Boston's Walking City Trail: Spring 2024 Projects

Greetings from Jamaica Plain. This is Miles Howard—founder and lead organizer of Boston's Walking City Trail. Initially launched in the summer of 2022 and ultimately finished by a grassroots crew of Greater Boston walkers, this 27-mile hiking trail connects over 30 Boston green spaces across 17 neighborhoods. Free online maps and directions, public transit connections, and direct access to savory food and drink make the Walking City Trail an accessible adventure that Boston residents and visitors can tackle at any scale, while discovering the hidden connections between places that are closer than they might seem.

The "WCT," as we call it, is 100% grassroots powered. Last year, thanks to the generous support of trail enthusiasts, we were able to cover all web hosting expenses for the trail navigation materials and create the very first physical trail signs, which we installed along the route. Those laminated signs (which you can see in the photo above) were a trial balloon.

This spring, after receiving a lot of positive feedback from WCT hikers, we're doubling down and creating long-lasting, weatherproof, printed trail signage so that more people can discover the trail and its rustling wonders.

In addition, we're building a bigger and better-looking website for the Walking City Trail, which will also serve as a gateway to additional trails in Boston and more cities.

Finally, if we reach our fundraising goal, we will follow through on an idea many have suggested and launch a trail patch program! Meaning, if you finish the entire Walking City Trail (in as many pieces as you like) you can contact us to let us know and we'll send you an official trail logo patch!

Between raw materials, supplies, service fees, and labor, the cost of these springtime trail projects is $4,000. This is by far our most substantial investment yet in Walking City Trail infrastracture. But today, with the trail approaching its two year anniversary—with illuminating coverage from publications such as Outside and outdoor recreation platforms like AllTrails—public demand for expanded WCT resources has grown considerably. With your generous support, we can deliver these resources; just in time for summer hiking season!

It's also worth noting that these three projects are not the *only* trail projects on the list. If this fundraiser surpasses the $4,000 target in less than one month, any subsequent contributions will be invested in additional projects for the summer. These include creating a free guidebook on destinations along or near the WCT, starting a "trailside" business coalition (ie, restaurants, shops, etc.) and getting members of Boston's city council and parks department onto the trail, as a step toward persuading the City of Boston to recognize and promote the WCT.

To learn more about the Walking City Trail, you can visit the official trail website. (The new website will go live in late April, via the same URL.) And if you're active on Instagram, follow us at @WalkingCityTrail.