Explore the best rated trails in Storrs, CT. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Upper Charles Trail and Windsor River Trail . With more than 62 trails covering 464 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.
_206960_st.jpg)
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...
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...
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 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...
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 Rocky Hill Trail weaves through the tranquil greenery of the Burts Bog Greenway Conservation Area in Northampton, Hampshire County. The 121-acre peat bog is an ecologically sensitive site that'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 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 50 miles from Boston to Northampton...
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 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 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 developing Upper Charles Trail will one day total 24 miles, linking the communities of Milford, Ashland, Sherborn, Holliston, Framingham, and Hopkinton along a former railroad bed. As of 2018,...
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 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 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...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
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 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 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...
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 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...
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Center Trail runs for less than a mile from Hopkinton's downtown to its high school and middle school, providing a safe route to school for thousands of students. The wooded trail, which once...
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...
_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 Rocky Hill Trail weaves through the tranquil greenery of the Burts Bog Greenway Conservation Area in Northampton, Hampshire County. The 121-acre peat bog is an ecologically sensitive site that's...
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 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...
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...
This unpaved state-owned trail is open for public use from Coldbrook to Baldwinville. An on-road detour is necessary through the village of Baldwinville, but the right-of-way is open for public use on...
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 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 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...
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...
_206960_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 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...
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...
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 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 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 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,...
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...
The Center Trail runs for less than a mile from Hopkinton's downtown to its high school and middle school, providing a safe route to school for thousands of students. The wooded trail, which once...
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 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 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...
My second rail trail of the day (what's up with walking on the left??) and this trail was in much better shape. Plenty of parking even on a holiday weekend but the signage could have been better. Decent views of the water at the start if you like wind turbines and you'll see some nice water views at the end too. The nice thing about this trail is the variety of views. This does get a bit crowded but people do seem to be aware of their surroundings. Do not expect people from behind to announce themselves as few did.
First time riding RI paths (what's up with walking on the left??) and parked in the middle to ride east. This is an older trail and has not been kept up with many tree roots popping up the pavement making for a very bumpy ride. Lots of litter too. My experience is that most drivers did not acknowledge cyclists at road crossings.
My wife & I have ridden this trail a number of times in the last month. It is scenic, well shaded, uncrowded, relatively smooth for any bike with easy road crossings. There's ample parking at Mackey's in Willimantic if you start at the eastern end. The first mile or so from Mackey's is a bit rough and there's a small road section but then the entire rest of the trail is excellent. One of my wife's favorites. Note: we have been riding this on our E Bikes.
I ride a lot of rails trails and this frankly did not blow me away. There are some great sections with great canopy and nature but there's miles that feels like a glorified sidewalk next to traffic. A couple very large cracks and sections with bad pavement in the New Haven area. You'd think that would be the most maintained section but I guess not.
Very nice, shaded and smooth with not many busy crossings
I was glad to find this trail; I biked the Oakham-Rutland section. Traveling from Oakham to Rutland, I am estimating the trail is 95% gradual uphill, 3% challenging uphill, 1% level, and 1% downhill. Would you prefer biking uphill or downhill on the return trip? The trail is primarily stone dust with a few small rocks and a very brief section of gravel. Perhaps a mountain bike would be preferable, but my hybrid bike was fine.
Cycled the SNETT 28May2022 from Thompson CT to Franklin MA. 22 miles.
Summary: CT state line to the end of Douglas State Forest good - 5 *, last 2.5 miles in Franklin good 5*. The rest - don't bother as of May 2022 1*
The trail in Thompson CT is in fact the CT Airline trail that directly rolls into MA as the SNETT.
This section through to the end of Douglas State park is a really nice ride west to east on hard packed gravel, slightly uphill with some picturesque settings. This end of the trail can be ridden on a gravel bike. If you intend to ride further make sure that you have a mountain bike.
As you head out of Douglas State Park, it starts getting messy. 1/2 inches of rain the previous day and we're into the mud. Now a gravel bike doesn't cut it, and that's before the sand, rocks and stones. You'll need that mountain bike, determination and patience. There are lots of better places to go mountain biking than here!
At mile 11 the soggy muddy track dumps you onto the hard shoulder of rte146 just outside Millville MA. Good luck! If you are going east to west, your chances of finding this tiny on ramp at the edge of rte 146 are close to zero as is nearby parking.
Millville to Blackstone MA is on road, no sign posts, no directions and Google maps really doesn't cut it. You pick up the SNETT in Blackstone near a CVS. Yes....riiiiiight. Nope not happening. Google maps are not accurate here. Spent 1/4 hour checking out the back streets of Blackstone. Good luck.... do not rely on Google maps too much for trail directions.
Picked up the trail again on Farm Street by the lake and landfill. A pathetic single track trail, between 2 lakes, boggy, rocks across the whole trail and you need the mountain bike to get through the mud. Avoid.
1 mile later go through an underpass of rte 126, trail is closed. No warning, no diversion, tough. Another reason to avoid. Scramble up the embankment to rte 126. Road trip past South Elementary School to Franklin - about 1.5 miles. Rejoin the SNETT (yes, signposted at last!) for the last 2.5 miles, a mixture of paved and hard packed dirt - rideable with most bikes - maybe not with a true road bike. This bit is definitely worth riding.
I began at the trail head - bit bumpy for the first mile and a side trail has been rerouted because of the wet mucky ground. Once you pass that it’s clear sailing until… the 3 mile point and the trail is closed. Logging equipment and logs block the trail. ¿
The first couple of miles are paved, which makes up for the lack of scenery. But once the pavement ends, for all intents and purposes, so does the path. Between the mud, the rocks and the fallen trees, I spent more time walking my bike than riding it! And that's not even taking the horseflies into account. Not to mention the frighteningly steep drop-offs. How dare they call this catastrophe a bike path!
For reasons I won't get into, I've long despised Connecticut's Route 14 corridor (Moosup, Danielson, Dayville, Plainfield, et al). This malevolent excuse for a trail gives me one more reason to do so.
My wife and I rode our recumbent trikes on the entirety of this trail on a Saturday evening. For the most part, we encountered only walkers. And based on the surface condition of the trail, I understand why. The pavement has deteriorated and is full of root-bumps and small dips. It was a very rough ride.
I would recommend this trail for walkers, joggers, or cyclists if you've got a bike/trike with a suspension. The bulk of the trail is on the old towpath between the river and the canal, so other than the north and south ends, you are separated by water from the rest of the world. This makes for a quiet, relaxing, and scenic trek. The northern terminus near the parking lot, which also forms a "T" with the CT 190 bridge, and the southern terminus by the renovated mill building are new and in great shape. All we need now is for Connecticut to resurface the original portion... even stone dust would be better than the broken pavement.
Beautiful day on this section of the Blackstone River Greenway. Trail is paved entire way and in very good shape with only a handful of road crossings. There were relatively few walkers/riders (Thursday), some benches along the way, a number of signs with historical write-up and nice views of some waterfalls. Overall an excellent 20 RT ride. Gave it a 4 only because of a few long "average views" stretches. The 195 Davidson Ave, Woonsocket, RI (northern point) address for GPS worked great.
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)
