One of Concord’s prettiest hiking trails is about to be closed, but for a good reason: To increase the number of people who can use it.
The Les Clark Nature Trail off Portsmouth Street that runs behind the Forest Society headquarters on the north side of the Merrimack River is shutting down on Oct. 15 to be upgraded to federal accessibility standards, made smoother with a new surface and some other changes.
That means it will be usable by people in wheelchairs, those who have mobility issues, or people pushing strollers and other wheeled vehicles.
The work is expected to take four to six weeks.
It will become one of at least a half-dozen public hiking trails in the state that have been designed and maintained to the accessibility standard as part of a growing trend around the country, sometimes called adaptive trails. The goal of adaptive trails is to make the outdoors available to people beyond the traditional audience of fit, able-bodied individuals.
The section of trail to be worked on spans from the parking area on Portsmouth Street to just in front of the kiosk near the river, a distance of about a quarter of a mile, according to the Forest Society. It will be re-surfaced with compacted crushed stone to create a more uniform and durable treadway. Several benches will also be installed within viewing distance of Mill Brook and the Merrimack River.
The trail path will not change. The only trees to be cut, the society wrote in a statement, will be to create a new turnaround/seating area near the river kiosk.
The project is expected to cost $95,000, including contractors, materials, staff time, and stewardship. The New Hampshire Recreation Trails Program has awarded a grant of $49,865 that will be matched from the Davis Conservation Foundation, Athletic Brewing Company’s Two for the Trails grant program, and annual support from our Floodplain sponsors, Merrimack County Savings Bank and Northeast Delta Dental. The Forest Society says it needs to raise $15,000 to cover the expense.
Read The Forest Society's FAQ on the project here.