On Saturday, May 18th, Essex County Trail Association invites you to join us at a grand re-opening celebration and trail walk for the Discover Hamilton Trail. The Discover Hamilton Trail was created in the 1990s as an 8-mile loop that would highlight the significant open spaces and natural features of Hamilton, including Harvard Forest, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Bradley Palmer State Park, The Trustees of Reservations’ Appleton Farms Grass Rides and Essex County Greenbelt Association’s Pingree Reservation. ECTA has been working with the Town of Hamilton and private landowners over the course of the last year to re-route the starting location and portions of the trail off of roadways to create a safer and more welcoming experience.
We will meet at Patton Park, behind the baseball field, at 9:00 am for a brief celebration and thank-you to those involved with the creation of and recent improvements to the trail. We will then begin our trail walk, which includes a 1.2-mile walk through the Myopia Schooling Field and Harvard Forest to access the start of the 8-mile loop trail.
Walkers are welcome to join us for the full 10 miles, or follow us to one of 3 stops along the way and be shuttled back to the start at Patton Park. Our “halfway” point will be at the Topsfield Road footbridge to Bradley Palmer State Park. We should be at this point by about 11:30 am. Refreshments will be provided at the bridge. 10-mile walkers will continue on the loop trail and should finish at Patton Park at about 2:00 pm. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are allowed on all parts of the Discover Hamilton Trail. Please register here.
