History of the
Merrimack River Greenway Trail:
The Merrimack River Greenway Trail has been shaped by decades of community vision, planning, and partnership. This page highlights the early history that led to the formation of the Friends of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail, which now spearheads the trail's continued development.
How a community vision became an organized effort.
1990
Early Vision Identifies Merrimack River Trail Opportunity
A 1990 report prepared for the Concord Conservation Trust documents an early vision for a public trail system along more than 14 miles of the Merrimack River through Concord.
1998
Concord Begins "20/20 Vision" Community Planning Process
The City of Concord launches “20/20 Vision for Concord,” a three-year community planning effort that helps shape future priorities for transportation, land use, downtown, and quality of life.
2001
20/20 Vision Establishes Guiding Principles For Concord’s Future
The final 20/20 Vision report establishes guiding principles for Concord’s future, including better pedestrian and bicycle connections, stronger neighborhoods, and renewed attention to the Merrimack River waterfront.
2003
Salem-To-Concord Bikeway Study Completed
NHDOT hires Rizzo Engineers to study a bike path between Concord and Salem. The study finds the route feasible and recommends reusing abandoned railroad rights of way between Salem and the Concord/Pembroke city line.
2004
Northern Rail Trail Closes In On Concord
Friends of the Northern Rail Trail opens new trail miles on the former rail line between Boscawen and Lebanon, bringing the regional trail network closer to Concord.
2006
Granite State Rail Trail Conceived
The New Hampshire Rail Trail Coalition forms around the goal of building a continuous off-road trail from Salem to Lebanon. The MRGT is envisioned as the Concord link between the Northern Rail Trail and a future Salem-to-Concord bikeway.
2009
Concord 2030 Master Plan Adopted
June 8 — The Concord Planning Board adopts Concord's 2030 Master Plan, which includes references to non-motorized trails along the Merrimack River.
2009
Public Support For Trails Emerges
December 7 — Concord’s Bicycle Subcommittee holds a well-attended public meeting for the City’s first Bicycle Master Plan. Strong public support for bike paths and trails emerges as a recurring theme.
2010
Trail Feasibility Study Begins
May 26 -- The Board of Directors of Concord 20/20 votes to fund a feasibility study for a multi-use trail along the Merrimack River and works with CNHRPC to move the study forward.
2010
Feasibility Study Completed
December 1 — CNHRPC releases the Merrimack River Greenway Trail feasibility study, confirming that a continuous off-road trail along the Merrimack River through Concord is feasible and identifying a preferred route from Boscawen to Pembroke.
2011
City Council Accepts Feasibility Study
March 14 — Following a presentation by the working group, the Concord City Council accepts the Feasibility Study and authorizes City staff to work with trail advocates to raise funds and advance the trail.
2011
Planning Board Incorporates MRGT Into Master Plan
April 20 — Following a presentation by the working group, the Concord Planning Board incorporates the Merrimack River Greenway Trail into the City’s 2030 Master Plan.
2011
Volunteers Launch First Major Riverside Cleanup
July 14 — In the first of several volunteer efforts, 46 volunteers, assisted by City employees and equipment, remove 30 cubic yards of trash from the east bank of the Merrimack River south of Loudon Road in less than two hours.
2011
Friends Of The Merrimack River Greenway Trail Is Formed
October 19 — Friends of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail, Inc. is incorporated under New Hampshire law.
A New Phase Begins
With the formation of the Friends of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail, the project entered a new phase focused on fundraising, partnerships, and implementation.
First envisioned more than two decades earlier, the Merrimack River Greenway Trail had moved from a long-standing concept into an organized community effort focused on implementation.​