September 19-21 & September 26-28, 2014

The Trails & Sails event listing is up online!  Check out all 150+ unique events that have been scheduled for this year's Trails & Sails: Two Weekends of Walks and Water, September 19-21 & September 26-28! Log in to take advantage of all online features, search events, bookmark your favorites to plot your course, and more!

Take the Trails & Sails Challenge: MOVE IT!

Challenge yourself during Trails & Sails by participating in Essex Heritage and the YMCA of the North Shore's Move It! 100 Miles in 100 Days Challenge. Use the Move It! Mileage Tracker to earn prizes for any miles you run, swim, hike and bike during Trails & Sails and beyond! Ready to accept? Log in to Move It!

Trails & Sails 2014 is generously sponsored by: 

Green's Hill Trail Improvements Begin in Beverly

Clearer, wider trails, improved accessibility, better views, and additional amenities are on the way at Beverly's Green's Hill Reservation. The public riverside park provides outdoor learning opportunities for local students and is a popular location for spotting migratory birds and other wildlife. Read more.

Historic Marblehead Weathervane Restored 

One of the Byway's most prominent landmarks got a shiny new crown recently. As part of a $2.4 million restoration of Marblehead's Abbot Hall, the building's newly repaired and gold-leafed weathervane now gleams atop the building once again. Read more.

With the goal of increasing public awareness of the Great Marsh's ecological vulnerability, a partnership initiative led by the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission created the Great Marsh Ecology Tour to provide a greater understanding of the marsh's history, its critically important environmental significance and the very real threats it faces. The tour consists of over 50 signs bearing QR codes which were recently placed in strategic locations throughout the Great Marsh and its many coastal habitats, providing real-time web access to short narratives and other resources covering topics such as marsh habitat, climate change, wildlife ecology and invasive species. Learn more.

Essex Heritage extends special thanks to our new and renewing Corporate Members -- businesses who believe in our mission.

Sustainer Circle:

Benefactor Circle:

Throughout Essex County

1st Saturdays thru October 4

17th Century Saturdays

Hey, Hot Shots!

Don't forget to snap photos for the 2014 Essex National Heritage Area Photo Contest while you're out soaking up some summer sun and enjoying any adventures or events in the Heritage Area (including all those listed below!). Submit your Photo Contest entries by December 1, 2014 to win! Learn more.

Sunrise on the Merrimack River by Suzanne DeGeorge