The Cape Elizabeth 2001 Greenbelt Plan envisions a townwide network of greenbelt trails connecting the Town Center to open spaces and neighborhoods through a hub-and-spoke system.

The hub in this system is the Town owned Gull Crest property. Situated adjacent to the Town Center, the Gull Crest property contains approximately 150 acres of meadows, woods, wetlands, streams, and occasional trails.

The Greenbelt Plan calls for developing a coordinated, recreational trail network in the Gull Crest
property as the Plan's top priority. The Gull Crest Trails Master Plan is intended to serve as the basis for implementing the Greenbelt Plan's vision for the Gull Crest property.

Related to the plan is a proposal for developing Nordic Ski trails, which was approved by the Town Council in 2006.