Rain showers didn’t dampen the excitement in Lancaster when the Center and the local Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting to celebrate opening more than 5 miles of new trails in town.

Twenty people gathered in the gazebo on Main Street at the end of June to acknowledge three years of work by a dedicated crew of volunteers led by the Center, the Lancaster Conservation Commission, and the Appalachian Mountain Club to create and refurbish two trails that make it easier to access Lancaster’s abundance of natural areas from the village center.   

“These are well constructed trails that are designed to be easily accessible for people, especially families, to get outside and enjoy a bit of Lancaster’s natural world,” said former Conservation Commission Chair and trail volunteer Racheal Stuart as she shared her excitement about the new trails. “We appreciate that the Center worked with us to create a uniquely Lancaster trail that is sensitive to the ecological features of the Town Forest.”    

The Center secured almost $150,000 for this project from private donors, with the Town Conservation Commission and the Coos Economic Development Corporation also providing an important local contribution. The Center supported a local advisory committee, contracted field assessments, managed contracts for design and construction, and overall kept things moving forward. “We just could not have done this work without the Center,” said Stuart. “The Center’s facilitation and leadership helped us with resources, organization, and ability to get it done.”   

The Appalachian Mountain Club designed the trail in 2023 and constructed it in 2024, engaging volunteers in trail work trainings and work days. In the Town Forest, they built more than 2.5 miles of new trail and rehabilitated almost 3 miles of the old Heritage Trail, connecting downtown Lancaster with Weeks State Park. The loop through the Town Forest is well-signed to guide visitors through multiple forest types and along the extensive wetland systems of Indian Brook.  

“The updated section of the Heritage Trail to the state park has numerous bog bridges through wet areas, and requires some sure footing, but is a nice forest walk that gives people access to the state lands at Weeks,” said Center Program Director Julie Renaud Evans.   

The current Town leadership values these trails as community assets and is committed to their care and maintenance. The Center and the town are working to transition leadership for long-term stewardship to appropriate town departments.