HOME > NEWS

A Newsletter by the City of Saco, Maine	November, 2007	Return to newsletter index

River Walk Trail - a slice of nature in downtown Saco

---

A giant step toward completion of Saco's River Walk Trail was made this summer, when personnel from the Public Works Department built a 1,500 foot segment of the trail stretching from the treatment plant property to just below Hall Avenue.

When complete, the River Walk Trail will provide an urban connection to nature, complete with 'up close and personal' views of the Saco River. It will connect Pepperell Square with Beach Street, paralleling the river as it moves down Front Street, past the public boat ramp and the Saco Yacht Club, skirts the treatment plant, then ascends a moderate slope towards a rendezvous with Tappan Valley and Hall Avenue.

The Trail as proposed is about 3,500 feet in length. A vision for the future may see the River Walk Trail continue to meander to the east, following the river and providing local residents and visitors with a first-hand experience of the river's riparian environment.

A committee representing several groups in Saco - spearheaded by Jim Burnell of DPW, and Johanna Hoffman and Laurie Mooney of Saco Spirit -- has made this multi-use trail a reality. The committee has been awarded grants from the Maine Department of Conservation's Recreational Trail Grant Program, and from the safety/environmental education component of the same Recreational Trails program.

The Trail is designed for use by walkers, bicyclists, those pushing strollers (or pulling little red wagons!) and all those interested in experiencing the Saco River from a nearby and safe vantage point. Each end of the Trail is scheduled for completion over the coming year, but don't let that stop you from investigating the portion that is built - it is open and ready for use.