Explore the best rated trails in Vernon, CT. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Windsor River Trail and Stillwater Scenic Walkway. With more than 56 trails covering 420 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.
I rode the Northern section of the trail, (the section north of rt 5 and on the east side of the river) so this review is about that, and how I got there. The trail appears to be nice and well maintained, it is in a larger city so it does have some city issues, but I always felt safe. Views are mostly of the Connecticut river and the rail line, Basketball hall of fame doesn't really look great from the trail, and the park along the trail is less interesting than the river itself. If you like looking at railway infrastructure that is still in use this trail will not disappoint either.
I used the Springfield train station to get food, drinks, and use the restroom, there was enough room to easily get my bike into the bathroom.
I took the Hartford line train from Wallingford CT to get to Springfield and I was really happy about how easy it was to do that, YMMV as CT line staff are being lazy and not opening the bike rack doors on some trains. I did this trail mostly to see how easy it is to take the train to the trail and I was happy with that part of the trip.
Walked this trail on 10/22/2022 and while it is a nice bike able trail, there are a few problems. I noticed that a few of the bridges are a couple of inches higher than the trail surface, and I'm not saying a little bump, I'm saying stop and walk it or fall off your bike bumps. Other than that this was a really nice trail and I would bike it with caution, or a mountain bike. Fall colors were amazing while I was there.
We biked from Simsbury to Farmington on the Canal trail. It was nice with the fall color, but there is not much else to see. On the way back we took the River trail. It goes parallel to the river and it is very pretty. It goes thru Canton, which is a charming little town. From there the bike trail is quite good for a while, but then you have to bike on the road. The bike trail sign is painted on the road, but you have to look for it. Traffic was not bad at all. The last part goes thru a simsbury park, there are a lot of roots, gotta be careful. All in all the river trail is very nice, even with a couple of miles of in road biking. there there
Beautiful for a bike ride in the fall. The trail is well kept, the views are beautiful and is moderately trafficked. I started at the Manchester trailhead and just kept going straight, passing parking lots in Vernon and Bolton. Didn’t notice much options for restrooms or pit stops for food so plan accordingly.
Although it's an easy, beautiful, and relatively flat trail overall, the Naugatuck-to-western-outskirts-of-Naugatuck part of the Larkin Bridle trail is a little more challenging, isolated, and wild, whereas the west-of-Naugatuck to Southbury part of Larkin Bridle is wider, flatter, and more accessible.
Personally, I am not big on technical/single track bike riding, so I experimented with Larkin Bridle until I found just the right section to become my regular ride. For me, that's definitely the flatter, wider, less technical portion. These coordinates (41.474814, -73.117086) will take you to a very quiet, non-residential road with a turnout that allows for three or four cars to park in front of the wide gate that marks the path. (There's a marshy pond nearby where you might hear ducks quacking.) This is the point on Larkin Bridle where it become an excellent trail not only for comfort-minded fitness bike riders like me, but also a great walking path, especially for my dad, who is older.
From the coordinates above to Southbury it is about 5.5 miles, one way. You'll be on a wide path with a mix of hard pack dirt and gravel. Very easy and flat, unless it's been raining for a few days, in which case some parts can get a bit muddy. Overall, this part of the path is shady and well maintained with beautiful, tall trees, occasional bodies of water, and interesting rock formations. Just gorgeous! On this part of the trail, you can relax and pass people easily. Would be wonderful for a post-Thanksgiving dinner walk or a ramble with the dog. The Naugatuck-to-western-outskirts of Naugatuck portion of Larkin Bridle, by contrast, while still very doable on a bike, is much more weedy, woodsy, and rocky, with brief portions that have very steep ups-and-downs near road crossings. For a more relaxing experience, I recommend the west-of-Naugatuck to Southbury portion, starting at the coordinates above and heading toward Southbury.
Rode Plainville CT to CT/MA border. Northern section. I like that you go through many towns on the lower half then out in the country from Simsbury north. Beautiful scenery. Paved the whole way, some sections with roots coming through.
While the portion along the River is nice. The upper half from Simbury to Canton is terrible. Mostly on road, 10% grades, poorly marked. We had to use rail to trails app and use GPS so we did not get lost. I’d rate it one star but the Canton to Farmington section is nicer. Stick with the Farmington Canal Trail only if your visiting from out of town like we were.
Great trail with smooth paved paths and picturesque scenery. path is a bit narrow for side by riding so be careful.
The trail is so boring only 1 biker in the entire trail
This trail is not to be missed. I rode approximately 21 miles from Cumberland to Woonsocket. There is a parking lot on John Street at the site of the old Lonsdale drive-in. The trail is breathtakingly beautiful and well maintained. You are lulled into a calm feeling listening to the river. The surroundings rustic. It’s a mix of old and new from the railroad tracks to industrial buildings to modern buildings. There are minimal hills/inclines. My only negative is that the signage needs improvement. industribuilding
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