I did the trail with my husband and my kids. My 11 year old daughter and my 16 year old son. Easy path and nice views. You can find restrooms and ice cream around. We began in Bristol and finished at the conservatory area at Warren, because it was block for maintenance. We rode 10 miles round trip.

Rode this trail on 7/25/20 from the Vernon stop to Parker Bridge Road and back. Ideal for a hot day – shade virtually the entire length, especially beautiful stretches along a raised ridge. The section about 3 miles in is cut out of the side of an incline, and there are a few spots with a bit rougher surface…easily negotiated with trail or mountain bikes, and I think you could do it even with a road bike (excluding the skinniest tires) if you took your time. Mostly well packed dirt/gravel/stone dust. Slight grade uphill until Bolton, then slight downhill to the turnaround point at Parker Bridge. This was our second ride in a month on this beautiful trail, so appreciate the well maintained starting point/parking lot in Vernon complete with picnic table and a tool stand. A real gem- those local to this are lucky!

Once or twice a year I’ll ride it off the Hop River Trail to add a few more miles to my ride. It’s not that there’s anything bad about the trail, but I don’t see any reason to ride it on a regular basis when the connecting Hop River Trail is far longer, far fewer road crossings, and generally better maintained. If you live in Vernon, it’s a great way to connect up to the Hop River Trail. But I wouldn’t go out of my way to ride it.

There are better options in Central Connecticut if you’re looking for a leisurely ride. The trail is hilly in spots, mostly runs near a highway, there’s little protection from the sun or wind, and there are some busy streets to cross. It certainly beats riding on busy roads, but it’s subpar compared to other bike trails. With all this said, you can certainly have an enjoyable ride, it’s just that there are better options.

Overall, a great trail. But it is over 50 miles long so there are some better areas than others. The East Hampton to Rt. 2 is scenic but it is steeper than other areas and the gravel is looser in spots. The 12 mile stretch from Rt. 2 to Willimantic is perhaps the best section - scenic, well maintained, not too steep, and hard packed. I’ve only been on the Willimantic section once and it’s nothing special. North of Willimantic is good though there are a few stretches that are rougher than other areas - barely passable on a hybrid bike. The trail is narrow in many areas so you’ll have to ask walkers to move over. Most of the trail is under a tree canopy which helps keep you cooler on hot days.

Simply one of my favorite trails. The first two or three miles in Manchester and Vernon are nothing too special but the rest of the trail is great - scenic, hard pack dirt, not too crowded (especially the closer you get to Willimantic) and there’s a tree canopy almost the whole way so you can stay cooler on hot days. They’re still working on completing the last mile or so in Columbia/Willimantic - I think it’s supposed to be done in 2021 or 2022. But there’s an easy bike-around on roads where you can connect up with the Airline Trail, which is also a great trail.

We parked at Lowe’s in Cranston. That end of the path isn’t very well maintained, but a mile or so in it gets better. Cute ice cream place (Udder Delights) on the path. Very shady, which was nice on a 95 degree day. I think this path would be very beautiful in the fall.

good starting point. Trail quality is excellent. smooth macadam. Easy riding. No hills. well kept along trail. Went about 10 miles and returned. scenic and historical. Trail has multiple names

It’s a nice short trail, and I don’t think many people know about it.