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The Amesbury Riverwalk (also known as the Powwow Riverwalk) offers visitors and residents a picturesque connection between a resurgent waterfront district on the Powwow River and a modern shopping center on the outskirts of this historical mill town. The 1.3-mile paved trail is part of the Coastal Trails Network, which one day will link several northeastern Massachusetts communities with 30 miles of trail.
About the Route
The Amesbury Riverwalk’s western endpoint is at 25 Water Street (Amesbury), at the western edge of Heritage Park. The park is rich with relics and exhibits of local history of Amesbury as a 19th- and early-20th-century manufacturing center. Restaurants and pubs are located nearby in in the town center. Upon first entering the park from Water Street, the trail passes the small Salisbury Point Station, built in the 1870s by the Eastern Railroad and later relocated to its current location.
After curving through through Heritage Park, the trail crosses over a small tributary river on a short bridge alongside County Road. A sidewalk is only available by crossing over to the north side of the street. The trail then returns to hug the riverbank, carving a path nearby residential areas. About halfway, the trail snakes around the outer bounds of the nearby historic Prospect Cemetery. The trail crosses underneath I-495 via dedicated tunnel crossings, before proceeding through a stretch of forest. Continuing east, trail then crosses Rocky Hill Rd, and ends shortly ahead, upon reaching the CarriageTown Marketplace at its rear parking lot. The Amesbury Riverwalk’s eastern endpoint is at the CarriageTown Marketplace shopping center at 100 Macy St (Amesbury), which offers several shopping options.
Connections
The Coastal Trails Coalition is working with local and state agencies to finish a trail network linking Amesbury, Salisbury, Newbury, and Newburyport. While no direct connections are yet complete, both the Salisbury Point Ghost Trail and the Garrison Trail are located less than a mile east, along Macy St, from the trail’s eastern endpoint at CarriageTown Marketplace.
Trail History
The trail follows the Amesbury-Salisbury branch of the coastal Eastern Railroad that began serving the area in 1848. The rival Boston and Maine Railroad took over in 1884. Passenger service continued until 1936, and freight until 1972. The city of Amesbury and Coastal Trails Coalition created the trail in 1999. The city of Amesbury and Coastal Trails Coalition created the trail in 1999.
Industrialists in the 1800s built a series of dams on the Powwow River (a tributary of the Merrimack River) to harness the river’s power for textile mills. Later on, carriage making took over as the dominant industry, lending its identity to Amesbury’s nickname, Carriagetown. A fire destroyed several of these businesses in 1888, but the carriage industry roared back, shifting to automobile bodies until the Great Depression. The old multistory brick buildings next to Heritage Park once housed mill and carriage operations, but have been repurposed for contemporary uses.
The Amesbury Riverwalk runs between 25 Water Street (Amesbury) and CarriageTown Marketplace at 100 Macy St (Amesbury), with parking available at both endpoints.
Nice easy walk … mostly flat, well marked and wide enough. For two
loved this trail but wished there was better signage to make it easy to find it
This trail is awesome for biking with the exception of one area that is very very bumpy and uneven. Otherwise it’s a great paved trail. My only other complaint would be that it’s too short!
My fiance and I always see this trail from the on-ramp to 495 from 110, so we decided to walk it this weekend. It's a nice mile or so walk, nice foliage, and at the end goes behind some pretty nice houses. We're looking to buy some bikes, so hopefully we can make a habit of biking this and the other area trails!
We biked this trail as a loop connecting to the Clipper City, Ghost, and Marsh trails. They are planning a connection between this and the Ghost trail which will be excellent when it happens because there is no good connection now. The trail was in good shape and was very pretty. It doesn't actually go right along the river; even the part that is close to the river doesn't have wide open river views because of foliage. If you were expecting lots of river views you would probably be disappointed but if you are looking for a nice stroll through a suburban area on a quality trail then you should be pleased. The village of Amesbury is at the western end of the trail and it is nice to bike through also.
I love biking and this trail is on my top 3! I love it because it is paved and not to long like other trails.
I used to bike this trail regularly when I lived in Amesbury. I moved in 2004. I can't believe they still haven't finished connecting all the trails yet. What's the problem? Lack of money?
The Amesbury Riverwalk was the first completed section of the Coastal Trails Network, linking Amesbury to Salisbury, Newburyport and Newbury, and the Border to Boston Route from Salisbury to Danvers along former trail lines.
Just rode my Trikke (www.trikke.com) on the Amesbury Riverwalk last Sunday at the recommendation of a friend who lives in Amesbury. Nicely paved, 98% clean of debris, pleasant scenery. At 1.3 miles I can't wait till the other connecting trails are added. Will definitely return for quick rides in Amesbury.
Kenny Mayne
Ipswich Bay Trikke Club
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