Explore the best rated trails in Shelton, CT. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Windsor River Trail and Niantic Bay Boardwalk. With more than 63 trails covering 473 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.
The old New York Central rail line that ran from the Bronx to northern bedroom communities in Westchester and Putnam Counties carried commuters during the workweek, but on the weekends tourists...
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...
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...
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 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 former “Old Put” commuter rail corridor that ran from the Bronx to northern bedroom communities in Westchester and Putnam Counties is popular once again, only this time it’s for people riding...
The Jones Point Path occupies an abandoned motor vehicle route (old US Route 9W). The path provides bicyclists with a relatively safe bypass to a dangerous section of busy US Route 9W near Bear...
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 Kings Park Hike & Bike Trail runs for 1.5 miles between Old Dock Road at Church Street in Kings Park and Nissequogue River State Park. The trail is a town of Smithtown park and follows an...
Paralleling the Connecticut and Massachusetts borders, which lie only a few miles away, the Harlem Valley Rail Trail is a beautiful paved wooded pathway along the former New York & Harlem Railroad...
The Hanover Pond Trail is a mile-long rail-trail in Meriden, Connecticut offering scenic natural escape combined with historical exploration. The smooth asphalt trail is open to a diverse range of...
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 Mosholu-Pelham Greenway connects several parks and recreational opportunities in New York City's north and central Bronx neighborhoods. A portion of the trail is also part of the growing East...
The Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail stretches just over 3 miles along Long Island’s north shore. Construction was completed in two phases with the first trail section opening in 2009...
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 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 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 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...
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 EPCAL Alternative Transportation Path loops around the 2,900-acre Enterprise Park at Calverton (hence its name: EPCAL) on New York’s Long Island and links to the Town of Riverhead’s 65-acre...
The Kings Park Hike & Bike Trail runs for 1.5 miles between Old Dock Road at Church Street in Kings Park and Nissequogue River State Park. The trail is a town of Smithtown park and follows an...
You might expect a 4-mile rail-trail that passes through three downtowns to be excessively urban, but the quaint town centers on the Joseph B. Clarke Rail Trail are compact and surrounded by...
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 Jones Point Path occupies an abandoned motor vehicle route (old US Route 9W). The path provides bicyclists with a relatively safe bypass to a dangerous section of busy US Route 9W near Bear...
The Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway is a 12-mile linear park that runs from the town of Ossining north to Westchester County's Blue Mountain Reservation in Peekskill. The trail is built on land...
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 Bronx River travels from the mouth of the East River north to the Kensico Dam, providing views of the natural history of the area. Because the trail is under development, there are several gaps...
The former “Old Put” commuter rail corridor that ran from the Bronx to northern bedroom communities in Westchester and Putnam Counties is popular once again, only this time it’s for people riding...
The Hanover Pond Trail is a mile-long rail-trail in Meriden, Connecticut offering scenic natural escape combined with historical exploration. The smooth asphalt trail is open to a diverse range of...
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...
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 EPCAL Alternative Transportation Path loops around the 2,900-acre Enterprise Park at Calverton (hence its name: EPCAL) on New York’s Long Island and links to the Town of Riverhead’s 65-acre...
Splayed over 1,146 acres in northwest Bronx, Van Cortlandt Park has a lot going on. The park is New York City's fourth largest and is home to the oldest municipal golf course in America. There are...
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 old New York Central rail line that ran from the Bronx to northern bedroom communities in Westchester and Putnam Counties carried commuters during the workweek, but on the weekends tourists...
The South County Trailway rolls 14.4 miles through one of the most densely populated parts of New York, but its route through pocket woodlots, parks, and golf courses and along riverbanks makes it...
The Jack Harrington White Plains Greenway was recently renamed to honor a long-time member of the city's conservation board. The trail's corridor follows the former New York, Westchester & Boston...
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...
At first glance, there’s no evidence that an aqueduct ever existed along the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. The trail is often a singletrack dirt pathway that winds through communities and trees and...
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 Bronx River travels from the mouth of the East River north to the Kensico Dam, providing views of the natural history of the area. Because the trail is under development, there are several gaps...
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...
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 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...
Owned by the Metro-North Railroad, the Maybrook Trailway starts at the Connecticut state line in Farringtons Park, and spans 5 miles into the town of Brewster. The trail follows what was once part of...
The South County Trailway rolls 14.4 miles through one of the most densely populated parts of New York, but its route through pocket woodlots, parks, and golf courses and along riverbanks makes it...
The Jack Harrington White Plains Greenway was recently renamed to honor a long-time member of the city's conservation board. The trail's corridor follows the former New York, Westchester & Boston...
The Hanover Pond Trail is a mile-long rail-trail in Meriden, Connecticut offering scenic natural escape combined with historical exploration. The smooth asphalt trail is open to a diverse range of...
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 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 Old Erie Path reveals spectacular views of the Hudson River Valley as the rail-trail rolls along cliffs that border the river’s western shore. Although fairly short, it joins two other...
The nicely paved Bethpage Bikeway runs alongside suburban roads for long segments of the route, but it’s much more than a suburban trail. Each on-road suburban stretch is broken up by one of three...
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 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...
The Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway is a 12-mile linear park that runs from the town of Ossining north to Westchester County's Blue Mountain Reservation in Peekskill. The trail is built on land...
The Bissell name looms large in this part of New England, and has been immortalized in multiple ways, including the Bissell Ferry, the Bissell Memorial Bridge and now, the Captain John Bissell trail,...
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 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 Air Line State Park Trail winds nearly 55 miles from the northeast corner of Connecticut, where the state borders Massachusetts, down to East Hampton in the heart of the state. The pathway is...
At first glance, there’s no evidence that an aqueduct ever existed along the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. The trail is often a singletrack dirt pathway that winds through communities and trees and...
Starting at Baldwin Place and headed south. Beautiful well maintained trail, all new surface. First few miles were downhill, so the finish of the return trip was a little tough. Nice places in Yorktown to stop for refreshments. Can’t recommend enough.
This is a great trail for any bike type but optimized for anything bulkier than "skinny" road tires. Great views and for parts of it you are literally right on the river.
About a third of the distance north from Nyack Beach State Park there is a trail intersection with a mostly paved road, including a tough little climb, that will take you to Rockland Lake State Park with its paved joint use trail that circumnavigates the lake.
North of the intersection the trail becomes more challenging with a few fairly steep uphills.
NOTE: The road down to the parking lot at Nyack Beach State Park has been closed to vehicles since last year due to a landslide. There is no information available on when it will be repaired. There is street parking a few blocks south of the Park entrance and at Rockland Lake State Park.
Trail is actually 2 miles now and its a great trail quick trail for beginners trying to get their exercise in. For me its easy trail to get a quick bike ride and keep in shape its my go to on a day i dont gave much time.
Rode from Southington to New Haven and back. Beautiful trail. A must for anyone biking in CT.
Started at the western trailhead on Kettletown Road. Nothing but a single track -- including a climb down to Jeremy Swamp Road to cross and then a climb up the other side. Clearly, decades ago there was a rail bridge here, but it's gone. For a while, the trail is fine, but then another problem on this leg is that the trail becomes virtual impassible for bicycles -- you are trying to ride up a creek bed full of grapefruit sized rocks.
East of Strongtown/CT 188, there is a mix of beautiful gravel surface through the woods with some low spots/mud (we've had some rain). The route is wooded and quiet -- really nice ride. You will likely encounter horses (I passed a single rider and a pair on this ride). Etiquette is to be very careful and slow -- give them a shout as to which side they'd prefer you pass on. Also a lot of wetland. If you're moving fast on a bike, it's OK, but walking you're going to be dealing with A LOT of mosquitoes.
Summary -- with some investment this could be one of the prettiest rides in CT, but there are some real rough/muddy spots.
I can see where this could be a beautiful autumn ride. Will give it a few more tries this season.
The foot bridge and immediate surrounding view very pretty is the highlight. The walk is flat and hard to find. You go under a road with concrete supports sprayed with a lot of graffiti and then leave a crushed gravel path for a concrete walkway over a marsh. The marsh is a habitat for egrets. The path was more for bicyclists, who were impatient about walkers on trail. dismounting for walkers. We skipped the concrete path due to heat and people on bikes
A beautiful trail, level riding and scenic. Great rewards at the end, places to stop , eat and shop. Can park and lock your bike at trails end. Look forward to it’s completion.
My husband and I ride our bikes here and love it! Mix of shade and sun as well as beautiful changing scenery.
I've ridden this trail three times now on a loaded touring bike (rear panniers). Some of the rolling hills at the Nyack end definitely require some mettle and/or caution, but I never felt at risk of losing control. I think the "moderate" experience level is justified.
For reference, my bike was outfitted with 35mm tires. The first time was with moderately knobby tires (Schwalbe Mondials) which I decided were overkill for a mostly paved tour; the second time was with slicks and I felt no less confident. The weight of a touring load probably helps with traction regardless of the tire. Experience with changing your gears quickly and often is very helpful here. I was with friends who were on single speeds and they had to walk quite a bit of it :)
Very little elevation change. New section south from Wassaic station is very nicely done, but disappointingly short. Beautiful ride north from the station to Millerton.
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