Merrimack River Greenway Trail

Last Sunday I drove down to Bedford, MA to spend a little time on the Minuteman Trail then proceed south to spend time on the Lexington-Concord Battle Trail. These are amazing resources within the community.

Some trails accentuate their historic surroundings for local history buffs and tourists like the Battlefield Trail. Others complement existing business and create opportunities for new business. Each enhance the regional transportation network and provide phenomenal opportunities for recreation.

On Sunday there was a variety of users from a lone runner in his own world, a number of parents taking time out with the kids, and one family that had at least three generation together for a leisurely picnic by a small pond.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine what the full economic benefits of a trail really are. Our family has often traveled to a location specifically to take advantage of the recreational opportunities. A typical day may include bike rentals, maps, fluids, meals, and probably some light shopping. My wife has a tradition of picking up a Christmas ornament for each new destination. I rarely go anywhere without finding a local book store and buying a few books on  town history or lore. With many trails within an hour of our home, we find a nice balance of relatively inexpensive day, while supporting our local economy.

The Merrimack River Greenway Trail (MRGT) offers a tremendous opportunity for a similar resource closer to home. Following infrastructure news, especially in the state legislature and congress, can lead to a fair amount of frustration. There have not been a lot of recent victories for infrastructure funding and there is limited promise in the near future, but we have a great opportunity to make a real difference.

First go on to facebook and find "1000 Friends of the MRGT". Then post your support with a "Like". Next send an e-mail to MRGT-INFO@CNHBC.org  There was a recent article in the Concord Monitor providing information about the trail, but an unfortunate typo provided the wrong e-mail address. They are looking for volunteers to work on cleaning up the first segment of the trail on Thursday, Friday, and possibly Saturday of this week. Let them have a few hours if you can spare it. Otherwise find out how you can help bring this asset into our community.

The great thing about volunteering your time is for a few hours we can be in full control of our world. The goals for the day are clear, the solutions to the problems are simple and with a little hard work a great deal can be accomplished.

I look forward to opportunities to reconnect the river to our community and show off this resource to tourists and visiting friends. We have often taken advantage of the boat launches to either canoe or kayak through sections of the projected path, but would welcome an opportunity to traverse the same route on foot or by bike.