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New
»Trail
Tour (Recently revised with photos,
up-to-date information, and resource links)
»New Haven to West Rock proposed route
»Quinnipiac to Mattabessett Connector
»Bog Mountain-Cardigan connector
~A Proposal for the Future of Open Space in New England ~
The New England Trail
would link together pre-existing hiking
trails and conservation land, creating a three-pronged greenway spanning the length of central New England, from the
coasts of Rhode Island and Connecticut to Mount Megantic, Quebec. Along with
the Appalachian Trail, the Long Trail, and other trail systems, it
would serve as the "spine" for an eventual network of community greenways
and wildlife corridors that would extend through nearly every community in the Northeast.
Potential extensions of the route might include a trail through Canada to
James Bay, creating and "Atlantic to the Arctic" greenway.
~Did you know. . .
- More than 84% of the proposed 800 mile footway is already in place.
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More than 87%
of the proposed
footway is
on land that is accessible to the public; - More than 68% of the proposed footway is currently on land owned by the public or by conservation agencies.
- Recreational trails spur land conservation efforts, increase the volunteer base of existing recreational groups and land stewardship organizations, preserve vital wildlife corridors and habitats, and help educate people about the environment.
- Long distance trails, such as The Appalachian Trail and The Long Trail, have long been powerful motivating forces in the milieu of open space conservation.
- Introduction to the New England Trail Proposal
- Trail Tour of the Trail
- Can I hike it?
- Philosophy
- History of this proposal
Mount Cardigan
New England Trail, New England National Scenic Trail, New England Trail greenway proposal
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Current Status of the Project This project exists as a
proposal only. Although it has prompted a great deal of interest
leading to increased land conservation and trail building, no concerted
effort has been made to make the proposal a reality.
Benton MacKaye, 'the father of the Appalachian Trail', originally envisioned the A.T. as having many spur paths connecting communities and cities to the main spine of the Appalachian Trail. The New England Trail Proposal is an extension of that spirit--the skeletal beginnings of a greenway system that would eventually reach into every single community in New England. I began to
construct this prototype website in 2000. Clearly, the next step would be
to present the project across New England. However, in 2000, due to the demands of life, I found I
no longer had the free time or money to devote to this project. Some
of the statistics and information are out of date; in my spare time I
continue to pluck away at it.
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