Length:                  Amesbury Riverwalk; 1.5 miles

                                 Downtown Amesbury Loop; 1/2 mile

Difficulty:              Easy. Flat, paved rail trail and path.

To start from Carriagetown Marketplace; From I-495 take exit 55 to Route 110 east. From I-95 take exit 58 to Route 110 west. Between these two interstates is the Carriagetown Marketplace shopping center. Enter the shopping center and bear left to the west side of the center. Park near the yellow bike sign. This is the start of the trail.

To start from Downtown Amesbury; From I-495 take exit 55 to Route 110 west. From I-95 take exit 58 to Route 110 west. Turn right on Main St and follow to the downtown traffic circle. (Note; Main St turns right along Route 150). Bear right in the traffic circle down Elm St. Take a quick right down Water St. A parking garage will be on your left.

The Amesbury Riverwalk winds along the Powwow River, providing a "greenway" along the old Boston & Maine rail bed from Amesbury's historic downtown Upper Millyard and Market Square to the Carriagetown Marketplace along Route 110. The Riverwalk is part of a 30 mile system of trails planned to extend to the coast, through Salisbury, and on to Newburyport and Newbury. The Coastal Trails Coalition is working to bring that system to reality. See; COASTAL TRAILS COALITION . Future plans call for continuing the trail east along the rail trail and connecting into the existing Salisbury Point Ghost Trail. See; Salisbury Point Ghost Trail . For more information visit; AMESBURY RIVERWALK .

Starting from Carriagetown Marketplace ; Head past the yellow bike sign along the paved trail. Soon you'll cross Rocky Hill Rd where you'll find a map board. The trail is shaded as you travel along a berm with wood fencing. You travel underneath I-495 after a 1/4 mile and come to some benches and informational signboards after a 1/2 mile. There are three of these signboards that give the history of the railroad and town. An old railroad mile marker is also located here with A1 on one side and S3 on the other (1 mile to Amesbury/3 miles to Salisbury). After traveling underneath the Oak St bridge you'll pass by signboard #2. At 1 mile the trail turns left off the old rail bed and then takes a sharp left behind a red building to bring you above the Powwow River. When the paved trail ends at a road you need to turn left over a small bridge and then left again to return to the trail as it follows a creek back to the river. You come to the old Salisbury Point RR Station along Water St. This small station was built in 1820, although I don't know if this was its original location. Head straight up Water St along the sidewalk, past another map board and signboard #1 and you'll come to the Carriage Mills along your left and the old Boston & Maine Station on your right at 1.5 miles. The Water Street parking garage is located next to the train station which now houses a cafe. To explore the very scenic downtown Amesbury I highlight a 1/2 mile; Downtown Amesbury Loop route. Continue up Water St and cross Elm St. Head left to downtown Amesbury travelling around the Main Street traffic circle and up to the brick promenade with green benches. From here you can admire all the old brick mill buildings dating back to the 1800's along the brick lined sidewalks. There are a lot of places to get a bite or a drink. The building in back of the benches has a plaque reading "Counting house of the textile mills; 1870". Travel through the brick archway in this building and you'll come to a complex of old mill buildings. Follow the brick lined path past an amphitheater and past a small park next to the dammed Powwow River. At the end of the mill complex take a left on Pond St, cross over the river and head left along a paved path, This takes you alongside the river as it travels through the mill complex. An arched bridge crosses over the dam to the small park. Keep following the path along the raging river and you'll come to another bridge over the river. A small waterfall is here. This bridge brings you back to the amphitheater where you can head back through the archway to Main St. If you cross over Main St to a black chain-link fence you can see where the river emerges from under the street. Return to the Water Street parking garage and your loop is complete.