When it’s not snowing and freezing outside, April can actually be a pretty nice month to go outside.
You can go out and get started on the garden, or get to work cleaning up the yard. Or, if you’re more into relaxing than working, you could just go for a walk.
Back in October, we looked into all of the city’s then-26 walking trails. We gave you the scoop on some of the more popular trails, some of the more hidden gems and just some general trail stats.
But that was then, when we had to get by with a measly 26 trails. Now another one has been added, though most people might not know much about it.
The new addition – which has been incorporated into the city’s system of trails but has not been put in the GIS system, said Dick Lemieux, president of the Friends of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail – is in the vicinity of Buffalo Wild Wings and Bed Bath & Beyond on Loudon Road.
If you walk behind those buildings toward the cornfields (if you go now, you’ll notice that all the stalks have been cut), you’ll find your way to this trail that is still in the works.
“Well, there’s nothing really to enjoy yet at the Greenway Trail,” Lemieux said. “Is it open yet? Not a simple answer. We’re in business to build a paved trail that can be used by bicyclists and things like that. That has not begun yet.”
So hold on, if the project hasn’t begun yet, what are we talking about here?
“There’s a walking path that’s been sort of improved by volunteers, just a blazed path in the woods,” Lemieux said. “People can go out there and enjoy that, but the Greenway Trail per se doesn’t exist yet.”
The Greenway Trail is a planned 10- to 12-foot-wide path roughly following the Merrimack River through Concord.
And although it is not done, that doesn’t mean you can’t get a little sneak peek.
If you head down behind Buffalo Wild Wings and approach the trail marker, take the path that leads right. This goes along the river, and you’ll notice several trees marked for removal to make way for the trail.
So go try it!
We are working on it, we have a grant. We hope to be working through the city of Concord, we hope to be building it this year. The bike path will be close to that, but further away from the river. So the footpath will be in the woods, but if you envision turning that 4-foot-wide path into a bike trail, you’d have to remove most of the trees. The plan is to build the paved trail toward the cornfields and away from the river. That’s where the actual construction will be. You’ll still be able to access the river from the walking trail. the walking path is incorporated into the city’s plan. This trail by the cornfields was incorporated into that set of trails. The one I’m talking about is designated No. 27. Last I knew it had not been put into the city’s GIS system or put on their maps. So it’s not common public knowledge. Prolly find out more by talking to planner at city, she’s assistant planner. Nancy is the planner. The plan is that the paved trail will be alongside the existing walking trail. They’ll be separated by a few feet. The first section of our trail will be built on the Terrill Park end. South of the cornfields. You’ll see stakes in the ground, swaths where trees have been cleared. Between cornfield and trees is where paved path will be.
Dick is president of Friends of Merrimack River Greenway Trail, been involved since the beginning. A founding member. Dick Lemieux.
mrgt.org.
