Rode the Airline southwest from Kingsley Rd., Windham, to Colchester via the spur trail on October 15. The trail is in excellent condition, with stone dust and cinder the whole way, and was completely dry even the day after a hard rain. Kudos to those maintaining this trail -- an excellent job grading. A detour via Cook Hill Rd. is necessary as mentioned in a previous post , even though it appears you can continue across Village Hill Rd. -- the trail dead ends at a fence near Spinning Mill Brook about halfway across this section and you have to backtrack. Colchester is a fun place for lunch before turning around. Our trip was 14 miles each way.

This review is written (August 1, 2011) so that persons contemplating experiencing the Air Line Trail South as new trail will have good basic knowledge of where to park, and what to expect.
We ride this trail section often, and all agree it is a truly great ride. The changing seasons offer a constantly morphing view of water, foliage, flowers, and wildlife. We park at the commuter lot at CT Rte 2 exit 16 (you can't miss it). From there we can ride ~6-7 miles in either direction (note that one section starts right at the commuter lot, and the other section is a few hundred feet up the hill under the Rte 2 overpass on the right. You can actually ride quite a bit longer than the 6-7 miles, the trails have been extended but we typically do the ~6-7 mile run (~12-to 14 miles as an out & back ride, which takes us approx. 1hour and 30 mins).
The hard packed with loose granular stone surface trail is well maintained in either direction and both sides offer some great natural features. It seems no matter which direction you pick from the commuter lot, the trail has a slight climb, and the return ride is quicker than the ride out. The trail itself is not very challenging, it is kid friendly, and can be ridden by almost any one (the real skinny road tires are not advised but I have seen people using them). We take friends/family who are bike novices, and born again cyclists out on the trail with us because it is easy for them to get [back] into cycling and seems a lot safer than riding on a public road. Thus far all have been "return customers" so we have a constant supply of new riding partners.
NOTES-
*There are some amenities scattered along the trail which include signs, trail markers, maps, picnic tables,
and benches.
*Sorry no toilets or potable water anywhere on the trail.
*The commuter lot offers plenty of hassle-free parking
*This is a nature trail and there aren't any consumer services such as restaurants or markets except at the
East Hampton (trail head) new section continue past the pond & parking lot.
*The trail is open sunrise to sunset.
*The 6-7 mile run is all trail and no on-road passages to get to a connecting section. Though you do have
to cross intersecting roads.
I hope you find this review helpful, some of the other info and reviews are dated, misleading, or assume you already know what they are referring to. So if you have trail info to share please be plain spoken, and tell us exactly where to park and what to expect.

This is a great trail. If you have never ridden this trail I suggest you start in East Hampton, started our trip at the Willimantic river, the ride was slightly uphill the whole way. Don't know how they came up with 22 miles, unless this is both ways. One way my bike showed just over 10 miles. Great ride with plenty of places to stop and get your feet wet or just enjoy the scenery. Amston is another great place to start. Bet this trail is extra nice in the fall.

Starting from north end of trail in Willimantic, about 1.5 miles down the trail, after crossing Village Hill Road, the trail dead ends. You have to take a right onto Village Hill Road(identified by small wooden bridge on south side of road) for .25 miles, then left onto Cook's Hill Road for 1.1 miles, where a right turn rejoins trail. Detour is marked in the north direction, but it is not marked in the south direction.

I rode this trail on May 8, 2011. It was very easy to find the trailhead at East Hampton. The trail was a little washed out at the beginning of the East Hampton end, but not impassable. When going under Route 2 at Rt 149, keep a sharp eye for the trail on the right. It's just past the overpass. I rode to the Willamantic River on the trail after a detour onto local roads at Cook Hill Rd to Village Hill Rd and back onto the trail.
I also rode the side spur to Colchester. It was narrower than the main line, but very passable. I had to chuckle to myself at the sign that the Colchester Park and Recreation Department put up warning of hunting on abutting properties.
Just after starting down the Colchester Spur, you'll come upon a brick chimney rising over 100 feet into the sky. That and a run down manufacturing building are all that remain of an old factory complex. The chimney is pretty impressive and looks to be in excellent condition. The double depots in Colchester are also pretty impressive. Be sure to check out the views from the 2 viaducts.
Since it was a very nice Sunday when I rode this trail, I encountered a lot of people, especially near the East Hampton end. The closer I got to Willamantic, the fewer people there, but the trail was also rougher. I'll have to try this trail on a weekday.
You need to do this trail if you're not into the asphalt covered trails. An excellent ride! 8^)

Good news! This is an excellent trail from E. Hampton all the way to Cook Hill Road in Windham (16.5 miles). Several road crossings at the eastern end have been improved in the last year or so. When I rode it yesterday, there was a DEP surveying crew at Cook Hill surveying the railroad right of way through the farm that now blocks access to the Village Hill Rd section. At least this is a start at getting the trail completed all the way to Willimantic. Maybe next year...

By the way, my favorite part of the Colchester Spur is stopping at Frank's Place for lunch. It's quite well known in the area and has great burgers and ice cream. Just head up the hill and turn right at the light.

The Airline Trail from Smith Street in East Hampton to Cook Hill Road in Lebanon, including the Colchester Spur, is a generally excellent trail to ride. One disadvantage of starting from East Hampton is that your last couple of miles will be mostly an uphill push. Use a hybrid or mountain bike since the trail surface can vary tremendously in quality from solid stone dust to softer dirt and rocks. When I rode the trail in June 2010, there were some trenches across the road cut by water overflowing the drainage ditches. With regard to the comments about "why would anyone ride this trail?" those comments apply to the trail NORTH of Willimantic, not this section of trail. I agree that the trail north of Willimantic (at least the portion I rode) had some very difficult sections to ride.

I've been walking and photographing the Air Line Trail daily for over 8 years. I never tire of it and am still regularly surprised to see some new plant or animal, a new aspect of animal behavior, or a superb sunrise. The trail is restored well into Lebanon now as far as Chesbro Bridge Road with plans underway for further extensions towards Willimantic. The railroad attempted the shortest route from New Haven to Boston "as if by a line drawn through the air", thus the name which is two words, not one. The penalty for the short route was the need to traverse north-south trending hills and valleys. The result for trail users is a series of rock cuts and viaducts, bridges and marshes in addition to woodlands and nearby waterfalls (e.g. at Grayville in Hebron). My favorite portion is Raymond Brook Marsh in Hebron. Lots of migrating waterfowl and songbirds spring and fall, plus nesting birds on the marsh borders through the summer. Waterlilies and other aquatic plants as well as diverse wildflowers including at least 3 species of orchids. At my web site, you'll find over 4,000 photos of the trail, accessible through seasonal galleries. You'll also find a printable PDF version of the color trail brochure (I'm proud to say illustrated with my photos). See: http://www.performance-vision.com/airline/index.htm

"For a trail I had low expectations of, I was thrilled! After reading some of the reviews over the last few years, I expected something pretty crummy, but what a pleasant surprise! I took the trail from the parking lot in East Hampton up to about where the Towns of Lebanon, Columbia and Windham all join. I also took the Colchester Branch on the way back to get some food. Net is, it's well worth doing, very quite, filled with great views and surrounded by nature, but be prepared and don't take your road bike, (I didn't)!

The trail is stonedust where improved and soft in most places & my skinny tire road bike would have been a big mistake. The unimproved section was OK except for about a one mile section that I'll tell you how to skip. If you've got knobby's on you'll be OK for it if you like riding on old railroad ballast, (I didn't have my knobby's on my AT Bike that day). You'd probably be OK on a Cross bike with tires wider than most road bikes - may just sink in a few times.

Take plenty of water if it's a hot day. There are no services, water, portapotties, etc.

To get around the one ""bad"" part as you come from East Hampton do the following:
1. After you cross CT 207( this is almost in Lebanon), get off at the next road, Pine Street in Lebanon and go about 1/2 mile to the right and take a left on Tobacco St.
2. Follow Tobacco Street about 1 1/4 miles and turn left at the next intersection.
3. About 150 yards down the hill, you can pick up the trail again after going down a short but steep trail on the right.

It's worth it & I'm ready to try the North next.

FYI, the Colchester Spur is a ""ho-hum"", but a short shot to get some food. Good pizza place and a good bakery close to end of the trail to the right, up a short hill.

Enjoy!"

"A friend and I had a grand plan to ride from Pomfret to the SW end of the trail and then ride on to Middlebury for the night, returning the next day. Note that the section from Putnam to Pomfret is supposedly much worse than the others.

We tried this in July, 2006, with her on a hybrid having 1.5 tires and I had my mountain bike with 2"" tires. After a bit of an adventure in finding the start of the trail (there are zero signs anywhere), we started riding. After a couple of miles (or less) we were considering riding the trail to Willimantic, then taking roads to Middlebury and riding the other section of trail in the morning. The surface ranges from dirt (both packed and not), to gravel to old RR ballast, with rocks and mud thrown in. Much of the adjoining flora is very overgrown so that a lot of your time is spent avoiding being whipped by branches. After perhaps four miles (if that), we both decided that this was definitely not fun and took roads back to her car. Our speed on the trail ranged from 5-8 mph, so doing the entire 50 miles as originally planned would have meant an exceedingly long, tiring and frustrating day.

Besides the usual tunnel vision effect of rail trails that go through woods, we found that we were so busy navigating our track that we didn't have time to look at anything on the side of the trail, as unattractive as it was. I have heard that the southern section, beyond Willimantic, is more scenic and the trail is in better condition. In fact, I had heard it is very nice in the fall and part of the reason I was there was to scope it out for a possible group trip. Needless to say, I quickly abandoned the idea of bringing anyone else into this morass.

I'm somewhat amazed at the postings from people who apparently actually enjoyed riding this section, especially the fellow on the touring bike. YMMV."

"The Fall 2006 Rails to Trails magazine article (print version only) on the Air Line trail includes a map which shows a parking area off Pleasant St. which is non-existent. However, there is a new, small, paved parking area off Village Hill Rd. at an easier to find trailhead. "

"The very rough and large ""gravel"" covering this section of the Air Line for about 400 yards makes even mountain biking unenjoyable. A good bypass is to take Tobacco St which is smooth gravel and much more picturesuqe. "

"My name is Barukh and I'm only twelve years old. I live in New York City and my grandmother lives in Southbourough (Outside of Framingham, MA.) We took the Metro-North to New Haven and biked the rest. On the first day, we went from New Haven, CT to Middletown on the Connecticut River. We took 1 left on State St. Straight onto Route 5 to Wallingford left on E Center St. Left on N Airline left on William right on Durham straight onto 68 left on 17 straight onto Pleasant left on Main. Stay at Inn at Middletown, 70 Main St. Day 2: Main bear right onto bike path for Arrigoni Bridge straight onto 66 left on N Main straight onto 196 left on Walnut left on Smith right onto Airline Trail (crushed stone and dirt trail-fine for riding.) In Hebron trail turned to rock so: Left on 85 right on 66 left on Jackson straight onto 195 Stay at Best Western, 123 Storrs Rd Mansfield Center, CT. Day 3: South on 195 left on 66 trail still rocky so: straight onto 6 left on W Old Rt 6 left on 97 right on 44 right on 12 left on Heritage Stay at Kings Inn, 5 Heritage Rd. Putnam, CT. Day 4: left on Heritage right on 12 right on 16 left on 85 right on Mt Vickery (My grandmother lives at 10 Mt Vickery) left on Breakneck Hill 9 will take you straight into Boston. Or take T from Southborough Station on 85 straight into South Station, Boston. I, a twelve-year old, did this route with my dad on a Hybrid bike and my dad on a touring bike. My point is, if anyone says that they can't bike for no good reason, tell them that a twelve-year old did 120 miles on a bike. I did this route, and you can too. Anyone who knows anything about the trail or any part of the route or planning to bike it should email me at lirohde-bbr@yahoo.com or call me at (212)-787-3161. If anyone knows the people that take care of the trail, tell them to email me and that I, along with a lot of other people, want the rocky section of the trail to be paved or perhaps turned into crushed stone and dirt like the beginning of the trail from East Hampton to Hebron."

I found the trail on a Connecticut trail guide and after 3 times there now we are hooked. Its a short ride from the Hartford area to the trail access in Colchester where we have started off Rt.149.The first time was with our dog and the 2 times after were with out bikes.Beautiful scenery and relatively flat terrain make this a great place for all ages and abilities. We will see you out there.

I live in Boston and am thinking of doing a 2-day out and back ride on the entire Airline. I was wondering if anyone knows of / can suggest lodging near the end of the trail? I would also want sources for dinner and breakfast. thanks

Drove down to Conn. today and road East from Rt.2 to Farm that blocks trail. Trail is great to Rt. 207 at Hebron and gets more unfinished after with some sections of really large trap rock. a couple of places where the grade was filled in by the highway dept. and you have to climb up to the road. I also rode down the Coldchester Spur. It is for about 1/2 the way a very wide gravel road. Would be nice if it was a little narrower. I met a local that says by June another mile will be improved east of Rt.207.

"Since my last posting, one of the switchbacks behind the ""RTE 85 LUMBER"" has been opened up to the main road, across Crouch Rd., to Colchester. A nice ride. Thanx to all involved."

"How nice it was to be able to take a walk on this trail sharing it with bikes.A bike is easy to move aside for but when you have a group of people coming at you arms flying and taking up the whole trail it takes the enjoyment out of it.Try taking a walk on the paved trail in cheshire,ct.It is so congested and dangerous it is like trying to cross the highway"

"Rode this trail from the Rt. 2 Commuter Parking lot up to Rt 85 and then back to the Lyman Viaduct before returning to the car. Trail's in great shape - a few extra leaves and branches in a few spots, and some erosion along the viaduct (marked with fences and red flags) but otherwise a super trail. Love shade, the nice spot by the pond, and the section through the marsh. Would be an exceptional Fall colors ride."

"I rode down from Mass. about 2 weeks ago to explore the west end from Rt.2 to East Hampton. Parked at commuter parking on Rt. and headed west toward East Hampton. It is about 6.5 miles one way and after a short grade down it was about 3% up hill to East Hampton. the improved trail ends here at a small pond, but you could continue if you wanted. The trip back over the Lyman viaduct and thru the stone cuts was great and I cant believe that such a remote undeveloped piece of land in Ct. still exist."

"Well a previous poster noted that when you arrive at the commuter parking lot in Hebron, there is no sign directing you to where the trail goes next. Thanks to a new section of trail which includes a short bridge, that is no longer a problem! You head up the road for short time and then take a right onto the new section of trail, which makes an ""L"" turn, bringing you to the top of the hill, across the street from the trail's continuance.

Nice job by all! "

"The west end of the trail in East Hampton is hard to find if you are not familiar with the area. You enter off of Smith Street in East Hampton, but the trailhead is not marked on the street. It appears to be just a driveway or street. It turns out to be a rather large parking lot with a tall sign (see the pictures) over the trail at the other end of the lot. The sign is about 50 yards from the street and hard to see from the Smith Street. The search is worth it. This is a very well maintained trail to Hebron.

Where the trail crosses Highway 2 can also be confusing. It ends at a large parking area. You must get on the street, go up and down a hill to where the trail resumes on the other side. There are no signs telling you where to go.

The only recommendation I can make for this trail is that they add a few more signs. The trail itself is great."

"After getting my map from the DOT (e-mail david.balzer@po.state.ct.us with the title: ""2002 Bicycle Map Request"" and your address in the body and you'll get your free map), I decided to tackle the Airline Trail.

First, the trail head can not be found easily from the Route 6. My suggestion is to take Cards Mill Road to Village Hill Road to Cook Hill road and hop on the trail from there. Part of the trail is blocked off by junk, debris and an electric fence by some farmer. It’s best to take the road versus buck-shot to the back of the head.

Most of the trail up Rte. 207 is pretty raw and will bounce you around a bit and it's uphill. It's best traveled with some good knobby tires and some stamina. It's also a good ride if you like solitude and taking in the ""scenery"".

Once on the trail past Rte.85 (near the lumber yard) the trail is very well maintained. Smooth paths with compacted pea-gravel. On those warm, blue and sunny Saturdays around noon pay close attention to the other riders, especially those traveling with ""wobbly"" kids. In an split instance one of those 50 pound bike missles can do a 90 degree turn when you least expect (or want) it. Parts of the path near the marsh are kind of narrow and don't accomodate 2 way travel very nicely.

Another suggestion, bring a camera. If you see some paths shooting off the trail, carefully venture onto them. There's usually a hidden treasure to be seen.

The trail between East Hampton and Hebron is a well traveled trail that's very easy to walk, run or bike on.

I'll be back to the Lyman Viaduct later with some ""climbing"" gear to take some photos of the river below."

"I rode this trail 6/11/03 from East Hampton to the parking area near Rt 207 in Hebron. This is a great trail - mainly shaded, moves through little canyons cut through rock, past several nice ponds, across two beautiful viaducts (careful with smaller children) and then finally through a beautiful nature preserve/marsh which the trail bisects.

Conditions were excellent for this entire section - stone dust cover is well maintained. Loved the rural character of the entire trail - even the road crossings give you a feel of the country. There's one small off trail section where you have to leave the path to cross Route 2.

This would make for a spectacular fall colors trip. I would love to check out the spurs off this main trail as well as the Airline North trail too.

Note that there was mainly a downgrade from East Hampton for about 3 miles, an upgrade as you approach the 207 parking lot coming Eastbound. This isn't a big downgrade in either case but if either comes at the end of your day (and you're traveling with an 8 year old as I was) you should anticipate that last stretch taking a little longer."

I have ridden the trail from East Hapton to Hebron several times and have found it just wonderful! The surface is quite smooth and the grades very moderate. Trail use at the times I rode was quite light. This trail offers an excellent opportunity for family rides of all ability levels.

One caution to parents: When crossing the two viaducts make sure your kids stay on the trail in full control. The dropoffs on either side are steep and long. A good portion of the trail is shady and makes a great hot day ride.

Please see the Clarke Cycles Website at www.clarkecycles.com.

"Yesterday, i rode the spur from Amston to Colchester (rte 16). You have to pick up the trail at Crouch Road since the ""split"" that once existed behind the lumber yard, across rte 85, no longer exists and is not accessible. The ride through the ""unimproved"" trail was a little bumpy and featured some large puddles and a small brook running along and through it. The ""Old Amston Rd"" link was better and has been improved for most of that leg, until about the last 300-500 yards to the old station. Watch out for snakes in the unimproved areas. I chose to return to my vehicle via rte 85. "

We rode the Amston to E. Hampton leg for about eight miles. Now we plan on going north to link up in Windham and finish riding to Rockville. The trail is rough in spots but overall it's a nice trail.

"I followed the directions posted and started out from mile marker 3 to 1 (Cranberry Bog), then the opposite direction. I found the hard way that the trail ends at a parking lot where I had to carry my bike over the railing and then find my way to rts 2/149 to get back to the trail. I ended up at the end at rt 85 where there was no further information on where the trial continues. From people parked at RT85 lot, I found that this trail does not continue further. The state map I have shows the trail going all the way to Willimantic. What is the story? I found that after mile 3 someone took the numbers off the mile markers. The trail was a very nice ride and the way the construction of the bridges was well planned. the ride from mm3 to mm1 (Bog) needs a little more grading as it can be pretty bumpy. Any help on further directions would be appreciated. I hear a part of the trial can be reached from Depot rd at rt66/151. is this part any good? Please reply to me when u can. Had a great time."

Rode this trail last week from Lebanon to E. Hampton. Great Trail! Most of it is well surfaced. Can ride with street or mountain tires. Easy uphill grades. Three bridges in excellent shape. Beautiful and varied surroundings. Picnic tables at viaduct. ONE CAUTION. There is limited hunting on state lands Monday through Saturday from Oct. through Dec. Only ride on Sunday during this time. Well worth the ride.

"A great trail, a couple of the previous reviews mentioned that the bridge was out. The bridge has been completed, courtesy of the Connecticut National Guard and the Coast Guard. The trail from Cranberry Bog in East Hampton to Amston (RT 85 north of Colchester) is about 11 miles of great scenery."

"Navigating this trail involves skill and wings. Outside of the first three miles in East Hampton, I do not recommend this trail for family rides. From route 66, turn south on route 196, left on Flanders Road and right on Smith Street. There is plenty of parking at beginning of the trail. The first three miles of the trail are terrific--the trail is graded well, and it allows a biker to avoid the hilly and dangerous route 16 (see note below). However, once you get to the Salmon River in Colchester problems begin. There is no bridge over the Salmon River, but it is possible to navigate around it by taking River Road and riding into the park once you cross the river. Unless you are very ambitious stay on River Road. Attempting to rejoin the trail involves a very steep climb up a rocky embankment.

If you stay on River Road, the trail will intersect with it again anyway, but less than one mile later after you cross route 149, the trail will terminate at the Jeremy River. Here is where having wings will help because the trail is too high above the river and with a 90% pitch too steep as well. In other words, you're stuck.

The trail on the other side of the Jeremy River gets too rocky (original railroad ballast) after a short time to the point where it is unridable. From route 87 the next four miles of the trail toward Willimantic are passable.

The scenery is great. Good luck and have fun . . . it's a challenging trail.

PS: When the trail first intersects with River Road in Colchester, if you turn right on River Road and go to the end, you will be at the historic Comstock Covered Bridge. Warning: River Road to the covered bridge is a very steep descent that you will have to make up either by retreating or taking route 16."

"We just biked the airline trail from East Hampton to the Salmon River bridge, which is out, and back. Excellent trip, good for beginners and kids. Just remember, there is a slight down grade out of East Hampton, so on the way back you will have to work a little bit."