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Shoreline Greenway Trail Connects Towns, People

While the Shoreline Greenway Trail (SGT)—a 25-mile off-road path from New Haven to Madison—is in the process of connecting all its sections, it’s already connecting people of all ages and interests—walkers, bikers, runners, and dog lovers—during free First Saturday walks and bike rides hosted by the organization.

The walks, held year-round in a different town each month (East Haven, Branford, Guilford, and Madison), offer individuals and families an opportunity to get outdoors, get some exercise, spend quality time together, and observe firsthand the progress being made in forging new trails and joining them together—from Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven to Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison.

Starting from the western-most shoreline trailhead in New Haven, the goal is for the trail to eventually become part of the East Coast Greenway, running from Maine to Florida, and in Guilford to connect to the 200-mile north-south New England Trail that originates in New Hampshire and continues through Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The SGT is a large, long-term project funded by local, state, and federal grants, as well as contributions from corporations, foundations, service clubs, and individuals. There are no paid employees; therefore volunteers play a large role in maintaining the trails, leading the walks, etc.

The environmentally friendly trail is being built section-by-section with varied surfaces that fit in with the terrain, surroundings, and landowners’ requests.

“We are not rails to trails, we are building a non-motorized vehicle trail from scratch, which is an enormous undertaking,” says Judy Miller of Branford, who is chair of the SGT board of directors.

“Each town has a team and a team chair,” Miller explains. “It’s at the team level that the activity happens. It’s very much a grassroots, ground-up sort of thing.”

Miller says that the 25-mile trail is still “very much a work in progress.” About four to five miles are ready for hiking, and another three to four miles are being added with the help of a recent federal grant.

Miller says that the SGT board is trying to keep people acquainted with its mission and progress, while providing an opportunity for people to walk.

“Our walks are very well attended,” she says. “We’ve had theme walks. [For example] Hammonasset had an en plein air walk where people could watch the painters along the trail.”

She says the focus of the First Saturday walks has been on families and kids, trying to get kids out on the walks, particularly at the time of year when they tend to be inside.

“The trails get people out, feeling safe, not having to deal with cars rushing by,” Miller says.

Miller would like to see a 10-foot wide path wherever possible with a shoulder, so it can fit both walkers and bicyclists, and even wheelchairs, as one of the SGT goals is to be as handicap accessible as possible.

“Safety for everyone is one of our major concerns,” she says.

Local Residents Look Forward to First Saturdays

A recent SGT First Saturday walk in Guilford on the East River Preserve, owned by the town of Guilford, drew walkers from Guilford and Madison, and as far away as Wallingford. It was advertised as a dog-friendly walk and there were almost as many dogs as people.

Joanne Wilcox of Madison has been a personal trainer for more than 25 years. She recommends that her patients do the Saturday walks for health reasons. And, she notes, there’s the added benefit of walking in a group with other people you can talk to if you don’t like walking or get bored when you walk alone.

Wilcox takes full advantage of First Saturdays herself. She really likes that she can take her rescue dog Halo on the trails.

Wilcox likes to go on the walks in various towns and thinks it’s especially nice that she doesn’t have to worry about traffic or cars going by, or about getting lost, since there are guides, just other walkers and dogs. “It’s really nice, the mix of people with and without dogs, people with children, and getting to meet new people,” she says.

Editor’s Note: The East River Preserve is owned by the town of Guilford, and the Shoreline Greenway Trail sometimes hosts walks at the East River Preserve. That information was incorrect in an earlier version of the story online.