Cape Ann Trail Stewards upcoming events

Cape Ann Trail Stewards Annual Meeting and "Dogtown in the 20th and 21st Centuries" Talk (Wednesday, May 20, 2026)

Wed, 20 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Cape Ann Trail Stewards invites you to join us for our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 20 from 6-8:00pm, at the Lanesville Community Center in Gloucester.

We will present a brief overview and photo slideshow of our work over the past year including an annual financial report, and vote in our slate of officers for the year. Complimentary pizza and drinks will be provided!

Our guest speaker, Les Bartlett, will give a talk called Dogtown in the 20th and 21st Centuries: Human Plans, Nature's Course, where he will describe several efforts undertaken by humans over the decades to manage Dogtown and the Cape Ann "island's" interior, and the course that nature has taken in those decades.

Les Bartlett is an artist and a historian of Dogtown and Cape Ann's island interior. He has catalogued the Sandy Bay Historical Society's holdings of artifacts from the colonial Commons Settlement, which became Dogtown, and his artwork captures the beauty of landscapes shaped by both nature and humankind.

Please register online if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, as space is limited!

Location: The meeting will be held at the Lanesville Community Center at 8 Vulcan St. in Gloucester. See Google map location HERE.

Preview Run for Dogtown Trail Race (Saturday, May 23, 2026)

Sat, 23 May 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Join Cape Ann Trail Stewards and Wicked Running Club for a guided preview run of our Dogtown Trail Race course!

All are welcome to join! (Note that you do not need to be already registered for the race to sign up for the preview run).

We will have leaders for a variety of different pace groups that people can join based on their estimated "easy effort" training pace (you can select your estimated pace range on our registration form).

We will have complimentary water and snacks at the start/ finish area for attendees. Please register in advance so that we know how many will be attending, and what pace groups will be needed.

(And also, if you have not already registered for our June 7th Dogtown Trail Race, you can get to the race registration page HERE to sign up).

Meeting Spot: We will meet at Haskins Park at the top of Summit Ave. in Rockport. Drive to the very top of the hill at the end of Summit Ave,, and bear right between the two large stone pillars (after the pillars, continue right at the fork to park in Haskins Park). See Google Map location HERE.

NOTE that this is a different parking location from our normal race-day parking (Haskins Park is slightly closer to the water tower than the race-day parking at Evans Field). The race start location (at the water tower) is 0.2 mi down the trail from the trailhead at Haskins Park.

Plan to arrive 5-10 minutes early to check in. We will plan to leave on the run promptly at 9am.

Click on the images below to view and download a Course Map:

Dogtown Race Course shown on Dogtown Common Trail Map*

Dogtown Race Course Map shown on GaiaGPS Trail Map

Click HERE to view the route online in a GaiaGPS map and to download a GPX or KML file of the route .
To view and download a full copy of the Dogtown Common Trail Map (without the race course overlaid), click HERE.

*Note that the Dogtown Common Trail Map was first published in 1987 and does not show all current existing trails. Refer to the GaiaGPS map version of the race course for a more complete reference of surrounding trails.

Ravenswood Wildflower Walk (Wednesday, May 27, 2026)

Wed, 27 May 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Join us for a walk along the Magnolia Swamp trail in Ravenswood to seek out and observe the delicate woodland wildflowers in bloom!

This hike will be led by CATS board member and native plant enthusiast Molly Eastman. We will look for and learn about species such as wood anemone, cucumber root, starflower, low and high bush blueberry, clintonia, and pink lady's slippers.

Photo of Pink Lady's Slipper at Ravenswood (taken at CATS 2025 Wildflower Hike)

The hiking route will be just over 2 mi in length (with stops for observing the flowers along the way), primarily along Ravenswood's Magnolia Swamp Trail. The terrain will be a combination of groomed carriage roads, and single-track trail that will include a long boardwalk, abundant rocks and roots, and some short but steep ups and downs. Allow 2 hours for the hike, factoring in time for stops.

Click HERE to view the Trustees of Reservations Ravenswood Trail Map.

Meeting spot:

We will meet at the Ravenswood Park main entrance at 481 Western Avenue (Route 127) in Gloucester. See the Google map location HERE.

Please arrive early (we recommend planning to arrive between 8:50 and 8:55 pm in order to be ready for the group's 9 am departure). The hike will depart promptly at 9 am.

Dogtown 5 Mile Trail Race (Sunday, June 07, 2026)

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Join Cape Ann Trail Stewards for our 9th Annual Dogtown Trail Race!

This annual race covers a beautiful and challenging 5.4 mile course starting and finishing near the water tower at the top of Summit Ave. in Rockport. The terrain ranges from carriage roads with minor rocks/ roots, to more extreme technical sections with extensive large rocks (requiring a degree of "boulder-hopping"), and everything in-between!

The course travels through many historic and popular sections of Dogtown, including the Squam Path, New England Forestry Foundation's Norton Memorial Forest, Whale's Jaw, the Luce Trail, Briar Swamp, and the Rockport Town Forest.

Online Registration is $25.00 for CATS Members, and $35.00 for Non-members.

Race Day Registration is $30.00 for CATS Members, and $40.00 for Non-members.

BECOME A MEMBER

Both runners and walkers are welcome to register!

Walkers will start behind the runners, at the same time as the runners (all walkers will start promptly at 9am when the race starts). The marked course will remain open with support (safety monitors, water stop, etc.) from 9am to 12pm.

Cape Ann Trail Stewards Dogtown Trail Race T-shirts guaranteed for the first 100 registrants. Prizes for first overall in each gender, and for first in the age group categories of 39 and under, 40-49, 50-59, and 60-69, and 70+

This Race is part of the 2026 North Shore Trail Series. Go the North Shore Trail Series page on the Trail Animals Running Club website for further information and to sign up for the series.

Runners who are interested can also sign up for our Preview Run of the race course sponsored by Wicked Running Club on Saturday, May 23.

REGISTER HERE FOR THE COURSE PREVIEW RUN.

RACE DAY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: Help from our volunteers makes our race possible! If you or someone you know would like to volunteer at our race, you can view needed shifts and sign up HERE. Thank you for your support!!!

Click on the images below to view and download a Course Map:

Dogtown Race Course shown on Dogtown Common Trail Map*

Dogtown Race Course Map shown on GaiaGPS Trail Map

Click HERE to view the route online in a GaiaGPS map and to download a GPX or KML file of the route .
To view and download a full copy of the Dogtown Common Trail Map (without the race course overlaid), click HERE.

Meeting Spot: Race parking will be by Evans Field next to 3 Station Square in Rockport. To get there, turn into the Whistlestop Mall entrance off of Railroad Ave. (Evans Field is just past the Ace Hardware store-- both the field and the hardware store will be on the right). See the Google map location HERE.

Participants will walk through Evans Field to a trail that will take them to the race registration and check-in area, which is near the water tower at the top of Summit Ave. (signs and volunteers will guide you on where to go).

Registration and race check-in will be from 7:30am to 8:45am. The race starts at 9:00am.

For any additional questions about the race, registration, or CATS memberships, email us at contact@capeanntrailstewards.org.