Find the top rated trails in Hartford, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The first phase of the New Milford River Trail runs southeast from Gaylordsville via the scenic but lightly traveled River Road, through Sega Meadows to Boardman Bridge, a distance of about 5 miles....
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...
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...
Harlem Valley Rail Trail provides a scenic ride through rolling farm fields and dense woods on the bed of the New York and Harlem Railroad that ran from New York City to Chatham. The rail-trail is...
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 Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway, which will one day run 21 miles along the river, currently has two open segments. The longest stretches 3.7 miles from the Chicopee town line to the South End...
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 Manhan Rail Trail wends its way between Easthampton and Northampton, with a spur trail leading out The Oxbow near Mt. Tom. Easthampton is a typical New England factory town brimming with commerce...
The delightful asphalt Middlebury Greenway winds 4.4 miles through the residential community of Middlebury, connecting businesses, parks and neighborhoods. The popular trail offers residents an...
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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...
Running north from the Yale University campus in New Haven through the heart of Connecticut, the multi-use Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, when completed will stretch uninterrupted more than 80 miles...
The Sue Grossman Still River Greenway runs for nearly 3 miles through a wooded corridor between Lanson Drive and Harris Drive in Torrington. The paved trail occupies the old right-of-way for the New...
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Note: Per the State of Connecticut's website, the trail is open from dawn to dusk March 1–November 30." The 4.5-mile Windsor Locks Canal Trail follows the Connecticut River and the Windsor Locks...
Air Line State Park Trail winds for just over 55 miles from the northeast corner of Connecticut, where the state borders Massachusetts, down to East Hampton in the heart of the state. Over the state...
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In central Massachusetts, the Norwottuck Rail-Trail (formerly the Northampton Bikeway) runs between New South Street in Northampton and the neighborhood north of Look Memorial Park in Florence....
The Railroad Ramble occupies a corridor abandoned by the Central New England Railroad, which provided service from 1871 through 1967. In Lakeville, the trail can be found just off of Route 41 behind...
Open in several disconnected segments, the Billings Trail is a dirt path that traverses a lovely scenic and wooded landscape outside Norfolk in northern Connecticut. Built on the abandoned railbed of...
Columbia Greenway Rail Trail offers 2 miles of paved, tree-lined pathway through Westfield in southwestern Massachusetts, from Main st, across the Great River Bridge over the Little River to the...
The Derby Greenway runs between Division Street and Main Street, paralleling the Naugatuck and Housatonic rivers. The trail runs on top of a flood control dyke for the rivers; a portion of it goes...
The Southwick Rail Trail is now complete from the Massachusetts–Connecticut state line, where it continues south as the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. On the north end, the trail extends to the...
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...
The delightful asphalt Middlebury Greenway winds 4.4 miles through the residential community of Middlebury, connecting businesses, parks and neighborhoods. The popular trail offers residents an...
Running north from the Yale University campus in New Haven through the heart of Connecticut, the multi-use Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, when completed will stretch uninterrupted more than 80 miles...
The Farmington River Trail is built upon the former Central New England Railroad corridor and runs between the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail near Tunxis Meade Park and the Simsbury town line. A...
The Naugatuck River Greenway will one day span 44 miles from Torrington to Derby in western Connecticut, but is currently open in a few short disconnected segments totaling just over 5 miles. The...
This 5.8-mile trail is part of the planned East Coast Greenway, an off-road path that will eventually run from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida. The Moosup Valley State Park Trail will connect with...
The Southern New England Trunk Line Trail (aka the "SNETT") was designated as a National Recreation Trail in 1994. It is built upon a segment of the former right-of-way of the New Haven Railroad's...
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 Branford Trolley Trail is essentially a long footbridge occupying an old bridge along the route of an abandoned trolley track. The bridge links nature trails on both sides of the water through a...
The Hop River State Park Trail is one of Connecticut's longest rail-trails. Narrow cuts and a lush tree canopy make for enjoyable visits year-round. Near its western end is the Charter Oak...
The Sue Grossman Still River Greenway runs for nearly 3 miles through a wooded corridor between Lanson Drive and Harris Drive in Torrington. The paved trail occupies the old right-of-way for the New...
Canopied with deciduous trees for most of its 10.4 miles, the Larkin State Park Trail (a.k.a. Larkin Bridle Path) is primarily a wilderness trail, with wooded vistas, wetland views and sparse...
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Stretching east from Northampton, the 10-mile Norwottuck Branch of the Mass Central Rail Trail connects the towns of Northampton, Hadley, and Amherst. Part of the Connecticut River Greenway State...
Columbia Greenway Rail Trail offers 2 miles of paved, tree-lined pathway through Westfield in southwestern Massachusetts, from Main st, across the Great River Bridge over the Little River to the...
The Kress Family Trail follows an old rail bed of the former Shepaug Railroad, which winds along the Shepaug River. The flat, 2.5-mile trail is popular with cross-country skiers and snowshoers in...
The Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway, which will one day run 21 miles along the river, currently has two open segments. The longest stretches 3.7 miles from the Chicopee town line to the South End...
Open in several disconnected segments, the Billings Trail is a dirt path that traverses a lovely scenic and wooded landscape outside Norfolk in northern Connecticut. Built on the abandoned railbed of...
Harlem Valley Rail Trail provides a scenic ride through rolling farm fields and dense woods on the bed of the New York and Harlem Railroad that ran from New York City to Chatham. The rail-trail is...
As of January 2012 the Quinebaug River Trail has two segments. The southern segment follows the course of the Quinebaug River in Danielson, beginning at the intersection of Palmer Street and Prospect...
The South Spencer Rail Trail runs for less than 2 miles from downtown Spencer to an area south of town near Spencer State Forest. The path, which is also known as the Depot Trail, occupies a former...
The Railroad Ramble occupies a corridor abandoned by the Central New England Railroad, which provided service from 1871 through 1967. In Lakeville, the trail can be found just off of Route 41 behind...
Grand Trunk Trail is part of a larger trail network, the Titanic Rail Trail, which will stretch more than 60 miles through south-central Massachusetts and the northeastern corner of Connecticut along...
The Derby Greenway runs between Division Street and Main Street, paralleling the Naugatuck and Housatonic rivers. The trail runs on top of a flood control dyke for the rivers; a portion of it goes...
Open in several disconnected segments, the Billings Trail is a dirt path that traverses a lovely scenic and wooded landscape outside Norfolk in northern Connecticut. Built on the abandoned railbed of...
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Thanks to skilled engineers with the former Hartford, Providence, & Fishkill Railroad, the pretty Vernon Rails-to-Trails overlooks ravines and streams and passes between rock walls verdant with ferns...
The Southwick Rail Trail is now complete from the Massachusetts–Connecticut state line, where it continues south as the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. On the north end, the trail extends to the...
Note: Per the State of Connecticut's website, the trail is open from dawn to dusk March 1–November 30." The 4.5-mile Windsor Locks Canal Trail follows the Connecticut River and the Windsor Locks...
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...
As of January 2012 the Quinebaug River Trail has two segments. The southern segment follows the course of the Quinebaug River in Danielson, beginning at the intersection of Palmer Street and Prospect...
The Kress Family Trail follows an old rail bed of the former Shepaug Railroad, which winds along the Shepaug River. The flat, 2.5-mile trail is popular with cross-country skiers and snowshoers in...
In central Massachusetts, the Norwottuck Rail-Trail (formerly the Northampton Bikeway) runs between New South Street in Northampton and the neighborhood north of Look Memorial Park in Florence....
This 5.8-mile trail is part of the planned East Coast Greenway, an off-road path that will eventually run from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida. The Moosup Valley State Park Trail will connect with...
The Manhan Rail Trail wends its way between Easthampton and Northampton, with a spur trail leading out The Oxbow near Mt. Tom. Easthampton is a typical New England factory town brimming with commerce...
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...
Fahnestock State Park is a relatively undiscovered gems in the New York State Park System. Located a few miles east of Cold Spring Village on Rt. 301 (Main Street), the park jurisdiction was recently...
The Southern New England Trunk Line Trail (aka the "SNETT") was designated as a National Recreation Trail in 1994. It is built upon a segment of the former right-of-way of the New Haven Railroad's...
The Charter Oak Greenway is a paved, multi-use trail connecting parks with residential and commercial areas. The trail runs for 11 miles between Bolton and downtown Hartford, though there is currently...
The Farmington River Trail is built upon the former Central New England Railroad corridor and runs between the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail near Tunxis Meade Park and the Simsbury town line. A...
Columbia Greenway Rail Trail offers 2 miles of paved, tree-lined pathway through Westfield in southwestern Massachusetts, from Main st, across the Great River Bridge over the Little River to the...
Air Line State Park Trail winds for just over 55 miles from the northeast corner of Connecticut, where the state borders Massachusetts, down to East Hampton in the heart of the state. Over the state...
We had two cars, and wanted to ride one way so we left one car behind the First Congregational Church 359 US 6, Andover, CT. The second car we parked at the trailhead 175 Colonial Rd, Manchester, CT where there is a dedicated parking lot. By car it was 15 minutes driving time one way between locations. From our start point we crossed RT 6 in front of the church to pick up the trail and then rode to the right heading west. The first 5 miles were a definite uphill grade, around mile 6 it became a downhill grade all the way to Manchester. Total distance between the two locations approximately 12 miles. Considering the trail is mostly hard packed dirt it was very well maintained, wider in some areas than others with a few road crossings. The scenery was mostly rocks that had been blasted through back when the railroad was built with a lot of ferns and greenery, but never saw the Hop River. There were mostly bikers on the trail, and everyone was very friendly. Other than the uphill grade for 5 miles it was a very pleasant ride. If you're looking for a nearby place to stay I highly recommended the Daniel Rust House in Coventry which was only 12 minutes from the church by car.
Started in Hamdon and road to Southington. Round trip was 28.04 miles. Rented bicycles from Cheshire bike shop which was all of 50 feet from trail. Trail was nicely paved the entire way except for a very short detour.
Beyond incredible at times, but largely tragically poorly maintained. The initial segment in Franklin was a challenge, narrowing with increased vegetation and mud. There was a very difficult crossing at Prospect St in Franklin, with a very challenging descent into the southern continuation of the trail.
The trail was amazing for a few miles, quite stunning all around though for this section the path was clear and maintained. South of Centre St. was near impossible, riding at times in water four inches high (days after the most recent rain). Had to abandon at Edgewater Dr. in Bellingham. Shame, if the DCR were to maintain this it could be an incredible opportunity for these communities as the Franklin trailhead is an easy bike ride from the commuter rail and could be a great excursion for car free city dwellers.
Once you get in the main trail, it's a nice, easy ride. But I picked up some kind of metal shard in my tire, and I suspect it was on the access trail that starts on Boardman.
Beautiful ride along the river BUT you better have a very soft seat to absorb the rough surface!!
This is a nice place to stretch one's legs for about five miles. The southern end (just over Boardman Bridge from Route 7), with limited parking, runs through a town park for about 1.5 miles; the northern portion, ending at Gaylordsville, is just walking along the Housatonic on River Road, one of the few remaining dirt roads in the area. There is more parking at the park's main entrance off of River Road, about 1.5 miles north of Boardman Bridge.
If you like a flat trail in quiet woods and don't mind a few cars coming along, this is a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. "There and back again" is about ten miles.
Full of goose crap. Loud and noisy. Thought it would be serene and picturesque by the river, but it was really industrial and boring, with no shade. The parking lot in Derby sucks. The bridge in Derby was full of firework debris, paper and junk. Very disappointed.
The Town of East Hampton and the State DEEP have added 1.3 miles of riding to the existing Airline Trail - South. It is hard to see the extension from the current ending on Route 196, but if you cross 196 and divert right and into the fire department parking lot you will find the new section. The new section goes to Alden's Crossing, a 1/2 mile from the intersection of Routes 16 and 66. The parking at the new ending is only marginal, 1-2 cars.
I rode the newest 1.5 mile section from Anthony Street in Hillsdale to the Black Grocery Road trail head across the town line in Copake. It's a pleasant wooded section and a deer even crossed my path notwithstanding how close the trail runs to a residential section of Hillsdale. I then connected to the Orphan Farms Road to Undermountain Road section via a 3.3 mile detour, mostly on lightly traveled local roads with some gentle hills, to the Orphan Farms trailhead. Apparently this detour will be needed for some time since the plans for crossing both the Roe Jan Creek (near the Black Grocery trailhead) and NY Route 22, on the immediate opposite shore of the creek, have not yet been determined.
My hubby and I have walked and have now began bike riding it. Walking it is great exercise. I have to say though the bike was a bit harder when riding against the wind ... lol... Everyone we came across was very polite. Walkers, bike riders, roller blades etc. I certainly give it a thumbs up...👍🏼
This section was just graded, raised, and surfaced with a relatively fine gravel that seems to have been rolled to lie flat. No more puddles! The next section west to Center Street in Bellingham is amazingly flat and straight and covered in fine sand.
Vegetation has been removed from the side of these two sections, giving them a very different feel from the unimproved sections on each side.
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