Meet eight impactful additions to the East Coast Greenway

After adding 18 new segments to the East Coast Greenway route in 2021, eight new segments totalling 10-plus miles in six states gained official designation at the East Coast Greenway Alliance’s most recent Board of Trustees meeting. 

Approved by the Alliance’s Greenway Council earlier this year, the additions to the East Coast Greenway (from north to south) include: 

(Note: click the trail name to view each segment on the East Coast Greenway mapping tool)

Cobbossee Corridor Trail, Gardiner, Maine (0.3 miles): The first phase of Gardiner, Maine’s Cobbossee Corridor Trail provides a safe, off-road connection to the Kennebec River Rail Trail, which continues north to Augusta. Once complete, it also will provide a connection to the proposed Merrymeeting Trail, an in-development, 26-mile multi-use trail linking Gardiner to Topsham and Brunswick, Maine. 

Eileen Dondero Foley Drive Side Path, Portsmouth, New Hampshire (0.3 miles): The newly constructed Eileen Dondero Foley Drive Side Path is the first phase of the 17-mile New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway. This short segment will serve as the northern access point to the greenway, which will connect Portsmouth and Seabrook when complete. This segment will be added to the East Coast Greenway travel route when future phases are completed.

Northern Strand Trail, Lynn and Saugus, Massachusetts (3.6 miles): Featuring scenic marshes, bridges and trail-user amenities, these newest additions to the rapidly developing East Coast Greenway route between Boston and the New Hampshire border are not to be missed. Both new segments - 1.2 miles in Lynn and 2.4 miles in Saugus - are part of the 11.5-mile Northern Strand project, which connects the communities of Everett, Malden, Revere, Saugus and Lynn. 

Encore Boston Harborwalk, Everett, Massachusetts (0.5 miles): Located at the Encore Casino, this waterfront park provides a scenic view of the Mystic River and an important point of entry for the East Coast Greenway into Boston. This key half-mile segment connects to existing paths along Boston Harbor and will be a key link to the proposed Mystic River Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge. When complete, the bridge will link the Northern Strand and communities north of Boston to downtown Boston.

Elkton Road Pathway, Newark, Delaware, to Cecil County, Maryland (1.6 miles): This 1.6-mile multi-use path brings the Greenway in Delaware to 70% complete, linking Newark, DE to just over the Maryland-Delaware state border. The path includes two pedestrian bridges, connects to the nearly 200-mile Mason Dixon Trail (for hiking), and it expands the Newark Bikeways low stress bikeway network to connect homes, schools, parks, shopping and offices together.

St. Johns River-to-Sea-Loop West DeBary Connector, DeBary, Florida (2.9 miles): The newest 2.9-mile stretch of the St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop - from Highway 17 at Dirksen Drive to West Highbanks Road - extends the Loop to 51 paved miles in Volusia County. This connection makes it possible to ride from Titusville or Edgewater to DeLand's Lake Beresford Park - all on trail.

Indian Hills Recreation Area, Fort Pierce, Florida (1.0 miles): The SUN Trail at the Indian Hills Recreation Area is the latest addition to the East Coast Greenway in Fort Pierce, Florida. When fully complete, this 26-mile segment of the SUN Trail system will allow access to pristine beaches, an active deep-water port, the historic downtown Fort Pierce and a state park - in one of the fastest-growing areas of the country. Check out the video above for drone footage and interviews from the Jan. 2022 ribbon cutting. This segment will be added to the East Coast Greenway travel route when future phases are completed.