Steph Kelley had been visiting Sears Island for about three years when she decided that the route she sometimes wandered along the water should have an established trail.

In her own words, there “needed to be a trail there.”

Kelly, a member of the Friends of Sears Island advisory group, used to venture there all the time on her own, she said, but didn’t start clearing the path until August. She marked trees, cut back brush and added ropes for hikers to steady themselves on the steeper sections.

Kelley named it Cliff Trail for the several ravines and cliffs along the path. It spans less than a mile and is interconnected with almost every other trail on the island.

“This trail was built to follow the contours of the island and stay close to the ocean as possible,” Kelley said. “You get v

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