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Trail Stewardship
What you can do to help!
Become a Member
Membership has benefits!
2021 Events
Save the dates!
The North Shore area has extraordinary recreational trails. Since 1982, Essex County Trail Association has worked to protect and preserve hundreds of miles of trails in Essex, Hamilton, Ipswich, Topsfield, Wenham, and West Newbury. With the help of our team of trail stewards and many volunteers, ECTA maintains and repairs these trails in partnership with public and private landowners, land trusts and local conservation commissions. Our members provide a vital source of funding for trail projects. Come explore these incredible trails, and help us continue our work by supporting ECTA.
UPCOMING EVENTS
TRAIL ALERTS
May 24, 2021: UPDATE The staff at DCR have addressed the water issue at markers 13/18 in Willowdale. There was beaver activity there causing the water to overflow the trail. They removed the branches
Now that the snow has melted it’s surprising to see how much debris is out there on the trails! This is a great time to pitch in while you are out enjoying the warmer weather. Clearing sticks and
LATEST NEWS
Run for the Trails 2021 results are in! Thank you to all our runners and congratulations to our winners! 10 MILE RESULTS Men Overall: Jon Western 1:06:24 (M 39 and Under) Women Overall: Sara
TRAIL-USER REPORTS
West Newbury
Multiple trees down on Riverbend trail leading from the river up to hay field. Impassable.Read more
Willowdale State Forest
Trail 13/18 back under water and it looks like the beavers have returned. It is more than 6 inches deep in spots and water spills …Read more
Vineyard Hill Reservation Topsfield
There are two old blowdowns that are hung up above horse level across the trail. The trail is on Greenbelt property parallel to Asbury St. …Read more
Donovan Reservation
Great place for bird watching, or to simply take a walk along rolling meadows with beautiful views.Read more
Essex – Cogswell Grant
The grass is getting TALL and full of nesting birds. Beautiful place to bird watch! They have mowed the perimeter with a nice wide walking …Read more
Willowdale Ipswich – near marker #13/ #18
Someone has created a make-shift ‘bridge’ at the water near marker #13 / #18. It’s unsafe footing for equines and the space for hoof placement …Read more
FIND A TRAIL
Find a trail with our new Trailfinder Tool*. Select from the options on the left to find trails that meet those criteria.
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*Disclaimer: Please bear in mind that ECTA does not own the listed properties and does not guarantee the information as current. We have tried hard to list the allowed activities but some are seasonal-only, weather-dependent, or require a special permit. Landowners may have changed their rules so please follow all posted signage and let us know in the comments or via an email if you notice anything that could be updated. In addition there are some trails which may not yet be listed for certain activities. If in doubt please always check with the landowner.
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Make a Donation
Donations help us preserve and maintain the trails.
