers for the city, according to officials.
Quarry Road hosts about 100,000 visitors each year, including 65,000 from outside the city. The visits generate more than $2.6 million in revenue, including $1 million in restaurants, $700,000 in activities and attractions, $400,000 in transportation, $300,000 in accommodations and $200,000 in groceries.
“When we talk about the economic development of Waterville, here it is,” Councilor Brandon Gilley, D-Ward 1, said.
Beale said he hopes the city can apply the “Quarry Road model” to riverfront development within the next five years. The area could serve as a warm-weather counterpart to Quarry Road.
While winter is the largest revenue builder, Quarry Road is open year-round for trail running, mountain biking, disc golf and community events. Current offerings include beer league slalom, family nights, potlucks, astronomy nights, soup-and-snowshoe walks and free ski days.
Beale said the Friends of Quarry Road hopes to “(get) back to what it looked like in the ’70s, which a lot of residents have been saying. I used to get dropped off there by my parents, and all my friends would be there, and we would be picked up when the lights were turned off.”
The next development phases planned for the recreation area include a guest services building, a full recreation center with a capacity of 125 people and new and improved trails.
