This tunnel in Hamden is now officially open. There is still access to the trail from both sides of the street. I hope that everyone who was inconvenienced by the detours required by the construction returns to enjoy a six-mile stretch of the trail through the center of Hamden that is completely traffic-free - all streets crossing above or below the trail.

Drove from Westport Ct hoping to bike the southern end of the trail after thinking it existed from this web site..(I didn't read far enough!) There is no sign for any trail where it is supposed to be. I asked someone at Yale about the trail and learned it has been closed completely for months. I would confirm that the northern route is open before planning a ride.

I rode this trail a few weeks ago with my brother. We started in the middle, in Hamden, and rode to New Haven first. I had ridden this path earlier and I was curious to see whether the trail had extended beyond Yale yet. There are frequent road crossings at the New Haven end through diverse neighborhoods, with police emergency kiosks periodically. Be cautious and look both ways as drivers are not expecting you and probably will not slow down or stop for you.

We were also stopped by a gate, even though the trail beyond appeared to be paved and ready to go. We headed back and somewhere around Skiff street in Hamden, they were doing construction for a paved underpass, whereas previously we had to cross the street at a light. This section is likely done by now and very welcome (as there will no longer be this busy road crossing).

The trail generally parallels route 10, with infrequent road crossing until the end at Cornwall Street in Cheshire. Overall the trail is well maintained, and frequently used by walkers, joggers, road bikes, and skaters. End to end it's probably about 14 miles. I look forward to the trail continuing northward, connecting with the rest of the East Coast Greenway.

we biked from cheschire to New Haven. There is still a section in Hamden that is 'closed'. Well there were closed signs but the trail wasn't blocked so we, like others, carried on. We made it all the way to New Haven. The end section at Yale was closed so we didn't make it to the very end point. All the open sections are paved and well suited for inline skating. The description of this trail makes it seem like we couldn't skate it. Coming from New Haven some of the trail is with the backs of buildings, but I enjoyed it. The area is poorer, and quite a number of road crossings, that was the most hassle.

I drove down to the New Haven yesterday to ride the southern portion. After paying $5 for parking and a 1.5 hour drive, I got to ride only 5 miles of trail. There is a huge closure at Dixwell road. I brought my special needs daughter to ride it and she doesnt ride on roads. So our ride ended there at the closure. Prior to the closure I give the trail one star for being well marked and in good condition. Other than that it has many many road crossings, little to no shade, very unscenic with backs of warehouses and industrial area as our views. Very few users but I can see why. Not worth a drive to New Haven. I cannot review beyond 5 miles from Yale as that is where our ride ended.

I ride the portion from Southwick to Farmington often. The only portion off the trail is a small portion in Avon where you follow TM signs on roads for a few miles. Then back on the trail again. Heavily wooded making for lots of shade. In good condition. Lots of enroute parking and eateries. Still a secret to most. You will see heav use within a mile or so of parking. But further beyond you will encounter few people. Making for a nice non stop smooth ride. Be careful of the crossing of route 20 in Granby. Cars past by fast. Few stop. Take your time crossing to be safe.

North of Granby are woods and swamps. Look out for small animals on the trail. And enjoy the scenic ride.

There is currently a detour of about a mile in Hamden, from the Dixwell Ave. ramp to the Connolly Pkwy. ramp, due to the installation of a tunnel for the trail under Skiff Street. Trail users will have to follow Dixwell. When the work is done in October, there will be a stretch of over 6 miles in Hamden, from West Woods Rd. all the way to Morse St., completely free of street-level crossings, all traffic going over or under the trail (except for a couple very little used industrial roads).

http://www.fvgreenway.org/Pdfs/Trail-miles-Status-Oct-2010.pdf
You can look here to see the miles left in each town. The miles in Northampton are a little off as all are done.

I'm planning on doing a century ride from Southwick to the Yale campus and then back to Southwick. I've been training up for this since last year as my last big ride was from Southwick to Tim Horton's Ice cream in Plainville then back to Southwick.

My question, how long before you can link up with the trail again from that point in Plainville? Also are there many opportunities to make stops along the middle/ more southern stretches of this trail? ie: Meriden, Hampden.

This trail is beautiful Southwick to Farmington ! Looking forward to making it to the southern parts! !

- Dan

A little more information about the improvements in this section. The southern terminus of the trail is now the Meriden-Waterbury turnpike or Rt.322. You can reach this by going west off Rt.10 and taking a left on Canal St. after the underpass. A real nice touch in the improvements is a crushed stone path for runners on the edge of the asphalt.

There have been some recent improvements in parking and this trail section now is about 4 miles long. It goes south now to the Cheshire town line.
I hear the next section will connect south to the Cheshire section.

The construction is completed and trail reopened (not sure exactly when). The trail is moved closer to the subway plaza and hill is smoothed a bit. The weird detour by the glass place to the sidewalk in front of Peoples bank is still there however. I was hoping this would be fixed as it is I almost got run into by an over zealous rider yesterday. All in all it was a great ride from Cheshire to New Haven, beautiful weather leaves falling, sunlight streaming through the canopy of trees over the trail.

On this Trial Page it shows end of the trail is in across the state line in Mass. However riders this is not the end of the Road. Check out the Southwick Trail on TrialLink.com pages, you'll find a great ride up to Westfield Mass.

I my wife and I have ridden this trail in many section. we have completed from Avon Ct. to the trails present ends at the Westfield Mass town line. In the past we have ridden the short southington section then the from Cheshier down to hamdem. Last weekend we road the unionville sction 2.0 mile down to where it meets with the Farmington River trail. Yesterday from the same starting pont in Unionville north to Avon. This part of the trail was unique to me as it is the only portion that I can remember seeing the crossing streets named .
Again All in All the Farmington Valley Rail Trail/ Framington Canal Trail /Farmington Valley Greenway/ Southwick Trail have been great rides

The trail crossing at West Woods Rd will be closed from 9/27 to 10/5. Signs will be posted indicating the closure. The area will be closed in order to realign the West Woods / Whitney Ave intersection . The town of Hamden has declined to mark an alternate route for trail users. Please plan on detouring along Whitney between West Woods/Mt. Carmel (the road to Quinnipiac University) and Sherman Ave.

Well my wife and I took the plunge and went all the way to Yale University, New Heaven from Cheshire. I was skepticle about doing it because of the warnings on this site, but after doing it this weekend, I would like to say it has changed considerbly. It is now ALL bike trail and there are emergency phones located every 1/4 mile or so once you exit the Hamden area going towards New Heaven. We went early saturday morning and had a great time. I could tell the questionable neighborhood that "Fractured Rider" talked about but there where plenty of riders and we didn't see anybody from these neigborhoods giving anybody any trouble. This trail is fenced off and there aren't any streets that you must use. We even saw a police car parked at one of the crossings. I was happy to complete this stetch of trail and would ride it again. There are Yale Students starting to ride on it so you won't be alone. I would not recommend this as an evening ride just to be safe.

My husband and I loved the change of pace (from hill riding in CT) to nice flat shaded areas. We rode from Cheshire to right after getting to Hamden (about 12 miles). Because of what we had read and heard, it wasn't worth the risk of running into the juveniles who are attacking riders. It would be nice if this part of the trail could be patrolled. Would have loved to have made it all the way to New Haven. On the return trip we stopped at Sergio's for a quick slice of Pizza. There are picnic tables right on the trail so no need to stray too far. Next we will be trying the Farmington leg.

I have been enjoying the Cheshire-Hamden stretch of this trail for many years. On very nice sunny days you need to watch out for little kids on bikes and even Big Wheels and Razor scooters - it seems that parents don't teach their kids to ride single file and they don't really pay attention to their own kids - I have had a few near misses when little kids panic and abruptly stop mid path.

Aside from those hazards, the trail is mostly flat with a few hills near the Hamden end which may be a challenge for new riders. Some interesting spots include the areas before and after Lock 12 where the stones lining the sides of the old canal are still visible, the section that briefly runs parallel to the Merritt parkway and the intersection with Brooksvale park. This park on the Cheshire hamden line is a pleasant place to stop for a break, look at the horses, goats, bunnies and chickens in their pens, or explore the trails by foot or mountain bike. I have seen a fox along the path, as well as swans in a marked nesting area in Cheshire.

The parking area on Cornwall Ave can get busy, but there is an overflow lot across the street with plenty of room. I suppose you could park at the elementary school a block away if it is real busy.

At the time of this writing, the first half mile from Cornwall south is in need of some paving - there is a bump in the asphalt every 50 feet or so and is annoying on a road bike.

You could also take a detour in hamden and explore the Quinippiac University campus, about a 1/4 mile away - the main quad has some interesting architecture. And across the street from there is Sleeping Giant State Park - many hiking trails, picnic tables and a water spigot.

I agree with the other review that the stretch from Hamden to New Haven is interesting but not worth the risk. Once you hit New Haven, you are basically in the projects for a mile and what looks like a rough neighborhood. There are a dozen side streets to cross and I found that local drivers did not stop at crosswalks. It is somewhat confusing why the city would spend the money to revitalize the rail trail yet not address the dilapidated surroundings. Once you emerge from this section, you are on the outskirts of the Yale campus - you could ride another mile to the New Haven Green, but I chose to turn back. The Hamden to New Haven section also lacks anywhere to stop should you need a bathroom - I chained my bike to a signpost and went to the Hamden Stop and Shop.

Overall, the Cheshire to Hamden stretch is very pleasant. As of this writing, the Plantsville to Cheshire stretch is under construction, so it will be nice one day soon to go Southington to Hamden, about 15 miles end to end.

Two weeks ago I was attacked on the Farmington Canal bike trail south of Hamden(2 miles) by two juveniles using a large chunck of wood and landed a horrific blow across my face. I stayed upright and got away immediately. Called 911, gave my report and went to the emergency room for x rays. 45 minutes after the attack on me, the police received another report of the same kind of attack in the same area of the trail. Two kids were caught and arrested. Kids are hanging out on the trail and present a major risk to anyone using the trail south of Hamden. Hamden cops acknowledged that kids retreat to the trail after committing crimes because cop cars can't go there. Stay away from the trail from Hamden to New Haven. You're safer competing against traffic on Dixwell. Multiple fractures later, I resolved to never use the trail between Hamden and New Haven. The neighborhoods are dangerous.
Fractured Rider

Plainville has been working very hard on different routes to work away from the live rails. Sunday, June 13th, there are 4 different routes being tested to see which will work best for the merge to the rest of the trails. Pretty soon Southington and Farmington will be joining so that you can go from the beautiful Cheshire route to Farmington without having to get in a car to continue your trek up to MA border.

May 1,2010
It was a beautiful day on the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. My husband and I thought we would go on a “long” bike ride. We have been biking for three years now and thought we would take it to the next level. We started at the shops in Avon and rode to Southwick Ma. along the FCHT. We were pleasantly surprised at the improvements made since we were there last year. The Ma .end was very pretty and nicely landscaped as well as improvements along Iron Horse Blvd. in Simsbury. We visited The Red Basket Restaurant along the trail in Southwick and I had the best raspberry sorbet ice cream cone. Of course, we judge a trail by the availability of good ice cream.
The next few miles past the restaurant were unremarkable and sadly there was a pickup truck sized pile of trash at the very end of the trail by the bridge underpass. How they got it there, I have no idea.
Anyway, we had a great day on our 40 mile trip along the FCHT.

As said there is about 3 miles tared up from the state line into southwick done and due to be officially opened on May 3rd. Stage #2 is underconstruction up to the Westfield line and could be open by the fall. Westfield is going to start on stage #1 of three stages in 2011 and it is hoped to be done up to the Westfield river by 2015. there will be a gap from here to Southampton where there is a feasibility study on the rail line to connect with the Manhan in Easthampton. Northampton and Easthampton are working to connect north to the Norwatuck and over to Amherst. This connector could be done this year with the exception of one bridge that is easily to by pass on a short section of side walk. So at the present time you can go to the left at Depot rd. in southwick and pick up Rt.10 & 202 north to Easthampton for a gap of about 15 miles.

To answer Nesher Dad, the trail is complete only in segments. The map on this site is pretty much up to date.
There are gaps in Southington, with one short segment complete, but not connecting north or south.
In Plainville the commercial railroad is still using the corridor. The rail trail is developed only after the railroad gives up the corridor. No sign of that happening in Plainville anytime soon.
From Red Hill Rd in Farmington it is complete to Congamond road in MA. There seems to be construction to the north of Comgamond Rd, but I am not sure of it.

If you look at the Google directions (step no. 8) in New Haven, it says to make a left turn onto the trail which the photo shows to be blocked by a fence and trees. If anyone is familiar with this step and how to deal with it, I would greatly appreciate any advice. Also, can one bike this trail all the way into MA and up to Amherst or is that part still in development?

Many thanks.

This is a great trail, all paved so suitable for road bike or mountain bike. Wide enough to handle walkers as well as bikers. Runs behind several shops and the owners have back door entrances set up for path users. Only area for improvement is length, would be nice if the other sections connected.

The final unpaved CT section of this trail from MM 21.6 to the MA State Line at MM 22.0 is no longer unpaved. Also Simsbury has completely repaved the bike trail section of Iron Horse Blvd. Iron Horse was previously paved but had so many cracks that it was not very bike user friendly. That has now been remedied. With these 2 additional trail improvements there is now an approximately 14 mile section of the northern end of the trail that is completely off-road, completely paved, and virtually flat. This section extends from the intersection of Iron Horse Blvd. & Drake Hill Road in Simsbury to the current northern terminus of the paved trail at Point Grove Road in Southwick, MA. This 14 mile stretch also has only 6 road crossings, none of which are particularly busy. As I said before this particlular section of the trail may be the single safest, easiest, and most comfortable continuous stretch of this type length in the entire New England section of the East Coast Greenway.

Complementing the completion of the northernmost section of the trail in Connecticut is the official dedication of a half-mile section of trail in New Haven which links the previous New Haven and Hamden sections to create a continuous off-road paved trail over 14 miles long from the Yale campus to near the center of Cheshire. The new section is in a very urban area but is lined with large trees making it quite attractive. Just be aware that there are 11 street crossings in less than a mile between Morse and Division streets.

It has been mentioned in two of the reviews of the trail that the bridges were dropped to connect the Suffield portion of the trail to the Massachusetts state line. However the trail map has not been updated to show that the actual paved section of the trail extends at least 3 miles further north than what is being currently shown. This section is all newly paved with a yellow center line and now extends to a tunnel that goes under Point Grove Road in Southwick, MA. This is a very nice section that heading north goes past the Congamond Lakes on your right and Edgewood Country Club on your left. A very short detour to your right at Rt.168 in Southwick will give you a great view of the Congamond Lakes. There are no mile markers up yet on any of this new section but my estimate is that the trail now goes 3.5 miles further north beyond the last existing 21.6 mile marker in Suffield. As has been previously noted the section north of the now current Point Grove Road terminus is expected to extend another 6 miles by this time next year.

Just a side note for the over 50 crowd like me. Now that the Simsbury frost heaves have been repaired and the bridges dropped connecting CT & MA, there is an approximate 13.5 mile one way section of this trail that is probably one of the safest and easiest sections of this kind of length in all of New England. If you park in the Simsbury municipal parking lot at the intersection of Iron Horse Boulevard and Wilcox St., pick up the trail on Iron Horse Boulevard and go all the way to the Point Grove Road terminus you can now go a round trip distance of 27 miles on a trail that is 99.8% (soon to be 100%) paved and virtually flat. An added bonus to this section is that with the possible exception of the trail intersection with Rt.20/Turkey Hills Road in Granby, there is very little cross traffic from Iron Horse Boulevard all the way to Point Grove Road, and there is not a single instance where you have to leave the bike path for any road travel.

There is stiil time this Fall to explore this section of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail but if you don't get a chance to do it this year I highly recommend putting it on your calendar for the first warm Spring weekend of 2010.

100% of the frost heaves between Mile Marker 13.5 & 14.5 in Simsbury have been patched, and a very bumpy ride is now very nice. Hopefully the patch job will keep the frost heaves in that section away for good.

I used to post semi-regularly on here when it was the older site.

Anyways, I was on the northern tip a day before Fletch6's post and the workers there told me it would be put in place on the 23rd or 24th.

I rode my bike on the side road to the west and the other small bridge that was out, you had to ford the mucky, oily river, only a few feet. There's a great old country store and coffeehouse on the main drag (168), called Red Riding Hood's Basket.

I read the local paper after this trail, the Suffield Observer and there was a small mention of the northern portion. The contract is done by November 30 so they have until then to finish everything before the money runs out. It was about $500,000 or so, 1/2 of what it was a year ago before the recession.

Anyway, a very good piece of news regarding the Southington-to-Cheshire portion. Tony Tranquillo, Town Engineer, today said that the state has approved the trail from Plantsville to Cheshire, the bids are out and due in October, and work is expected to start this year. Completion should be about this time next year.

Today they dropped the two bridges onto the abutments at the Mass. Conn. line and all they have to do is tar this short section. This should be done in about two weeks. I managed to be the first one across on my bike and will be submitting some pictures of the crane dropping them. With the 3 miles north into Southwick done and the stage 2 going up for bid on Oct. 6th it wont be long now.

We are new to biking and every weekend we have tried a different trail in Connecticut. This is by far the best one yet. We started at the trailhead in Cheshire and continued south for roughly 4 miles before we turned around and headed back. The first mile of so is a little bumpy--kind of like the seams in some of the roads. The trail has cracks in it about every 25-30 feet or so, but after that it is smooth. It is very shaded due to the large trees that line both sides. A very enjoyable ride. We will definitely be coming back.

It was a beautiful day on the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. We parked at the Tunxis-Meade Park in Farmington. After having a picnic, in the picnic area (complete with bathrooms), we rode out of the park and up the hill to the entrance to the rail trail. This trail is unbelievably smooth and level and very well maintained. At the start there is a pleasant view on a tall bridge crossing the Farmington River. We looked down on birds below, feeding on insects. From there it is a very pretty 5 or 6 miles to the Avon Police Department and Municipal Center. The next few miles are through parking lots and on roads, but well marked. For the next few more miles after that ,to the 315 parking area, it was once again smooth and flat and straight .We drove a total of 20 miles round trip on one of the best days of the season and are looking forward to returning in the fall.

I rode down into Conn. today and found they have started work on the two culverts at the state line. You can as of this date get around one by using the road, but when they are start working on the one closest to the Mass. line this will not be possible until finished. They have however put the second layer of tar down on the first section of the southwick Mass. rail trail and are doing a final landscaping.

Rode the section from Route 315 parking lot all the way to Massachusetts and back today. Total round trip about 24-26 miles. Wonderful job with this trail. Entire route is very flat, with a few long slight upgrades or downgrades but nothing at all difficult. The work on the new Salmon Brook Bridge is terrific. The trail is, for the vast majority, very far from any roads and passes some pretty bogs and a large plant nursery. It is 80% shaded. There is one short section near the 22 mile (going North) marker near the Massachusetts line which is gravel and thus needs to be walked if you have a road bike; also, in this short section there's a small bridge covered with wood planks that needs repair and also must be walked.

The section we rode in Massachusetts looks to be brand new and appears to extend roughly 3 miles into Massachusetts. I understand that this is eventually going to be extended all the way to Northamption.

Please let me emphasize that overall this is one of the prettiest and best maintained trails I've been on. This will be an awesome Fall Foliage ride. Congrats to all.

The Salmon river bridge in Granby is finished and open. This makes the Trail bikeable all the way almost to the Mass. Line and it is dirt for only about 1/2 mile. They have put the first layer of tar into Mass. and except for short sections you can bike on tar all the way to the Oak & Keg in southwick.

The bridge over Putnam Av. is open, and all the signage and landscaping of the new Hamden section is complete. It is an interesting section, with a variety of bridges, numerous access points, and surroundings as pleasant as could be expected in a suburban to urban area.

Unfortunately there is not as much progress to the north. There is some dispute over the right-of-way preventing Cheshire from extending its section north. Southington is working on extending its section south to Cheshire. Between Southington and Farmington, Plainville is starting to work on how to have the trail coexist with its stretch of active freight railroad.

Just to acknowledge that the changes Mcbess mentioned are indeed true. There is construction on the bridge on Prospect St over the trail. You can see the trail already from the bridge over it on Grove St. I knew that the trail continued because, when I made the next left after Starr St, I could already see more completed trail. I'm not even sure why the directions tell you to go all the way up on Newhall - I just rode on Dixwell Av to where the trail continues. Is the "out bridge" over Putnam Av rideable? Or do I still have to ride around it?

Does anyone else know anything about if there is more construction on this trail in the incompleted sections between Cheshire and Southington and between Southington and Farmington? Because I plan on trying this ride again some time in August.

B

We had a great time on the Farmington Rail Trail today even though we were a little confused by the directions. First we are low level bike riders so this review is for all levels. We read the information on the website and part of it is now out of date. The New Haven section is almost complete. There is only a 6 block section that forces the rider onto city streets AND from the look of things it is being worked on as we speak.

You will laugh at our adventure but it is worth noting. We started at Yale and parked in a lot on a Saturday. We also believe that most of the lots are available on weekends but use your judgment. At the moment there is still some construction on a bridge near the Grove St cemetery so you have to look for the entrance to the trail. We found this section very flat and in nice condition. It goes through an urban landscape with commercial buildings.

At the end of this section you come to Starr Street and the OUTDATED directions posted on this website under “Description” that direct you to turn on to Starr Street make 10 or 15 turns to get to the Hamden section of the trail. Do not follow these directions! Stay on Shelton Ave Ave. and go about 6 blocks to Goodrich St and make a left. Go about 3 blocks and you will see a wonderful entrance to the trail. It is only 9 city blocks not 4 miles. We turned back because Newhall St is one way South and we were riding against the traffic. This is why I am writing to alert folks to the wonderful developments on the new section.

The young man, Barukh Rohde who wrote on April 28, 2009 also documents these changes. I read these but he did not note to disregard the old directions.

Later in the day we ended up and the Hamden section and rode through this section south to Goodrich St and understood our error.

By the time you ride the trail there may be a new section open! Enjoy!

Hi,
I last wrote on this website three years ago (when I was twelve years old) when my dad and I rode 120 miles (over four days) on the Airline Rail-Trail from New Haven to Massachusetts. We ran into all sorts of problems on that trail. This year, I had heard about this trail, the Farmington Canal Trail, and decided to try to ride it to Southwick, MA, and to bike from there across MA to my grandparents' house.

The trailhead for this trail is very very close to the New Haven train station. It is near the intersection of Grove and Prospect Sts in New Haven. The trail is very nice for maybe a mile to Starr St and Shelton St. Just ride on Shelton to the next street, make a left, make a right on Dixwell Ave, and within a few blocks, you will find the paved trail again. I know, at the moment signs say "trail closed," but that didn't seem to stop people walking on it. Just keep going on the trail. I decided to go around the Putnam Ave bridge that says "bridge out" but I think it may be safe to ride on. From the bridge, the trail is nicely paved (but with an uphill grade that can tire you out by the time you get to Cheshire) until Cornwall Ave in Cheshire. At Cornwall Ave, the trail abruptly ends for a while. I made a right on Cornwall, went up the hill, and made a left on Route 10. A mile into my ride on 10 (which, by the way, is decently flat for a street in the CT hills) and I was hit by a car (I was putting away my cell phone, and I must have strayed out of the shoulder because I felt a large piece of metal hit me, and the next thing I knew it was half an hour later, and I was lying with my head on the curb with a huge headache and my hair all bloody.)

I like this trail, although the grade can tire you out after a while. I hope to try this again, maybe in August. I took several pictures of this trail, and they are all on this website.

For now, goodbye,
B

March 28th, 2009

Today my husband and I rode our bikes on the Farmington Canal Rail Trail. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful ride. We parked our car at the Quinnipiac Sports Center parking area in Hamden, and rode south seven miles. I wanted to check on the progress of the extension of the trail towards Yale. It was a relatively flat ride with a few gradual grades and the asphalt was extremely smooth and easy to pedal. I heard peepers along the trail for the first time this season along a pretty wooded area by several small ponds. Construction continues at the end of the trail with work progressing on an attractive bridge and several cement sidewalks. When this trail is finished, it promises to be a superior bike ride. We look forward to the day when we can ride from Cheshire (even from Southington) to Yale in New Haven.

I recently spoke at our annual meeting in Avon on the state of the rail-trail system of which the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail (FCHT) is the north-south spine and part of the East Coast Greenway. We have had a remarkable 2008, but so have the areas to the north and south. The truth is that we are close to having one of the premier regional multi-use rail-trails in the United States.

The FCHT runs about 84 miles from New Haven to Northampton, MA. To our south, New Haven has completed the design for the final section north to Hamden, with construction starting in the spring of 2009. In Hamden, the final 2.3-mile section to the New Haven border should be done this month, including a new bridge over Putnam Avenue for a continuous off-road route of over 14 miles well into Cheshire. Cheshire is looking for funds to complete their remaining gap in the trail north. In Southington, the town is designing the section from Cheshire to the paved trail in the town center. The rail corridor north to Plainville was recently abandoned and can finally go into development. Local advocates and the Town of Plainville are working on both an on and off-road route for the trail. Negotiations continue with Pan Am Railways on the still active rail line to create final trail routes in the existing right-of-way.

From Farmington, the trail is paved for 21 continuous miles with a soon to be finished break in East Granby and a small gap in Suffield. Farmington and Avon are complete. In Simsbury, the piece of the trail that currently runs on sidewalks from the Hop Brook Bridge to Drake Hill Road and then to Iron Horse Blvd will be replaced by an easement for the trail and construction will take place in 2009. 5.57 miles in East Granby and Granby were paved last fall and finished this year. After much delay, construction of the Salmon Brook Bridge has finally begun and should be completed by December with the help of a $70,000 grant from our organization. To the north, progress has been slow in Suffield due to DOT’s requirement that the existing bridges over two small brooks be replaced rather than refurbished, doubling the cost. DOT recently released more funds, although the town still does not have authorization to re-bid the project at the new “improved” budget of $660,000 for their .37 miles of trail to the Massachusetts border.

In Massachusetts, the trail has been completed 3 miles north from the state line in Southwick. The 3.2-mile Phase II is designed and construction is pending the installation of a gas main under the right-of-way. Phase III will follow. In Westfield, one of the few elevated trails over a community in New England has been designed and is awaiting funding. Farther north, in a town known for resistance to the trail, a new group, Friends of the Southampton Greenway now exists. Even better, the town has recognized the trail by placing it in their new open space plan. Massachusetts has earmarked funds for the purchase of the right-of-way, and the railroad is willing to hold the land until the town is ready to move on the project. The first 4.2 mile section of the Manhan Trail in Easthampton is complete and a portion of it will become part of the FCHT. Finally, in Northampton, the connector between the Norwottuck Trail in the northeast to the Manhan Trail in the south is being constructed right through town. The connection with the FCHT is in design, and will include a section of rail-with-trail.

The majority of the FCHT is in completion due to the tireless work of local advocates, area towns and like-minded agencies.

R. Bruce Donald, President, Farmington Valley Trails Council

More than 6 years after the last section of the trail in Hamden was completed, as far south as Connolly Parkway, there is finally some progress on the trail from that point south to the New Haven line. The entire route has been cleared and graded, with preparations made for a bridge over Putnam Avenue. With New Haven ready to work on its short section south of Hamden, by next year there should be a continuous paved trail of over 15 miles from the Yale campus to near the center of Cheshire.

Granby has been busy closing the gaps to the mass. line and by the time summer is here it could be finished. there will be one gap where the Salmon river bridge is and it can be detoured around without much trouble. they just put in a new bridge and have done a lot of paving work. the loop around the nursery is finished and needs land scapeing, and with southwick poised to work on the first section in Mass. this makes a great ride.

"I rerode this trail multiple trails since my review and knowledge landed me a writing stint of this and other trails in Cynthia Mascott's updated version of New England Rail Trails Guidebook 2007 (updated from 2001).

Anyway, according to the Planning Department of the City of New Haven, the New Haven section will be finished by late summer next year. Currently, just past the last tunnel that was cleared is a temporary art show of long boats, made out of bricks and other materials, for about 30 or so boats for maybe 200 feet. It's still there and you can follow it to the parking garage just south of it.

The trail will continue 0.5 miles south through another 2 tunnels and will end at that tunnel. It will NOT go under Orange and State and go to the rails, however, they will be bringing the trail up to street level and having it connect onroad and on existing trails to the CT Vision Trail and Long Wharf Trails which will also connect to the Savin Rock bikeway in West Haven.

Past Science Park and the 2 recent 0.5 trails, is one more 0.5-mile section to the Hamden border. The funding is in place and it will be done by next summer.

The same is also true for the Hamden section. The funding is in place and the last 2.5 miles through Dixwell will finish by next summer. There's lots of debris and material to be removed. This will be the hardest part."

"The person who posted the pics later on down this page hit the nails on their heads. Just like that.

I must say that this 2-mile section of trail was quite enjoyable and is the exception, meaning that the trail made me want to see what was in this center of Plantsville Village, not the rest of the trail.

The trail parallels Main Street in Southington and starts at Kane Street and North Main. A ballast running path like most of the trail follows shortly at Kane and Curtiss Streets with benches and a parking area and 10 bicycle racks. When you come along to the Center Street area, this is where it gets interesting.

This little old bustling village is still intact and although some factories are abandoned, they are in great shape structurally. In this area are at least 25-30 factories and only about 5% are not in use or given adaptive reuse as another life. Most from the side look abandoned but it turns out to be a business park on the other end and mostly restaurants and nice bars. Center Street leads from Summer Street, the trail and to Queen Street. It consists of a village of industry mixed with small apartments and quaint stores that's very pedestrianized, with small promenade streets. The crosswalks are brickwork with lots of benches, lightposts and bike racks. I saw it on an evening weekday, so I can imagine what it's like when it's teeming with people.

Back on the trail, past some other factories, you go over a small bridge where there looks to be a small depot on the right. There's a bumper near the river and a siding and going around to the front it's 3 or 4 companies in this weird annex of buildings, like an unsymmetric array of barns. There's a parking lot near here with spots for 17 cars and 8 more bike racks.

The trail ends at West Main Street and Summer Street. The right-of-way ends here but across the road in the weeds, just an inch to the left of the tracks is a nice gazebo. Before the track ends, there's a nice restaurant/bar on the left.

There were 32 bike racks in total on this 2-mile stretch of trail."

"Right across from the ""Head"" of Sleeping Giant and across from the Golf Course and just north of Andale, (the Mexican restaurant) is what looks to be a permanent detour. At this point going south on the trail, it becomes a paved sidewalk that goes from the woods, down to street level in front of a plaza and eateries. It used to continue straight and then go back up, but at the corner of Whitney Avenue and West Woods is a large wooden sign resting against the pole that says, ""Canal Line ->"" in bright white spray paint (arrow to the right). The old sidewalk is now a paved walk and then crosses over behind the eateries and becomes the trail again. You can see the old section of it at the intersection with the new parts. I'm guessing the reason is new development since the old parcel there next to the eatery has backhoes and lots of dirt.

Also at the southern section, the street before you hit the Stop and Shop terminus, there used to be a factory that was abandoned and spray painted by the locals. It's now demolished and you can see the debris piled there. The trail goes around it and to road level. "

The last 2.3 miles are scheduled to be finished in late 2007 or early 2008.

"In the recent East Coast Greenway Alliance e-bulletin, some great news is finally coming our way.

1) Yale to Build more ECG in New Haven - In a recent agreement between Yale University and the City of New Haven, Yale agreed to build trail along the right-of-way through the Yale campus that will be part of the Farmington Canal Heritage Greenway and also part of the ECG. They are also providing the 20% match to the SAFE-TEA funds earmarked for completing the trail in New Haven.

2) New Haven and Hamden to Close Gap - The cities of Hamden and New Haven report they are on schedule to close the remaining 3.6-mile gap between them by Fall 2007. The gap sections are in Newhallville, New Haven and south of Connolly Parkway to the New Haven line in Hamden. The closed gap will complete 14.2 miles of continuous trail on the Farmington Canal Heritage Greenway between Hamden and Cheshire. When complete, the Farmington Canal Heritage Greenway will be a continuous 80-mile path from New Haven to Northampton, MA. The ECG will use 40 miles of the path, from New Haven to Simsbury. (Newhallville will have lots of street crossings - if you've ridden here, you know.)

3) Simsbury portion of trail is officially open. See that trail on here."

"I'm posting this from the e-bulletin of the East Coast Greenway Alliance

Farmington Canal Heritage Trail - Simsbury Section Officially Open

A ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 18th celebrated the completion of the 1.7-mile trail that closed a gap in what is now 15 miles of continuously paved trail. Towns to the north of the trail plan to close the remaining gaps in 2007. This trail is part of the 25-mile Farmington Valley Greenway and the Farmington Canal Heritage Greenway that will stretch 80 miles from New Haven, CT to Northhampton, MA. (The ECG portion will use about half of the trail, from Simsbury to New Haven)."

"From East Coast Greenway Alliance

Rail Trails Get Their Own TV Show in CT-- and maybe beyond.

Simsbury Community Television (SCTV) in Simsbury CT. has begun airing an innovative new program called Trail Rated. It is a weekly half-hour show about the Rails to Trails movement in the U.S. Initially, the show will focus on the Farmington Canal Rail-Trail, highlighting interesting people involved, things to see and do along the corridor and looking at the difficulties in developing an interstate trail system in New England, an area without a lot of natural focus on regional projects.

Trail Rated is a half hour show that will be available to all public access stations in New England. To obtain Trail Rated DVDs for your local cable access channel or to offer up story ideas, contact the hose, Steve Mitchell, at (860) 550-0350.

Excerpted from: Northeast Greenway Solutions E-Newsletter. 8/9/2006. "

"In the September 2006 edition of the New Haven Business Times, (New Haven, Yale Propose Agreement for Civic Improvements), it was announced that Yale will provide New Haven $10,250,000
for various upgrades INCLUDING ""complete the greenway on the historic Farmington Canal Line from the campus to the Audobon District"". It will also repair the distressed Prospect and Temple Street bridges over the Farmington Canal.

Work should begin this fall once the money is in place.

Here's the problem. The trail ends near the new English Dept building under one tunnel, two streets from Audobon. This means they will clear the trees and debris for 2 more tunnels! Great news, but not really. It ends at Hillhouse Avenue. They should complete is under two more streets (Orange and State), under the parking garage, etc. and have it go under State and come out at the current Amtrak/State Street Station where it's been proposed.

I guess funding is always a problem. It will take a little while I guess.

(Technically after the new additions are finished, you can follow the ROW a few more streets down to Bassett Street. There are some grassy and wooded areas, a stretch with lots of glass with double rails in place, etc. Then it becomes very overgrown, but you can follow it closely and do some rough riding through neighborhoods until you hit Stop and Shop where it starts. There is a lot of debris still by the industrial park.)"

"It seems that there is some confusion between this trail and the Farmington River Trail to the West. This trail is along Rt. 202 going from Avon up to Granby and north into Mass. It really starts in New Haven and heads north to Northampton, Mass. and is called various names along the way. From about Planville to Granby it is the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. It has many unfinished sections and will be a great recreational resource when all are finished. Some of the confusion in the Avon Simsbury area comes from the Farmington River and its flow to the Conn. River. It heads south from its start and then goes back north almost at the Plainville line, where it goes thru a cut in the Metacomet ridge at Tariffville. I rode the Simsbury section yesterday north and south from the middle where the best parking is at the Jct. of rt.202 and Rt.187. To the north for about 2 1/2 miles the trail is overgrown and not well kept asphalt. Lots of old leaves and sand to about 1/4 mile of dirt near the Granby line. There are two sections north of here into Mass. that are finished, one of which is part sand and dirt that are at the present detours around unfinished sections.
To the south it is perfect with occasional toilets and in some places double wide with asphalt for those that want it and a double dirt path. The detour to the south of this section is to the left and not on Rt.202 which is narrow and is more dangerous bike travel. "

This trail has given my sister and me many special memories. we love the scenery and the beautiful bridges. We can't wait until it is extended so we can take our journey further!

"Rode this section a few days ago. Last month I was there and it was orange fenced in with construction being done. The other day, it's been opened. From Science Park, it stretches about 3/4 mile with at least 3 street crossings. At each crossing are two stone columns (one on either end of the trail) and a crew was there fitting one in the ground. There are 2 blue emergency police phones as well. Progress is slow but steady."

"This was our first time on the FCHT and found the riding overall very easy going. The surface is wide and smooth pavement, allowing room for people traveling both directions.

We parked at the Brickyard Rd. entrance and headed left to the end and then turned right where we met up with the Farmington River Trail about 100 feet away.

We have a 6 year old who had no trouble riding along, and there are a lot of benches and resting places if needed, especially on the beautifully designed bridge over the Farmington River.

Overall, a great place to ride, but there were many people out today. I imagine it would even be busier in the summer."

"A new section has just opened in New Haven, from the former terminus at Prospect Place south to Hillhouse Avenue. Although it is only a sixth of a mile long, it is worth checking out if you happen to be in the area. It goes diagonally under the intersection of Trumbull and Prospect streets, and right by a newly constructed Yale engineering building. The connection to Hillhouse is by a ramp leading up to street level from the below-grade trail, which is fenced off underneath the street.

There is also some progress at the north end of the New Haven section. Some clearing work has been done north of the end of the paved trail at Munson St., and construction of another half-mile to Shelton Ave. is supposed to start this month."

"Several weeks ago, I started at the Unionville depot /Route 177 trailhead and, connecting to the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, I road 12 miles all the way to the current terminus in Simsbury at Route 10/Sand Hill Rd. I can't wait for the rest of the trail to be completed all the way to Simsbury! Hats off to the trail section maintainers, it's truly a lovely greenway."

We enjoyed about a 20 mile down and back ride yesterday.
8-22-05. This will be great if it gets extended to NH. Enjoyed the weather and the restored lock. Lots of people enjoying all kinds of activities for a week day.

"I was in New Haven today and rode that 1/2 mile section of trail. I rode off the side streets of the trail and there is no signage saying there's a trail nearby. There is some overgrowth of weeds where little paved paths extend to the street near the Grove Street Cemetery and it's a little dangerous but nothing too bad.

An update on the tunnels and construction of the new Yale building on Temple Street. The path is cleared until the Grove Street garage quite well. The only thing that's changed is there's a boarded up entrance to the first tunnel for the construction. The foreman told me the construction is ahead of schedule and the trail will be completed through (and adjacent to the building) by September 2005! After the Grove Street garage, the trail is still overgrown."

I found these photos at a great Web site for different sections of Southington.

http://trainweb.org/crocon/CanalLine/CanalLine11.html

http://trainweb.org/crocon/CanalLine/CanalLine12.html

http://trainweb.org/crocon/CanalLine/CanalLine13.html

I ran into some people from Southington while doing the Larkin Bridle Trail last week. They told me the town of Southington has hit a snag north of the northernmost section of trail where a working railroad siding/spur is active. The owner said he does not want to turn the rail into a trail but the town is negotiating to keep the rail active and make it a rail-with-trail.

A great trail going north through Farmington into Simsbury. The Farmington River bridge is beautiful. These trails are one the best things CT has done in years! Sunset rides are great for the family.

"Last year, the Southwest Regional Council of Governments approved at least $10 million for the completion of the Greenway from the Hamden/New Haven line all the way through to Long Island Sound.

From Hamden to the new stretch at Science Park built in 2001 it's all abandoned industries who piled their junk. There is a pedestrian bridge out as well.

Science Park has a 1/2 mile section that's paved with great signage and art sculptures from the Arts and Ideas Festival, every year on the trail. When the trail ends, you can keep going because this is where it goes under New Haven through the tunnels.

In the last few months, the brush has been cleared away and this section of about 500+ feet is looking good.

There's a new biomed building being built at the middle of this portion and the canal runs through and under the property and street. The billboard on the front of the building states they are working on the building and the greenway. You can access it at http://www.eng.yale.edu/project"

"It's coming along wonderfully. It's a wonderful addition to our town. As a serious amateur photographer, I'm finding it a wonderful place to take photos. I have an ever growing gallery dedicated to the Southington section of the trail. Please see www.sapphirestudios.net/gallery/railstotrails."

"As of late, the next portion of this trail has been built in Southington for one mile. The southern end starts at West Main Street and will eventually end at Hart Street. This will hopefully be done by late spring. It is now possible to go from New Haven to Cheshire by Sleeping Giant State Park. There is a 7.5 mile gap from Cheshire's terminus to the new Southington trail. At the end of the 2 miles there is an 8-10 mile gap until it continues into Farmington where the trail continues north to the Massachusetts border with Suffield, CT. I have ridden some of the unpaved trail after the Cheshire section ends and the rails are still in the ground as well as abandoned stone abutments in the river."

"I bicycled the Farmington Linear Canal Linear Park from Cheshire (Cornwall Street) to Hamden (Dixwell Avenue) and found it to be very picturesque, well-maintained, and expertly designed.

There are numerous well marked trailheads and dedicated trail user parking areas all along the trail’s route. Although the trail passes through many undeveloped areas, some of the route travels immediately adjacent to businesses that market services such as food and beverages to the trail’s many users.

As you might expect with any trail traveling through densely populated municipalities, there are numerous street crossings. However, warning signs and marked crosswalks are in place at each one. The asphalt trail surface is narrower than those of many newly constructed multi-use trails; expect congestion on good weather days. An unpaved ballast jogging path is located right next to the asphalt trail surface; it was being used extensively by runners on the day of my visit (it must be easier on the knees).

Unfortunately, commercial development near the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Hamden has encroached right on top of the former railroad and canal right-of-way. So, trail designers were forced to create a rather circuitous loop around a shopping center there. As a result, trail users are faced with battling some rather steep hills in that area. Grades along remaining portions of the trail are negligible.

All in all this trail was well worth my trip from about 2 hours away."

"The thre os us usually ride unpaved trails, so we thought to try this one for a change. After starting on Copper Hill Road (E. Granby), we headed south across Rte 20 and found that the trail ""ends"" at the Granby Station Depot (now a daycare center).

We dared to cross the street into the woods to continue onto the old rail bed, then we rode and walked through the ties and poison ivy, crossed the old trestle, then we came onto Railroad Avenue (the trail is totally overgrown in this area). We came upon Floydville Road and found we could not cross over to continue since the trail is overgrown and occupied by Culbro Tobacco Co.

We ended up road riding in a circle to get back. The point here is that the maps and decriptives at the trail boards are misleading in some areas. No big deal though. We'll be back to do the northbound leg when then weather gets cooler.

Oh yeah, my hats off to the ""roadies."" I still prefer a dirt trail though. "

"This is the first section of the canal that is in the City of New Haven. I remember it being paved a year or so ago and just recently, extra touches were added.

It's a .5 mile stretch that's paved and starts in the Science Park district at the intersection of Henry and Canal Streets. With your back facing the fence across the street there's a large building undergoing renovation on your left and some houses and on your right are newly built townhouses.

The section has a 2 foot wide gravel trail on the right much as in the Hamden-Cheshire section, for joggers.
There are newly planted plants on the sides with woodchips and little paved trails going to the side streets with bollards indicating the entrance(s).

It does have cross a semi-busy street and the trail passes a playground and basketball court on the right before ending at Canal and Prospect (near Lock Street) at the Grove Street Cemetary.

A welcome new addition is 4 stone pillars, 2 on each side of that intersection on the trail. Each pillar has a circular metal seal declaring it the Farmington Canal Greenway with the year 2001 on it. They weren't there in May so it must be brand new.

It's a nice section and quiet."

"I've ridden this trail many times and even followed the tracks through neighborhoods where it's not completed. Past where the trail ends it goes through a small industrial park and crosses a main road and goes into the woods unpaved and there's still the tracks and trestles there for about 15 miles. This is not recommended riding.

The Hamden section is fun to follow through neighborhoods and track the bed with the old tracks still there. There's a small portion at science park in new haven which stretches towards the grove street cemetary and ends there. New additions include railings, street signs and newly-planted flower beds. At the end is the tunnels which have utility lines underneath.

The trail will eventually hook up (after going underneath the city of New Haven) to the Freedom Trail, which will go parallel to the trains on State Street and beyond.

I rode through a couple of the tunnels and after the second one I couldn't go any further since it was too overgrown. They did do some clearing of the brush, maybe 50% worth.

There are some industrial parts off of Dixwell in Hamden that need major cleanup. There are two old companies who have vacated their premises and there are hundreds of tons of concrete and tree stumps. From then on it's just a neighborhood and then a gun factory. The city of New Haven and the Yale Daily News have been doing updates on the trail and plan to have it finished soon, hopefully within one year."

"I rode this trail on 5/25/03 from the Hamden terminus north up to Cornwall Road (about 11 miles). There are two sections of this trail: Hamden to Cheshire (about 7.2 miles) and Cheshire up to Cornwall Road (another 3 miles or so).

Conditions were excellent throughout - well paved, clean, wide, very shady for the initial 6 miles and then a little bit more open after that. The first mile or 2 from Hamden runs behind a few shopping centers and you can hear the Merritt Parkway, but that ends pretty fast and it becomes very quiet. Nice benches at many points. Many families along - a nice option for young riders. The town of Hamden has a map which covers the Hamden-to-Cheshire section of the trail.

This trail is definitely worth a trip - we had a great afternoon."

This is a great ride through Hamden and Cheshire. I ride it quite often. It's a relatively flat trail. Sometimes the trail is crowded on weekends.

Keep your eyes on young kids whose parents aren't paying attention to them. They have a habit of getting in the way. The roller bladers need to be a bit more considerate and not skate abreast of one another.

"Suffield Section:
Access to the Northernmost section of the trail is off Quarry Road on Rt 10/202 in Granby just below the Massachusetts state line. The
paved trail begins at the Phelps Road bridge in Suffield and runs south to the East Granby town line. Ends in a sand pit.
Section from town line to Copper Hill Road is still rail bed with ties.
East Granby Section:
Paved trail begins at Copper Hill road, runs south accross Rt 20 and ends at Rt189. Parking is available at Copper Hill Road, Rt. 20 and Rt 189.
Simsbury Section:
Paved trail begins at Granby town line. (Unpaved section runs from end of His Lordships Industrial Park Rd.)
Runs south crossing Wollcott Rd, and Rt 315. Parking avialable on Hopmeadow Rd and Rt 315. Runs South along the Farmington River to Ironhorse Blvd, Simsbury. Ends at Drake Hill Rd. Ample parking on Ironhorse Blvd.
Trail begins again at junction of Stratton Brook Rd and Rt 10/202 in Weatogue. Park and Ride lot on Rt. 10/202.
Trail runs South to Avon town line."

"This trail seems like one of a kind in CT, where they are commonplace in other states. This trail is ideal for inline skating. It is shared by pedestrians and bicycles, but, not too crowded. There are several intersections with light automobile traffic. Your best bet at a parking spot is in the lot on Sherman Ave., just west of Whitney Ave. Go to maps.yahoo.com and map the following:
Sherman Ave & Whitney Ave, Hamden, CT 06518"

"This was my first railstrails expereience, and it was great! This trail in particular is very organized -- that is lots of signs, benches, park like settings, fencing, etc. VERY nice!!"