Find the top rated trails in Plymouth, 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.
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...
When completed, the Norwalk River Valley Trail will run from Danbury to Long Island Sound in southwestern Connecticut, for a total of about 27 miles. Currently, several disconnected sections totaling...
The Klara Sauer Trail (formerly known as the Beacon Riverside Trail) runs for 1 mile along the Hudson River on the west side of New York's village of Beacon. The trail occupies the same corridor as...
Running alongside both the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers, the Derby Greenway demonstrates a seamless integration of Connecticut’s natural river systems and parks with man-made interventions of the...
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 final passenger cars of the Putnam Division of the New York Central Railroad ran in 1958, but the rail line that so influenced development of this area still sparks nostalgia. The "Old Put"...
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 North County Trailway is the longest of the four connected rail-trails breathing new life into the former New York Central Railroad's Putnam Division line. The "Old Put" provided passenger and...
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 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...
The paved Charter Oak Greenway rolls more than 13 miles through the tree-covered hills and eastern suburbs of Hartford before crossing the Connecticut River and ending in the capital’s downtown. At...
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 Manhan Rail Trail, well integrated into the local communities it serves, offers a pleasant ride or stroll. It conveniently weaves together parks, community points of interest, neighborhoods, and...
Located in the mid-Hudson Valley is a remarkable trail that is picturesque and family friendly. This flat, paved Hudson Valley Rail Trail stretches 3.6 miles through hardwood forests, over Black Creek...
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,...
Built in 1888 to link New York and New England to the coal beds of Pennsylvania and the West, the steel cantilever truss Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge was the longest bridge in the world for a...
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 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...
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 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 3.1-mile Kress Family Trail in Roxbury occupies the former route of the Shepaug Valley Railroad (the Shepaug, Litchfield and Northern Railroad). The railroad was famously known as the “crookedest...
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...
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...
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,...
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The Rockville Spur, a section of Vernon Rails-to-Trails, is a stone-dust rail-trail stretching 4.2 miles into the heart of historical Rockville. The trail begins on Warren Avenue in Vernon, but you’ll...
It’s hard to pick a favorite season to experience the Hop River State Park Trail, set amid the dense forests of Eastern Connecticut. Sections of the 20-mile rail-trail dive through steep rock cuts...
The William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail is a local treasure in the Hudson Valley region of New York, and for good reason: the 13-mile trail runs through what seems like a perpetually green...
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...
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...
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...
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 paved Charter Oak Greenway rolls more than 13 miles through the tree-covered hills and eastern suburbs of Hartford before crossing the Connecticut River and ending in the capital’s downtown. At...
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...
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 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 Ridgefield Rail-Trail meanders for nearly 2.5 miles through the forested exburbs of Ridgefield, Connecticut. The trail passes among suburban acreages, along a creek at one point, and past a couple...
Running alongside both the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers, the Derby Greenway demonstrates a seamless integration of Connecticut’s natural river systems and parks with man-made interventions of the...
The Kennedy Trail begins at the northwest corner of the 68-acre campus of John F. Kennedy Catholic High School in Somers. The town, which sits 30 miles from White Plains and 55 miles from New York...
Built in 1888 to link New York and New England to the coal beds of Pennsylvania and the West, the steel cantilever truss Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge was the longest bridge in the world for a...
The Klara Sauer Trail (formerly known as the Beacon Riverside Trail) runs for 1 mile along the Hudson River on the west side of New York's village of Beacon. The trail occupies the same corridor as...
The William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail is a local treasure in the Hudson Valley region of New York, and for good reason: the 13-mile trail runs through what seems like a perpetually green...
The final passenger cars of the Putnam Division of the New York Central Railroad ran in 1958, but the rail line that so influenced development of this area still sparks nostalgia. The "Old Put"...
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...
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...
It’s hard to pick a favorite season to experience the Hop River State Park Trail, set amid the dense forests of Eastern Connecticut. Sections of the 20-mile rail-trail dive through steep rock cuts...
The Kennedy Trail begins at the northwest corner of the 68-acre campus of John F. Kennedy Catholic High School in Somers. The town, which sits 30 miles from White Plains and 55 miles from New York...
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 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...
Built in 1888 to link New York and New England to the coal beds of Pennsylvania and the West, the steel cantilever truss Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge was the longest bridge in the world for a...
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 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...
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 Massachusetts Central Railroad was destroyed by a hurricane in 1938, but the 104-mile corridor is being reborn as a cross-state rail-trail. Currently, nearly 40 miles from Boston to Northampton...
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...
The Columbia Greenway Rail Trail offers just over 2 miles of paved, tree-lined pathway through Westfield in southwestern Massachusetts. The trail runs from Main Street, across the Great River Bridge...
When completed, the Norwalk River Valley Trail will run from Danbury to Long Island Sound in southwestern Connecticut, for a total of about 27 miles. Currently, several disconnected sections totaling...
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...
Running alongside both the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers, the Derby Greenway demonstrates a seamless integration of Connecticut’s natural river systems and parks with man-made interventions of 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...
Parked at western end of trail in a very new parking lot on Rt 299 across from the Lowe's. Trail is beautifully paved all the way to the Walkway Over the Hudson, some of the pavement appeared to put down only days before we rode on it. State of NY is doing a fantastic job making this and the Walkway a great destination ride, installing modern bathrooms/visitor center on each side of the Walkway (open already on the west side of the river and under construction on the eastern side). On eastern side, seamlessly connects to another 13 mile rail trail. You will have to ride very slow over the Walkway, as there are a lot of walkers, but you're going to want to stop and take pictures anyway!
We parked at Tony Williams Park rode past the Walkway over the Hudson down to mile marked 8 on the Duchess Trail where we stopped on a bench for lunch. The path is wide and mostly smooth and only one construction area (putting in a modern restroom on southside of the Walkway). We would rate this the best trail we have ever been on as far as access, parking, restrooms (including port-a-potties in some areas) and very few rode/driveways to cross. We rode on a Thursday morning early October and the path was not crowded. Our 20 mile round trip was Fantastic!
In April 2018 the Windham Town Council approved $1,300,000 for rehabilitation on the Willimantic River bridge behind Mackeys. This would include 800 feet of trail. It was put out for bids due on July 26th. I haven't seen any work yet. There is still the bridge over the Hop River which looks to be in terrible shape and may never be repaired.
Quick update that a stretch of trail less than one mile between Cornwall Av. and West Main St. in Cheshire is now officially opened, avoiding a detour onto Willow St. There is now a continuous, paved, off-road stretch of trail some 25 miles from Temple St. in downtown New Haven to Lazy Lane in Southington.
I just road the Airline Trail across the Willimantic River and then toward the newer ending at Mackie's Ag. Store near the Columbia town line. It was in fine shape. However, what I was looking for is evidence that the work on the Willimantic River bridge was started. I found nothing underway. I road to the easterly end of the Hop River Trail hoping that it was starting at that end. No such luck. Does anyone out there have any information on when this section will be started?
This is a really nice trail, most of it is under a canopy of trees, nice scenic spots on the river if you want to stop for lunch. I took my hybrid the full 40 miles out and back. Except for maybe a half mile of stones and gravel in Bolton Notch where a mountain bike would be better, the rest was nice hard pack dirt and pulverized stone. I saw thin tire street bikes on this trail as well. There are very long stretches on this trail where you don't cross any roads, and except for maybe one exception, most of the crossings have little traffic and are side roads. I also like the width of the trail. Two thirds of the trail is very wide. After Andover it gets a bit more narrow but there were also fewer people on the trail towards Willimantic. The only down side is that the trail terminus in Willimantic is pretty anticlimactic. You come to a road that that's it. No parking lot or grassy area, just a road and you know its over unless you want to continue on-road biking to Willimantic.
As of September 8th 2018 there is only one thing holding back the expansion of the Charter Oak Trail from Porter Street to the Hop River Trail in Bolton, the bridge over Camp Meeting Road. It should be the completion of just a few details that will allow this section to be open to the public: accepting the last bridges and some land scaping work. Once the bureaucracy is done, riders will be able to connect from East Hartford to Bolton and beyond. That's about 15 miles of the Charter Oak Trail and 20 miles of the Hop River Trail that will be connected, finally. Of note, there are two more bridges in Windham and Columbia at the eastern end of the Hop River Trail that are going to bid this fall. Once done, it will open a trail from the Hartford area to Pomfret CT. Be patient. What's another year or so to get all these trails linked.
I am lucky emough to live 1/2 mi from the Farmington Valley Trail and use it quite frequently along with a few of my friends.
I used to ride my horse along this route before it was scheduled for paving for a rail trail. Back then very FEW people used it. Mostly young motorcross kids and horseback riders.
Since it has been paved - horses are now NOT ALLOWED!! (Too bad for us); but as I have moved away from horse riding to personal trail use I am SO HAPPY that I have this wonderful gift in my back yard. There are many many miles and it spans on into southern massachusetts as well.
The trail itself is wonderful; paved, stripe’d and mowed in my area. I have ridden into Mass and south to Simsbury. Before my section was paved I had to load my bike and drive to Simsbury and unload, reload etc. Now, I just hope onto bike (or walk) and go for as long or far as I choose. The scenery is mostly rural, treed and very few homes are seen unless you are crossing streets. I know there are black bears near our home (area) but have not SEEN one ON the trail (daytime use).
It is SUCH a marvelous thing - and I see dozens and dozens of folks biking, walking, & rollerblading. Its a joy to be out in nature!!
Labor Day weekend, 2018
I had a hard time finding the entrance at Swamp Road, it is only marked “No authorized vehicles” and, more ominously, “Police are monitoring illegal activities.” My 7-yr-old son was alarmed and frightened by the signs and the broken down structures, rusty dumped machines and the lack of a path about 500 feet in. Instead it’s a broad overgrown cement yard - too broad to find the narrow throughway to continue south. We rode around a bit on the broken glass and shards, and left feeling unsafe.
I will probably return without him to try again, as I would really like to find a path off the street to get to Trumbull, but I can’t recommend this segment above Pepper.
Well-maintained, great bike ride. Lots of really cool stops along the way. Beautiful views on the trail north of Hartford.
We parked by Carmel Ave. It's a workout for the first few miles featuring hills like the Tatamy trail in Easton, PA where that crosses route 22. We were looking for a nice trail to just take it easy.
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