Explore the best rated trails in Colchester, CT. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Windsor River Trail and Stillwater Scenic Walkway. With more than 55 trails covering 382 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
A part of Connecticut's first bus rapid transit line, the CTfastrak Trail serves as recreational and multi-use path for walking and bicycling between Downtown New Britain and Newington Junction. The...
The Charter Oak Greenway offers more than 16 miles of paved pathway through Hartford and its eastern suburbs. At first glance, the trail looks as if it is simply a highway side path, but the journey...
The Hartford Riverwalk is a charming network of paved pathways for cyclists and pedestrians that runs along the banks of the Connecticut River through the state capital. The trail provides an off-road...
The Cheney Rail Trail follows part of the corridor of the South Manchester Railroad, built by the Cheney brothers in 1869. The line was a 2.5-mile spur from the main Hartford, Providence, and Fishkill...
First a canal, then a railroad, and now a trail define the history of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. Completed segments span Connecticut south to north, from New Haven to the Massachusetts...
The Stillwater Scenic Walkway is a short trail that follows an old railroad bed between Capron Road and State Route 104 (Farnum Pike) south of Smithfield. The trail passes through a wooded area along...
The Quinebaug River Trail exists in two segments in northwest Connecticut. The northern section parallels Park Road and Tracy Road for about 2 miles in an industrial section of Putnam with few trail...
When complete, Connecticut’s Shoreline Greenway Trail will be a scenic 25-mile route through four quaint New England towns off Long Island Sound. From Lighthouse Point to Hammonasset Beach State Park,...
Bloomfield Greenway Multi-Use Trail is 1.8 miles between Bloomfield and Simsbury. The trail is envisioned to someday act as a connector between the City of Hartford and the Farmington Canal Heritage...
The Washington Secondary Bike Path offers just over 19 miles of paved trail from Cranston (Providence’s southwestern neighbor) to Coventry. The rail-trail, Rhode Island’s longest, follows the former...
The Phenix-Harris Riverwalk, a short trail built on a former rail bed purchased from Penn Central Railroad, connects West Warwick and Coventry, two towns on the outskirts of Providence. The dirt...
At the turn of the 20th century, Groton & Stonington Railway Company began to move passengers between Groton to Mystic via electric trolleys. But in 25 years, the line had been discontinued due to...
The Redstone Rail Trail is built on the former New York, New Haven & Hartford Armory Branch, which in turn is a former branch line of the New York & New England RR. Its name comes from the numerous...
The Fred Lippitt Woonasquatucket River Greenway provides a valuable crosstown connector of nearly 7 miles from downtown Providence to the city’s western neighborhoods and the nearby town of Johnston....
Quonset Point Bike Path is a fantastic two and a half mile trail. The Quonset Point Bike Path is a part of the beautiful town of North Kingstown.The Quonset Point Bike Path is paved and off road and...
The Westville Lake Community Trail offers a short, scenic excursion along the east bank of Westville Lake in Southbridge. Much of the crushed-stone pathway is under a lush tree canopy. Along the way,...
Note: Per the State of Connecticut's website, the trail is open from dawn to dusk April 1–November 14. Eagle nesting activities can delay the opening of the southern trail head in Windsor Locks. Due...
Coming in at just under 3 miles, the Sue Grossman Still River Greenway is anchored by the towns of Winchester to the north and Torrington to the south. It occupies the right-of-way of the Naugatuck...
The Stratton Brook State Park Trail presents a great way to work up an appetite for a picnic at Stratton Brook State Park, the first state park in Connecticut to be entirely wheelchair accessible. The...
Burrillville Bike Path runs for just over a mile through its namesake rural community in northwest Rhode Island. It connects the villages of Pascoag and Harrisville through a corridor that once...
A part of Connecticut's first bus rapid transit line, the CTfastrak Trail serves as recreational and multi-use path for walking and bicycling between Downtown New Britain and Newington Junction. The...
The Southwick Rail Trail extends from the Massachusetts–Connecticut state line north to the Westfield town line and connects to the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail. Along the way, it travels through...
The Chicopee Center Canal Walk offers a short pleasant route in Chicopee, a small city on the outskirts of Springfield in southern Massachusetts. The pathway closely follows the slow-moving canal and...
The Stillwater Scenic Walkway is a short trail that follows an old railroad bed between Capron Road and State Route 104 (Farnum Pike) south of Smithfield. The trail passes through a wooded area along...
The Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail runs on the corridor once occupied by the Southbridge & Blackstone line of the Providence & Worcester Railroad, transforming a corridor once designed to link rural...
The Middlebury Greenway provides a paved, off-road option for a self-propelled journey across suburban Middlebury. The trail touches on several business districts and parks, ending at an amusement...
The Larkin State Park Trail meanders 10.8 miles through the woods and around the lakes and low hills of southwestern Connecticut. The rail-trail follows the route of the New York & New England...
The Cheney Rail Trail follows part of the corridor of the South Manchester Railroad, built by the Cheney brothers in 1869. The line was a 2.5-mile spur from the main Hartford, Providence, and Fishkill...
The Redstone Rail Trail is built on the former New York, New Haven & Hartford Armory Branch, which in turn is a former branch line of the New York & New England RR. Its name comes from the numerous...
A dozen miles west of Connecticut’s capital of Hartford, the Farmington River Trail forms a 16.5-mile arc that connects to the larger Farmington Canal Heritage Trail on both ends. The rail-trail was...
The Quinnipiac River Gorge Trail is a 1.3-mile rail-trail in Meridan, Connecticut. The trail occupies the former railbed of the Meriden, Waterbury & Connecticut River Railroad, a 17-mile line which...
When complete, Connecticut’s Shoreline Greenway Trail will be a scenic 25-mile route through four quaint New England towns off Long Island Sound. From Lighthouse Point to Hammonasset Beach State Park,...
The Quinebaug River Trail exists in two segments in northwest Connecticut. The northern section parallels Park Road and Tracy Road for about 2 miles in an industrial section of Putnam with few trail...
Riverpoint Park sits nestled into a bend of the Pawtuxet River in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The park accommodates the 400-ft arboretum which leads to 1.3-mile riverside path known as the Senator...
The West Warwick Riverwalk is located in a park just behind West Warwick High School and John F. Deering Middle School. The paved trail goes for about a mile north following the Pawtuxet River. A...
The Qunnipiac Linear Trail is an easy multipurpose path in Wallingford, Connecticut. The trail skirts Community Lake while traveling a heavily wooded corridor along the Quinnipiac River. It is one of...
The Pequonnock River Trail is not a name you will see on the ground along this developing trail in southwestern Connecticut. Formalized in 2001 by the state, the regional trail pieced together...
Quonset Point Bike Path is a fantastic two and a half mile trail. The Quonset Point Bike Path is a part of the beautiful town of North Kingstown.The Quonset Point Bike Path is paved and off road and...
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The Trolley Trail runs through Plainfield and is a key link the East Coast Greenway. Plans are to use this trail as a link between the Moosup Valley State Park Trail and the Airline State Park...
The Hartford Riverwalk is a charming network of paved pathways for cyclists and pedestrians that runs along the banks of the Connecticut River through the state capital. The trail provides an off-road...
The Hartford Riverwalk is a charming network of paved pathways for cyclists and pedestrians that runs along the banks of the Connecticut River through the state capital. The trail provides an off-road...
The Quinnipiac River Gorge Trail is a 1.3-mile rail-trail in Meridan, Connecticut. The trail occupies the former railbed of the Meriden, Waterbury & Connecticut River Railroad, a 17-mile line which...
The Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail runs on the corridor once occupied by the Southbridge & Blackstone line of the Providence & Worcester Railroad, transforming a corridor once designed to link rural...
The Middlebury Greenway provides a paved, off-road option for a self-propelled journey across suburban Middlebury. The trail touches on several business districts and parks, ending at an amusement...
The overall goal of the Grand Trunk Trail in south-central Massachusetts is to connect the communities of Brimfield, Sturbridge, and Southbridge by trail. Currently, two sections of the trail are...
The Savin Rock Trail offers just over a mile of paved pathway along West Haven’s coastline. Along the way, you’ll enjoy picturesque views of Long Island Sound and access to its sandy beaches. The west...
Bookended by beaches and offering gorgeous vistas of Niantic Bay, the Niantic Bay Boardwalk is a must-do excursion in the small Connecticut village of Niantic, part of the larger Town of East Lyme....
The Arkwright Riverwalk, founded on a former rail bed purchased from Penn Central Railroad, is located in Coventry, a rural central Rhode Island town that was built around textile mills. The one-mile...
The Chicopee Center Canal Walk offers a short pleasant route in Chicopee, a small city on the outskirts of Springfield in southern Massachusetts. The pathway closely follows the slow-moving canal and...
First a canal, then a railroad, and now a trail define the history of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. Completed segments span Connecticut south to north, from New Haven to the Massachusetts...
The Windsor River Trail is a paved trail along the Connecticut River in Windsor Meadows State Park. The trail begins at the state park’s parking lot on E Barber St. The Captain John Bissell Trail,...
The Fred Lippitt Woonasquatucket River Greenway provides a valuable crosstown connector of nearly 7 miles from downtown Providence to the city’s western neighborhoods and the nearby town of Johnston....
The West Warwick Riverwalk is located in a park just behind West Warwick High School and John F. Deering Middle School. The paved trail goes for about a mile north following the Pawtuxet River. A...
The Stratton Brook State Park Trail presents a great way to work up an appetite for a picnic at Stratton Brook State Park, the first state park in Connecticut to be entirely wheelchair accessible. The...
Where a trolley once ran, now you can too on the south bank of the Mattabessett River. The electrified trolley shuttled passengers from Berlin to Middletown and beyond. The smooth blacktop and an easy...
Over 2 miles from start to finish, this U-shaped trail meets both the commuting and the recreational needs of local residents in Middletown. The trail begins on Middle St, marked by a trailhead with a...
Imagine a wealthy 19th-century textile mill owner building an 8-mile railroad to get coal to his plant or products to market, and then adding accommodations to carry vacationers to beach resorts or...
A part of Connecticut's first bus rapid transit line, the CTfastrak Trail serves as recreational and multi-use path for walking and bicycling between Downtown New Britain and Newington Junction. The...
Note: Per the State of Connecticut's website, the trail is open from dawn to dusk April 1–November 14. Eagle nesting activities can delay the opening of the southern trail head in Windsor Locks. Due...
The Larkin State Park Trail meanders 10.8 miles through the woods and around the lakes and low hills of southwestern Connecticut. The rail-trail follows the route of the New York & New England...
This was our first family trail with kids that were new to bicycling. Everyone enjoyed the consistent pace of the trail. Not too crowded, but haven't tried middle of summer yet. Takes about 30 minutes to go from one end to the other and back.
The award-winning JAYCEE Arboretum and Corridor includes the welcoming 400 linear foot Esplanade filled with attractive (annuals & perennials) flowers, mini-trees, seasonal plants and 72 species of shrubs. Features include communal monuments, manicured playing fields and historic artifacts that form the portal entrance to the rugged state Senator Roch Riverwalk, a 1.3 mile wilderness trail of native vegetation, waterfowl and forest wildlife along Rhode Island's largest waterway, the Pawtuxet River and Watershed.This picturesque trail system is nestled along the all-important confluence of the north and south branches, the Pawtuxet River. Note: From time to time, a tree(s) or large branch(es) can fall prey along the Trail and should be reported to Park & Recreation authorities for disposition. The destination locations are situated along the West Bay/Washington Secondary Bikepath [quadrant of Warwick, West Warwick, Coventry & Cranston] within Riverpoint COMMUNITY Park - 110 Hay Street W. Warwick, R.I. 02893. The JAYCEE Arboretum and state Senator Roch Riverwalk, also crosses over (on-street) for a very short distance to access the newly-created (2007) West Warwick Riverwalk (a/k/a Pawtuxet River Walkway) for a trail length of about 0.5 mile(s), which runs behind the Riverpoint Village of the historic Royal Mills Apartment Complex - this will soon be an enhanced area for an Orchard and Trail system to the nearby Middle & High School Campuses parallel to factory Street upon Arctic Hill. The JAYCEES & Volunteers manage these (Arboretum-Corridor) properties that are public domain of the Town of W. Warwick. The JAYCEES coordinate a Spring Open Space celebration called, ECOLOGY DAY & PEACE PRAYER Ceremony usually on the first Saturday in May and the commemoration for the 9/11 Observance. This is addition to launching the annual Arbor & Earth Day events, a Community Program entitled, CORPORATE CARES DAYS and related projects - for schools, organizations, court-service - all open to the public!
Parked in West Warwick next to rev dept tennis courts. Hopped on trail right there. Rode in direction toward Coventry. Interesting mix of residential, industrial, mills, rural areas. Clean, level and super fun.
Rode the eastern section of this trail from the parking lot at the end of Adams St in Uxbridge to Grove St in Franklin, approximately 11 miles. For the first 3.5 miles the trail is part of the Blackstone River Greenway and is in excellent condition with smooth blacktop surface. You'll see cyclists, skateboarders, runners and walkers on this section. The improved trail ends in Blackstone at Canal St. Follow Canal St downhill, make a left onto St Paul St, then right on Main St, and left into Castle Hill Way. The Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT) resumes without markings at bend on Castle Hill Way. Surface now is packed dirt. Condition of trail worsens (sand, rocks, ballast) between Farm St and Center St in Bellingham. From Center St to Prospect St in Franklin, the dirt trail surface is groomed and in very good condition. The Prospect St bridge is now complete and the trail continues to Grove St in slightly rougher condition.
I definitely preferred this 11 mile Eastern section of the trail over the 12 mile Western section (in Part 1 of my earlier review).
Phase 1- the makings of a wonderful trail! Anxiously waiting for the completion of phase 2.
I have done a couple of segments of the trail. One segment Starting in Franklin and going into Blackstone. Some parts of this trail were closed or almost impassible short of having a hardcore mountain bike not to mention that some segments are not marked at all. I have also done the segment from Rte. 98 in Douglass working east toward Blackstone there were segments that were in decent shape but there were others you can see that were rutted or still very wet given that we have been in a drought for a good chunk of the summer makes me concerned what they would be like if we had a normal amount of precipitation. Additionally, once I got near Rte. 146 the trail just seemed to disappear there were no markings to figure out where to go. Next time I will try and go from Douglass and work my way west and see how that goes. This trail has potential but needs a lot more work on it to be good.
Cycled approximately 12 miles of the trail from New Road in E Thompson, CT to RT 146 in Uxbridge, MA. The first few miles through the Douglas State Forest are in very good condition and patrolled by MA Dept of Conservation personnel. After that the trail begins to slowly deteriorate first with the surface becoming very sandy in places and then areas of ballast (large gravel) and standing water. The section from Chocolog Rd to RT 146 was challenging based on these surface conditions. You will need to look for a steep left turn down to RT 146 where singletrack runs alongside the roadway. Then watch for a steep right turn down onto Elmwood Road where the trail becomes interrupted for a short distance. To continue on the SNETT, make a left on Elmwood Rd to go under RT 146, then right onto Balm of Life Spring Road, right onto RT 146A, left onto Providence St, and finally left onto Adams St where it's possible to pickup the trail again continuing East.
There are plenty of places to sit and there are dog poop bags and a waste container at one of the seating areas. Highly recommend for walking little and older dogs.
The Air Line State Park Trail is one of my favorite bike trails in Connecticut. Rode our bikes there last week and was very disappointed with the recently resurfaced section from the Cranberry Bog in East Hampton. The gravel that was used in the resurfacing is to soft and to deep. Has only been open for a week (10/28/2020) and it is already marred by craters from horses and foot traffic. The ride is bumpy like a wash board. At one point I swerved to miss a pile of horse droppings and got to close to the edge which then collapsed under my bike causing me to fall. What was once a favorite section of the trail for us, is now a major disappointment.
We parked by the pet store mentioned in a previous review and biked to just passed the covered bridge, maybe 6 miles out? Beginning of trail is rough but that ends quickly . Nice ride in the woods. Not much to see. It was a slight incline on the way out which made the return better. I wish there some benches along the way to take a break.
Started my run from the Home goods location and it was pretty easy to get on the bath. Park in the main lot, Take the road that leads around back to the left of the store and there is a foot path that connects you. When starting from this location the path is longer than what is said on the official length. I’d say it more like 3.5-4 miles. Other that that its a beautiful trail the brings you all the way to the water front.
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