'Trails & Sails' To Offer Free Access To 150 Events Across North Shore

DANVERS, MA — North Shore residents will be able to visit more than 150 trails, museums, water resources and historical sites for free over a 10-day stretch of September as part of Essex Heritage's 22nd annual Trails & Sails event series.

The event runs from Sept. 15 to Sept. 24 with events and programs available across the 34 cities and towns in Essex County.

Participants can visit the website to explore all events or pick up a guidebook at one of the 13 Visitor Centers in Essex County, as well as in most local libraries.

"Trails & Sails was created 22 years ago to encourage residents to experience some of the wonderful trails, museums, historic sites, and water-based activities that abound in this region," Essex Heritage CEO Anne Harris said. "All the events are free, so there is plenty of incentive for locals to visit these special places that they drive by every day."

Family-friendly activities include bird walks, guided hikes, historical tours, book lectures, boat rides, river paddles, and occur mornings, afternoons and nights.

In 2023, Essex Heritage has identified four themes of significant importance to the Essex National Heritage Area including learning about where you live and taking care of it, the importance of our coastal resources and preserving them, recognizing the many influences and contributions of the Latino community within the Heritage Area, and new stories being uncovered in our local history.

Here are some of this year's highlighted events:

Looking to the Future

During Trails & Sails, visitors can learn more about sustainability in Salem, explore along the Shawsheen River in Andover, meet forest creatures in Georgetown, take a guided fall hike in Lawrence, and more. There are so many ways to connect with the natural resources in Essex County and ensure they are here for generations to come.

Preserving Coastal Resources

With the impacts of climate change and other factors, it is more important than ever to learn about the many coastal resources of the Essex National Heritage Area and how we can protect them. During Trails & Sails, visitors can identify marine invasive species in Gloucester harbor, take a walking tour of Newburyport’s changing waterfront, or trek into the Great Marsh in Rowley to discover its superpowers.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage

Trails & Sails falls during the first half of Hispanic Heritage month and is an opportunity to learn more about the important contributions of the Latino community in the Essex National Heritage Area. Take a mural tour or a free salsa class in Salem, a cemetery tour in Spanish in Lynn, or check out the Hispanic Heritage Festival in Methuen. Join partners throughout the county in celebrating the many Hispanic influences that make this region vibrant.

Sharing Untold Stories

Visit a real Wetu in Gloucester, take a cemetery tour in Newburyport to learn about the lives of the Black Newburyporters who are buried there, be inspired by the trailblazing women of the American Revolution in Marblehead, and much more. Telling the stories of all the people of the Essex National Heritage Area helps better understand its diverse history.

Most events are available on a first-come, first-served basis except for certain reservation-required events.

Trails & Sails 2023 is sponsored by Eastern Bank, Salem Five Charitable Foundation, M&T Bank, and Institution for Savings.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)