Welcome To The Danvers Rail Trail
From Rails To Recreation
What's New On The Trail!
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Danvers Rail Trail
The Danvers Rail Trail is a 4 1/3-mile non-motorized shared-use path linking schools, downtown Danvers, parks, residential areas, and trails in the neighboring towns of Peabody, Wenham, and Topsfield.
Ideal for walking, biking, or jogging, the trail is built along what was once part of the historic Boston to Maine railroad running from Newburyport to Danvers.
The Danvers Rail Trail is managed and maintained by a group of community volunteers and provides a healthful recreational option available to all residents and visitors.
Special Thanks To Our $500
Mile Marker Sponsors!
RTN Credit Union
En Vogue Salon & Day Spa
Dr. Donald & Donna Kowalski
Kiwanis of Danvers
Ms. Dianne Langlais
Mead Web Design
Brooksby Village
Rotary of Danvers
Iron Horse Preservation
Attorney Demetra Pontisakos
View all our sponsors here
Become a sponsor here
Danvers Rail Trail Mobile App!
Download the Danvers Rail Trail Mobile App from the Apple and Google/Android stores! All you have to do is search in the app stores for danvers trail & download. Click here for a list of current features of the app.
PLEASE BE SAFE WHILE USING OUR TRAIL AND WEAR YOUR HELMETS!
THANK YOU!
Events
To help us plan, please register events that use any part of the trail!
Push the Button – Your Life Depends on It!
Recently there have been a lot of signs placed on the trail announcing events and advertising businesses. Placing advertising/announcements of any kind on Town of Danvers property is not permitted (Town Bylaw Chapter XXV “Regulation Governing the Use of Town-Owned Land” Section 3a).
Please do NOT Place Advertising or Announcements on the Trail
When signs are seen on the trail, the RTAC will remove the signs and do their best to notify the sign owners so they may reclaim the signs.
We will continue to place/allow signs on the trail that inform users of trail closures or guide event participants during an event.
If you have events you would like to run on the trail, please let us know via our Contact Us form and we will do our best to accommodate.
Completed - Major Cleanup Coolidge Road Entrance (Sept 2017)
With major assistance from the folks at JC Grounds, huge improvements were made to the trail entrance at Coolidge Road (off Cabot Street). Five truckloads of yard waste, brush, cement, metal pipes, and other illegally dumped debris were removed from the trail. The JC Grounds team, who did this work as part of their community service program, was supported by Rail Trail volunteers and the Town of Danvers. A second team cleaned out a smaller amount of debris in the area between Oak and Chestnut Street
This clearing was done in response to comments and complaints from trail users and trail abutters regarding the illegal dumping of yard waste and other similar debris along the Rail Trail.
The work was a one time, all volunteer effort. Now that virtually all debris has been cleared we ask for your help in keeping it clean. Please do not dispose of any yard waste, leaves, brush, dead fish, or other debris along the trail right of way (approximately 15 feet strip on each side of the trail).
As a reminder, depositing waste of any kind along the trail is illegal. It restricts the ability of Danvers Electric to maintain the right of way, creates a breeding ground for vermin, and is generally an eyesore and safety hazard for trail users. With the trail now cleared, the Danvers Board of Health has a benchmark to assess and stop any continued illegal dumping on town property. Illegal dumping should be reported to Board of Health and/or the Danvers Police.
A huge thank you to the former Danvers Bi-Peds who recently donated more than $3,000 to the Danvers Rail Trail Advisory Committee. The Danvers Bi-Peds was a long-standing citizen’s advocacy group who worked together with Town departments and the public to help create and maintain bicycle and pedestrian facilities, to educate citizens on their use and care, and to promote safe opportunities for bicyclists and pedestrians for transportation, enjoyment and public health. With this generous donation, the Rail Trail Advisory Committee will continue to support the Danvers Bi-Peds mission by creating safer and more user-friendly access to and along the Trail.
THANK YOU to the Danvers B-Peds Advisory Committee!
THANK YOU Kiwanis Club of Danvers!
On a recent beautiful fall weekend, a group of volunteers from the Kiwanis Club of Danvers cleared much of the trail of trash and debris. This was part of the Kiwanis One Day service event held around the world.
The Kiwanis Club has been a great supporter of the trail, completing their first pickup day in 2011, and then every year since, remaining one of our longest-term trail helpers. On that first day in 2011, they picked up 117 bags of trash… compared to only half dozen bags this October. This demonstrates how a community working together and over time can all pitch in to make for a more pleasant recreational area. Thank you, Kiwanis!
The Chocolate Walk Returns – February 10th 11:00 am
Join us for our winter Chocolate Walk led by Rail Trail Committee member Charles Lincicum. We will meet at the Hobart Street parking lot and walk north to Putnamville Park and return on the same route. This route is about 3 miles round trip.
The walk will start at 11:00 am rain, snow, or sun.
Children, and dogs on leashes welcome! Walkers with dogs will be asked to depart a bit after 11:00 in order to minimize congestion on the trail. Come prepared with the right footwear and outerwear. We recommend you bring along anti-skid straps for boots in case sections of the trail are icy.
There will be “chocolate stops” at different points along the walk. Donations are always welcome!