Find the top rated wheelchair accessible trails in Bristol, whether you're looking for an easy short wheelchair accessible trail or a long wheelchair accessible trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a wheelchair accessible trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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 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...
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...
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 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...
First a canal, then a railroad, and now a trail define the history of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. Completed segments span Connecticut south to north, from New Haven to the Massachusetts...
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 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 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...
Bloomfield Greenway Multi-Use Trail is 1.8 miles between Bloomfield and Simsbury. The trail is envisioned to someday act as a connector between the City of Hartford and the Farmington Canal Heritage...
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 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 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...
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...
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 part of Connecticut's first bus rapid transit line, the CTfastrak Trail serves as recreational and multi-use path for walking and bicycling between Downtown New Britain and Newington Junction. The...
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...
The Manhan Rail Trail, well integrated into the local communities it serves, offers a pleasant ride or stroll. It conveniently weaves together parks, community points of interest, neighborhoods, and...
When completed, the Norwalk River Valley Trail will run from Danbury to Long Island Sound in southwestern Connecticut, for a total of about 27 miles. Currently, several disconnected sections totaling...
The William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail—named for the Dutchess County executive who championed it—is a treasure in New York's Hudson Valley region. The 13.1-mile trail runs through what seems...
When completed, the Norwalk River Valley Trail will run from Danbury to Long Island Sound in southwestern Connecticut, for a total of about 27 miles. Currently, several disconnected sections totaling...
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 Ridgefield Rail-Trail meanders for nearly 2.5 miles through the forested exburbs of Ridgefield, Connecticut. The trail passes among suburban acreages, along a creek at one point, and past a couple...
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...
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...
Note: As of December 2021, the trail is fully complete except for a bridge on its southern end in Brewster; stairways on either side of the bridge are available for the detour. Construction on the...
The North Shore Rail Trail, formerly known as the Rails to Trails Recreational Path, is a 10-mile multi-use recreational path and runs along the former Wading River railway corridor in Brookhaven—the...
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...
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...
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 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...
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 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 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 William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail—named for the Dutchess County executive who championed it—is a treasure in New York's Hudson Valley region. The 13.1-mile trail runs through what seems...
A part of Connecticut's first bus rapid transit line, the CTfastrak Trail serves as recreational and multi-use path for walking and bicycling between Downtown New Britain and Newington Junction. The...
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 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...
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 Columbia Greenway Rail Trail offers just over 2 miles of paved, tree-lined pathway through Westfield in southwestern Massachusetts. The trail runs from Main Street, across the Great River Bridge...
The North Shore Rail Trail, formerly known as the Rails to Trails Recreational Path, is a 10-mile multi-use recreational path and runs along the former Wading River railway corridor in Brookhaven—the...
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 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 Pequonnock River Trail is not a name you will see on the ground along this developing trail in southwestern Connecticut. Formalized in 2001 by the state, the regional trail pieced together...
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 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...
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 Columbia Greenway Rail Trail offers just over 2 miles of paved, tree-lined pathway through Westfield in southwestern Massachusetts. The trail runs from Main Street, across the Great River Bridge...
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 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...
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 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 Manhan Rail Trail, well integrated into the local communities it serves, offers a pleasant ride or stroll. It conveniently weaves together parks, community points of interest, neighborhoods, and...
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 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 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 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...
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....
First a canal, then a railroad, and now a trail define the history of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. Completed segments span Connecticut south to north, from New Haven to the Massachusetts...
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...
I drove the 70 miles from my home in Manhattan, not an easy drive both northbound and return given traffic. A friend suggested a parking place just South of Wassaic Station that is free all the time. Location is 14 Main Street, Wassaic, NY. I rode the 23 miles North to the point that the trail turns East along a public road. I turned around not because of riding on a public road, after all I ride in Manhattan, but because I would already have 50 miles before I got home. The trail is paved and mostly smooth. The multiple bridges are concrete slabs and a few are wooden. All have distinctive railings made of wood joined by steel cables. They compliment the natural trail very well. It is the CLEANEST trail that I’ve ever cycled, I saw only ONE discarded plastic bottle and it was down a ravine. Negatives: Pack an extra water bottle, I had two and rationed it carefully. I found NO place to buy a drink or snack. Take extra trail mix! There is only one intersection with heavy traffic. On the ones with very light traffic I found that the vehicles would stop and let you pass. Caution, just because the westbound car stopped that’s no guarantee that the eastbound vehicle will be as considerate. Few porta-potties; the ladies may not be pleased.
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.
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.
Rode the full trail on Memorial Day and really enjoyed it. It is well maintained; smooth pavement all the way. Mostly good shade and scenic, with lots of woods. A few spots along busy roads, but the trail is well protected throughout; always a sturdy railing between you and the cars. Goes through a few towns for snacks or lunch. Others warned about it being uphill heading north but I found it mostly flat. Some uphill as you approach the Putnam border, but mostly a gentle grade. Never came out of the seat. Overall a great trail.
Rode the full trail on Memorial Day and really enjoyed it. It is well maintained; smooth pavement all the way. Mostly good shade and scenic, with lots of woods. A few spots along busy roads, but the trail is well protected throughout; always a sturdy railing between you and the cars. Goes through a few towns for snacks or lunch. Others warned about it being uphill heading north but I found it mostly flat. Some uphill as you approach the Putnam border, but mostly a gentle grade. Never came out of the seat. Overall a great trail.
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.
My friend and I started at Hopewell Junction and glad we did. It was a nice leisurely ride up to Walkway on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie. The trail is very well maintained, and an easy ride. We locked the bikes up by the walkway, headed into town for an incredible lunch. I only wish it were more scenic but very happy we chose this way to ride.
The Kennedy Catholic School is private property. Do not enter or depart the trail from the southern endpoint at Kennedy Catholic.
The Kennedy Catholic High School parking lot is private property and they have not given anyone walking the trail permission to access the trail via their parking lot . As with any school they are very protective of the student body and control who has access to the school and parking lot. DO NOT PARK IN THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT. Do not access the trail from the Kennedy Catholic High School.
I went here on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. What a lovely place! This is a paved trail that follows the river and has a nice playground and picnic area at one end. There are various sculptures related to Abraham Lincoln along the way. It was very relaxing to stroll along the water. The views of the bridges and the Hartford skyline are stunning. Will definitely return!
What can I say, this is a great trail for a bike ride. Great scenery, flat for the most part and wasn't a lot of people. Must do trail
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