The East Branch Community Trails project is a community-based partnership between the Town of Keene, Essex County, Keene Youth Commission, Barkeater Trails Alliance and Peduzzi Trail Contracting to develop a new multi-use trail system in Keene that is professionally designed to better serve the outdoor community and be inclusive to people of varying mobility and ages. The goal is to implement sustainable trails designed to accommodate mountain biking, hiking and other non motorized recreation, as well as to provide more youth-oriented biking opportunities like a pump track and bike skills area.
All partners are committed to moving the trails plan from concept to reality on a 112-acre Essex County property along Route 9N near the Keene-Jay town line. The final vision for the project includes 7 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails as well as a pump track and skills park. This will happen through a deliberate, phased approach that will result in usable trails this season that will anchor the system for additional build-out in the next few years.
We need to raise an additional $25,000 to help complete Phase One and lay the foundation for Phase Two in 2023. Every dollar will make a difference!
Phase 1 of this project will bring over 2 miles of new multi-use trails to the Town of Keene. Work on Phase 1 will begin in May, 2022, and is made possible by $50,000 in funding provided by BETA's Sterling Watchorn Trail Fund and a matching grant of $25,000 from the Stewart's Shops Foundation & Dake Family. We’re seeking grassroots donations to help cover the costs of building materials for bridges, benches, signage and a kiosk at the base area.
Phase 2 will include additional multi-use singletrack trails and mountain-bike specific, downhill-oriented trails. A final build plan and budget is being developed for Phase 2, which we hope to implement in 2023. BETA is working with our partners, including the Town and County, to identify and seek state and federal grant funding to support Phase 2 of the overall project. We’re seeking grassroots donations to help provide required matching funds for these grants - your donation helps us leverage larger sources of funding for the project.
Map of Phase 1 trails to be developed in 2022 by Peduzzi Trail Contracting in partnership with BETA.
