The New England Trail would not exist without the generosity of private landowners. Thanks to these preservation-minded citizens, many miles of the New England Trail are open for hiking on private land. While some landowners have entered into more formal agreements to protect the trail, many trail segments on private land remain open to the public through handshake or license agreements. Though tremendously helpful, these informal agreements are sometimes lost when properties are sold and land uses change.

Fortunately, increasing numbers of landowners are permanently protecting the New England Trail on their properties by donating or selling trail corridor lands to a land protection partner. Thanks to these landowners, the New England Trail is closer to remaining open to public walking forever.

Several options exist for ensuring long-term enjoyment of the trail in partnership with the CFPA or AMC. Each option affords broad flexibility to ensure you have the type of agreement you want and the protection of your land for the life of the arrangement. Agreements can vary in length, type and cost. Some options may provide a landowner with tax benefits.

If you are interested in exploring options for protecting the New England Trail across your property, several resources and organizations are available to help you make your decision.  See the Protecting Yourself While Protecting the Trail and Other Resources sections to get started. Or contact us—we can help you find the information you need.