Home & Garden

Boardwalk Through Great Wenham Swamp to Debut

The open space project, a boardwalk that loops for a third of a mile through the Great Wenham Swamp, is complete with a table and benches on the observation platform for a peaceful respite.

The SwampWalk is finally ready for its grand debut.

There is a grand opening ceremony planned for May 18  at 10 a.m. The public is invited to come by to check out the birds, wetlands, beaver dams and other wildlife that inhabit the Great Wenham Swamp. There will even be special prizes for anyone who spots a spotted turtle or a member of three local beaver families.

The project, which has been a decade in the making by the Danvers Open Space and Recreation Committee, has created a 1,769-foot boardwalk that loops through the swamp and provides another link between Danvers and Wenham.

Find out what's happening in Hamilton-Wenhamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The SwampWalk is directly accessible from the Danvers Rail-Trail, a project that was publicly dedicated last summer. You can get to the swamp via the trails at Choate Farm off Valley Road in Danvers and from the Rail Trail crossing on Route 97 (Topsfield Road) in Wenham.

Parking is available either off Route 97 in Wenham, across the street from Agway on Wenham Street or at Choate Farm off Locust Street.

Find out what's happening in Hamilton-Wenhamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Planning for the SwampWalk began 10 years ago and the actual construction took three years with the labor of hundreds of volunteers and support by both towns and other organizations.

Last weekend, a team of volunteers installed the finishing touches with a table and benches at the West-Wolniewicz Observation Platform, situated midway along the boardwalk.

The boardwalk itself was completed last fall.

You can check danverswenhamswampwalk.org for more information. The ceremony May 18 will be held at the north entrance to the boardwalk.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Hamilton-Wenham