Explore the best rated trails in Stonington, CT. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Stillwater Scenic Walkway and Niantic Bay Boardwalk. With more than 38 trails covering 252 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.
_209436_st.jpg)
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 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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
_0_sc.jpg)
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...
Ten Mile River Greenway, named for the waterway it parallels and not its length, runs 3 miles through a serene and green corridor connecting the City of East Providence and Pawtucket. The southern end...
The URI (University of Rhode Island) Bike Path provides a safe conduit for students, faculty and staff to commute to and from school via the William C. O'Neill Bike Path. The asphalt, two-lane path...
_209436_sc.jpg)
With spectacular maritime views and an abundance of coastal wildlife, the East Bay Bike Path offers a spectacular New England experience. Inducted into the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame in 2009, the route...
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 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...
Beginning from Calf Pasture Point Beach, the Quonset Point Bike Path offers a short-but-sweet path across North Kingstown on Rhode Island's eastern coastline. The 2.5-mile paved pathway is ideal for...
The Alfred J. Lima Quequechan River Rail Trail, which was formally known simply as Quequechan River Rail Trail travels along the northern shore of scenic South Watuppa Pond. The project created a...
The Putnam River Trail extends between Arch Street in the Putnam District and Providence Street to the south. The trail follows the east bank of the Quinebaug River between the river and Kennedy...
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...
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 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 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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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....
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...
With spectacular maritime views and an abundance of coastal wildlife, the East Bay Bike Path offers a spectacular New England experience. Inducted into the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame in 2009, the route...
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 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...
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...
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 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 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,...
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...
The Alfred J. Lima Quequechan River Rail Trail, which was formally known simply as Quequechan River Rail Trail travels along the northern shore of scenic South Watuppa Pond. The project created a...
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 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...
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 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 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 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...
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...
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 Alfred J. Lima Quequechan River Rail Trail, which was formally known simply as Quequechan River Rail Trail travels along the northern shore of scenic South Watuppa Pond. The project created a...
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...
Beginning from Calf Pasture Point Beach, the Quonset Point Bike Path offers a short-but-sweet path across North Kingstown on Rhode Island's eastern coastline. The 2.5-mile paved pathway is ideal for...
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...
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,...
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...
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 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 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...
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 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...
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....
_139112_sc.jpg)
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...
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...
This is my favorite bike path for scenic water views! It’s a long trail, paved, and flat. I suggest parking in between Barrington and East Providence, not at India Park. The ride from India park south for the first few miles is challenging. Bring cash to buy an iced Lemon drink at Dels.
Began at Railroad Ave/Mill Rd, Dudley lot, headed north, dirt track, but mainly smooth. At W. Dudley Rd, no signage, so go left on the road 100 feet to a great weir waterfall with bridge on a curve, at end of bridge is the larger parking lot and boat launch, on Quinebaug river, which is behind an old, but still used warehouse/factory, and it's absolutely lovely there. However, the trail there becomes a narrow track, so my hybrid bike wasn't really up to it, but bringing the dog back once for a walk was fantastic. A rural back roads route to reach the Mill Rd parking is possible, too, through Oxford and Nichols College on Healy Rd, which is lovely also.
Hands down one of the better rail trails. Smooth packed white limestone trail. Trail was in great shape. I’d say 95% of the trail is shaded-great on a hot summer day. I only found one place to get water and snacks. It was near Andover as the trail crossed a road you could see the highway very close by and a gas station and Dunkin’ Donuts right there only 200 yards off the trail. Overall a great, smooth and very pretty ride!
we’ve only done less than 16 miles total at north end, but really enjoyed it, yes, it’s dirt/crushed gravel, but mostly smoother than some asphalt sections elsewhere. We currently have hybrid road bikes. Pomfret pavilion park is cute and Towns of Pomfret & Woodstock are extra beautiful. Trail is woodsy and shaded, saw turtles and hawks. Ate at Vanilla Bean Cafe in Pomfret which was very busy, lots of outdoor parking and sports or hot rod cars and motorcycles to ogle at, great cake. Nice parking lot at south end of Thompson section. Bring lots of bug spray in July, though.
Rode the length and back at height of peak season at peak time of day, a Saturday evening, while trail was crowded, everyone was cooperating with rules of the road and apparently having a nice experience. This is my husband’s favorite trail, as he says, great trail, paved, scenery and an ice cream at the end, what more could you want? Well, I could return during the day sometime to do some shopping!, but other than that…!
A few bumpy spots on northern half, great otherwise. Lovely ride north to South and back. I would recommend parking at the Lowe's vs the Dunkin Donuts
7/9/22 - 85F, partly cloudy, windy
I wanted to go check out the Airline, Northern section - I’d heard things were happening over the past few years, but I hadn’t been out there in a few years.
Well, yes! A few things have changed greatly for the better. I parked at the Pomfret Train Station and instantly noticed that there is a beautiful new bridge over Rte 169. Nice Job CT Dept of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP)! Very pretty (I didn’t take a photo, but there is a photo on Google Maps). I had high hopes for the trail surface northeast bound, but as a couple of reviewers have mentioned, it is still pretty rough. I was riding a gravel bike with 42mm tires, softly inflated, and didn’t have much trouble, but this section would be much more joyous on a fat bike or suspended MTB with 2.5“ - 4” tires. There are long stretches of nice dirt double track, but it periodically degrades into 1.5” “crusher run” gravel for some stretches where CT DEEP has put down some fill to stop erosion. Well done, this was definitely needed. The road crossings have been greatly upgraded. Eastbound riding toward Putnam, there is now a beautiful new overpass at Day Road (I think that’s the name), Wright’s Crossing is a grade crossing with a marked crosswalk, and then there are beautiful new culverts at Holmes, Modock and River Rd., and another marked grade crossing at Town Farm Rd. After Town Farm Road the trail continues, but then just short of the Quinebaug river…it just ends with a pretty big drop off to the access road for the Town of Putnam Waste Water Treatment Plant next to the Quinebaug River. I know from previous rides (and other reviewers have mentioned) that there is a nice bridge across the Quinebaug which can take riders into Putnam (ice cream, coffee shops, hot dogs) but there is giant “disconnect” in getting to this bridge from the trail.
The trail surface between the Pomfret Train Station and Putnam, however, is evolving. As I mentioned, in more than a few spots it is very rough. The grade has all been cleared and drainage provided so it stays relatively dry though. This is a huge improvement from the last few years when, by any assessment, long sections of the trail were completely impassable and those that weren’t were overgrown, rough, wet, bug infested muck holes. I’m sure that CT DEEP is working on improvements as budget and staffing permit, so I’m not going to whine, however, if you go, take a fat bike or mountain bike. Don’t need to mention - there are no services after leaving Pomfret, so bring everything you might need or want, including a charged phone, and insect repellent to ward off the mosquitos later in the afternoon.
CT DEEP and Ashford, Pomfret and Putnam Depts of Public Works have obviously been spending some cash on this trail, and I for one, am happy about it. Just need to improve the surface a little, and make that connection to the Quinebaug Bridge in Putnam. These improvements will continue the evolution of the Airline Trail to be one of CT’s and the nation’s best
Love everything about this bike path, but even here while riding my bike which is a pedal assist bike I was shocked as I was verbally attacked by a cyclist who passed me calling me very vicious names when she realized I was on a pedal assist bike. I ride my bike on eco the lowest setting. I’m not going to make any excuses for riding a pedal assist bike because I’m older and just enjoy the ride better. I don’t understand why when I’m riding respectful of pedestrians and other riders that I was verbally attacked. I could not find info online regarding banning pedal assist bikes on this path.
This path starts off with beautiful Bayside views. It is clean and the town takes great care of it. There are lots of nice restaurants to enjoy at the end of your long haul!
Well loved, well maintained, smooth as glass, popular, etc., etc., etc. Hall of Fame qualities top to bottom!
As others have said, only the western end from Horgan Elementary/Riverpoint Park towards Coventry is accessible to out of owners. You can ride up the eastern ten ? Miles through Cranston, but there is NO PARKING, locals only. We went Cranston trailhead and 6 miles down at Vinton Rd, the former was a private business lot, the latter was formerly a parking lot now closed off with barriers and ropes. Parked at Horgans Elementary/city recreational park and enjoyed the awesome still in-use historic stone mills on the Pawtucket river, but would recommend parking at Pilgrim Rd, Coventry, very scenic, and the trail smooth as glass and well loved.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
_0_st.jpg)
_139112_st.jpg)
