The trail is over 50 miles so it’s tough to give it an overall rating as some stretches rate five stars, and some less than five stars. I’ll try to break down each town, starting at the southern end. I’ll note upfront that the entire trail is paved and well maintained and most stretches can get crowded. And the trail is mostly flat and straight but there are some hills and twists. New Haven: I’ve only been on the section a few times and they’re still working on finishing it. It’s a urban trail with little scenery and lots of street crossings. If you live in New Haven, it certainly is a great place to start a ride. But I wouldn’t go out of my way to ride on it. Three stars. Hamden: Overall, a good section as it is scenic and there’s a 6-7 mile stretch with no street crossings. This is the only section of the trail that is hilly, but they’re mostly short and not too steep. There are a few spots where the trail is bumpy. Five stars. Cheshire: another enjoyable stretch with nice scenery. There are a number of street crossings and for whatever reason, I’ve found the drivers in this area to be overly obnoxious and not letting you cross without an issue. But I could just be my bad luck in the area. Four stars. Southington: the southern end is fine. But I rarely ride the bulk of the trail in Southington. It’s crowded, not scenic, many street crossings, and little protection from the sun or wind. Also, the trail currently ends before I84. One plus is there are spots to stop for a bite to eat. Two stars. Farmington: the newly opened southern two or three miles is wide open with few trees to stop the sun or wind. There’s nothing wrong with it but it’s just not the nicest section. The original three or so miles is a five star section with lots of trees, scenery, and few street crossings. Another plus is you can connect with a 10 mile trail to Canton. Four stars. Avon: the first two or three miles is a great extension of the trail in Farmington. But the trail ends at the Avon public works garage and then it’s cutting through a parking lot, down a road, on a sidewalk, through the police department parking lot, on another sidewalk, and then crossing busy route 10. Overall, three stars. Simsbury: like Avon, a mixed bag. The southern section is going through residential sections, behind car dealerships, few trees, crossing route 10, and riding on sidewalks. Once you hit the downtown area, it improves. Overall, three stars. East Granby: a nice section with some minor hills, curves, open areas, and some flat areas with trees. This is one of my favorite stretches as it offers diversity. Five stars. Suffield: another good stretch. There’s a few spots where tree roots have pushed up the pavement but it’s not too bad. Five stars. Massachusetts: technically, it’s a different trail but it’s really a continuation of the same trail. I think there’s about seven miles currently paved with another mile or so planned. There are a few minor hills and there are some open sections with little sun or wind protection. But overall a nice ride. And this section generally isn’t too crowded. Toss a coin on whether it’s a four or five star stretch.

There were a good number of people, but not too bad. The bikers were good about sharing the path. The area is flat and it’s nice to see the river on a hot day. Would recommend this area.

This ride is sure to please all. Most sections are smooth and yes, moments of patches of bumps come up but it does not change the setting. They actually keep the trail pretty smooth. Continue riding towards the Northern section and really put the work in.

They are currently working on this trail. You can find updates on this website: https://maybrooktrailway.org/

This new portion will run from Pumphouse Road in Brewster to the parking lot in Hopewell Junction for the Dutchess Rail Trail.

According to the preliminary construction timeline on the website, it is scheduled to be open in January (winter/spring) of 2021.

Currently the paved section that heads north stops underneath Tonetta Lake Road which is just south of I-84. From here to Pumphouse road is a "missing link" in the trail.

I always ride this trail for a great workout Today did not disappoint as usual. The beauty is so breathtaking. Depending upon what time of the day you go, you will see some very nice wild life towards the north end of the trail and some nice ecological (e.g turtles, fish and some exotic birds) towards the south end. Yes. I said turtles. Wouldn’t surprise me if there were some snakes living on the trail although, I never saw any. This is the good thing about this trail. You get to experience a great workout and the beauty at the same time.
Enjoy your ride!!!

You cannot park on site if you do not live in West Chester. Must be able to show proof at the gate or you will be turned away.

This might be my new favorite summer bike-path. We visited twice within the last month, both times on the weekend and since the trail features beach access (for a stretch on both sides of the path) the area is busy with beach goers. The traffic across the path is limited mostly to the parking areas so it’s not much of a nuisance and the bike have wasn’t that busy both times we went (late afternoon/evening). The path is smooth, the scenery is beautiful and you can have a picnic on the beach and take a dip at the end of the ride - what more can one ask for? The only warning I have is that on a weekend you might get stuck in traffic if you plan to park at the park, so consider street parking before getting to the bridge and biking/walking the distance.

Not busy, fairly wide path, blacktop in really good condition. Only negative is the parking: not a lot of spaces in the Blauvelt lot, and just a handful at the Tappan end. Will definitely be back!

Great ride uphill and back. Very challenging in spots.