ECTA is holding its 8th Annual Thanks for the Trails 5k and Kids Fun Run the Saturday after Thanksgiving at Patton Park in Hamilton (November 29, 2025). The Kids' Run will begin at 9:30AM and the 5k will start at 10AM. Using a scenic and challenging course and offering great prizes, this will be an event for all! Super prizes for top finishers, and many other terrific prizes.
While just about everybody on the North Shore has probably been to Crane Beach, the dunes of Castle Neck are a much less explored world unto themselves. Offering one of the most accessible dune ecosystems north of Cape Cod, Castle Neck has over six miles of trails, traversing the dunes, maritime scrub forest, and beautiful beaches on both the Ipswich Bay and Essex/Castle Neck River estuary sides of the peninsula. These trails take you through Pitch Pine forests, up huge dunes offering stunning views of Choate Island, and by the varied landscapes of Castle Neck, including naturally occurring cranberry bogs.
Run 5K and Half Marathon - or both races Back-to-Back! Come enjoy beautiful ocean views as you run along the scenic coastline of Great Neck! On the course you'll race past some of the oldest and most historical homes (pre-revolution) in the entire country. You'll also enjoy some breathtaking ocean views in this charming coastal community!
At the Kimball Farm Corn Maze all are welcome to come and enjoy the challenge of finding your way through the winding corn field maze. Our originally designed CORN MAZE is full of Crazy angles and is sure to be a fun challenge. Have no fear, there will be clues along the way. Be daring and try the maze on a Saturday Night with a Flash Light (TBD).
The annual Topsfield Fall Foliage Classic Road Race offers a 5 Miler and 5K that loop through beautiful Topsfield, MA. Each has one hilly section at the beginning but course is mostly flat. The race features prizes for the top 3 finishers on each course, as well as raffles and finish line food and fun!
Do you believe in Ghosts? If you do then join the Essex County Ghost Project and Witches Wonder fort a spooktacular evening of haunts and fun . The gates open at 6:30 pm and hunt starts at 7pm . We are exploring one of New England’s most Haunted historical sites . There have been reports of full and partial body apparitions, voices , shadow figures and more . So pack up your cameras , pendulums, digital recorders and other paranormal equipment for a night of paranormal history and intrigue .
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside the tall field of corn, we have cut several walking paths, creating a Maze with only one way in and one way out. Visitors can enjoy getting lost in the maze’s twisting turns and dead ends trap!
Step inside the historic Plum Island lighthouse! Sign up for a free, 15-minute tour by visiting www.friendsofplumislandlight.org. The Trails & Sails tour date is on Sept 20th by appointment. Tours are dependent on weather and rain dates are not available.
Join Coastal Trails Coalition on a bike ride on the Coastal Trails in Newburyport, Amesbury and Salisbury on a combination of quiet streets and paved and stone dust trails, with two crossings of the Merrimack River beside US 1 and I-95. We’ll cycle through woods, salt marsh, neighborhoods, and Newburyport’s historic downtown. The total length is 12 miles on mostly flat terrain, with short climbs on the bridges over the river. If participants wish, the route can be extended to look at other parts of the system.
Come see the night skies through one of our volunteer’s telescopes! In addition to the moon (9/14 only) and Saturn well be showing off an assortment of binary and multi-star systems (imagine having 4 suns in your sky!), nebula, clusters, and galaxies, some of which are millions of light years away. Co-hosted with the Lake Gardner Improvement Association. This event is part of Trails & Sails.
