A Perspective on the Value of Trails

In honor of National Trails Day on June 6, I am glad to share that several of our community trail are part of an international pedestrian and cycling pathway.

The East Coast Greenway route, which is 65% complete, runs through 15 states from Key West, Florida, to Calais, Maine, then over the St. Croix River to New Brunswick, Canada. For a few miles on this journey people travel on the Clipper City Trail in Newburyport and Marsh Trail in Salisbury. The Greenway Alliance reports that these multi-use shared pathways strengthen local culture and economies by providing outdoor recreation and sustainable transportation connecting communities to each other and with nature.

But it will take all our support to complete the missing pieces in Newbury and Georgetown. The challenge in Newbury is to construct the segment from the MBTA station in Newburyport south to Georgetown. This is complicated by traversing wetlands, coexisting with a wildlife management area and integrating with the neighborhoods in Newbury, Byfield and Georgetown. Projects this ambitious take all hands to build because government funds are more likely to be awarded to communities that have grassroots groups like the Coastal Trails Coalition (CTC) and active town committees like Newbury’s Border-to-Boston (B2B) Committee working alongside Georgetown’s Recreational Trail Committee.

The Border-to-Boston initiative was created by the nonprofit organization Essex National Heritage Area to assist 20 communities in creating the 70-mile shared-use trail from the New Hampshire state line to Boston. They provide insight into sources of funding, help with problem-solving, and assistance with whatever is needed in places which range from rural regions to busy cities. For more information, visit https://essexheritage.org/explore/border-to-boston/.

Another advantage of shared-use trails is that they can provide access to nature hikes such as Salisbury’s Marsh Trail which is on the list of The American Hiking Society’s recommended walks. AmericanHiking.org, an advocate for National Trails Day on June 6, also highlights Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Old Town Hill in Newbury, Riverwalk in Amesbury, Ghost Trail in Salisbury, and in Ipswich, the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary and Crane Beach.

Additional adventures can be found in Essex County Greenbelt Association lands in West Newbury, Newbury, and Rowley, as well as Trustees of Reservations properties elsewhere on the North Shore. Check out ecga.org and thetrustees.org for inspiration close to home, and for a national perspective visit greenway.org.

Our neighbors to the north in New Hampshire are working hard to build their routes. With the support of our residents and financial backing from our partners, MassDOT, USDOT, Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, MassTrails, and other institutions, we can bring this vision into reality. Among the ways you can help locally is volunteer to help maintain your favorite trails in Amesbury, Salisbury and Newburyport, and/or donate to local nonprofits such as the Coastal Trails Coalition which has recently provided a significant grant to Newbury that will strengthen our ability to attract government funding.

Contact CTC at coastaltrails.org to donate, volunteer, attend a CTC meeting, learn about progress on the trail network, or to download a trail map.

See you on the trails!

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This educational column as originally published by The daily News of Newburyport on June 6, 2026.