Find the top rated bike trails in Orange, whether you're looking for an easy short bike trail or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a bike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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...
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...
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 first phase of the New Milford River Trail runs southeast from Gaylordsville via the scenic but lightly traveled River Road, through Sega Meadows to Boardman Bridge, a distance of about 5 miles....
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...
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....
The Kings Park Hike & Bike Trail runs for 1.5 miles between Old Dock Road at Church Street in Kings Park and Nissequogue River State Park. The trail is a town of Smithtown park and follows an...
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 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 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 nicely paved Bethpage Bikeway runs alongside suburban roads for long segments of the route, but it’s much more than a suburban trail. Each on-road suburban stretch is broken up by one of three...
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 Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail stretches just over 3 miles along Long Island’s north shore. Construction was completed in two phases with the first trail section opening in 2009...
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...
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...
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...
Tallman Mountain State Park Bike Path is partially paved and bisects the Tallman Mountain State Park. The route provides a motor-vehicle-free way for bicyclists using US Route 9W to connect with...
The Jones Point Path occupies an abandoned motor vehicle route (old US Route 9W). The path provides bicyclists with a relatively safe bypass to a dangerous section of busy US Route 9W near Bear...
Paralleling the Connecticut and Massachusetts borders, which lie only a few miles away, the Harlem Valley Rail Trail is a beautiful paved wooded pathway along the former New York & Harlem Railroad...
Owned by the Metro-North Railroad, the Maybrook Trailway starts at the Connecticut state line in Farringtons Park, and spans 5 miles into the town of Brewster. The trail follows what was once part of...
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...
The William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail—named for the county executive who championed it—is a local treasure in the Hudson Valley region of New York. 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...
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 Locks. Due...
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 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...
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....
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,...
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 South County Trailway rolls 14.4 miles through one of the most densely populated parts of New York, but its route through pocket woodlots, parks, and golf courses and along riverbanks makes it...
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 EPCAL Alternative Transportation Path loops around the 2,900-acre Enterprise Park at Calverton (hence its name: EPCAL) on New York’s Long Island and links to the Town of Riverhead’s 65-acre...
The first phase of the New Milford River Trail runs southeast from Gaylordsville via the scenic but lightly traveled River Road, through Sega Meadows to Boardman Bridge, a distance of about 5 miles....
The Jones Point Path occupies an abandoned motor vehicle route (old US Route 9W). The path provides bicyclists with a relatively safe bypass to a dangerous section of busy US Route 9W near Bear...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
Paralleling the Connecticut and Massachusetts borders, which lie only a few miles away, the Harlem Valley Rail Trail is a beautiful paved wooded pathway along the former New York & Harlem Railroad...
The EPCAL Alternative Transportation Path loops around the 2,900-acre Enterprise Park at Calverton (hence its name: EPCAL) on New York’s Long Island and links to the Town of Riverhead’s 65-acre...
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....
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 Mosholu-Pelham Greenway connects several parks and recreational opportunities in New York City's north and central Bronx neighborhoods. A portion of the trail is also part of the growing East...
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...
Owned by the Metro-North Railroad, the Maybrook Trailway starts at the Connecticut state line in Farringtons Park, and spans 5 miles into the town of Brewster. The trail follows what was once part of...
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...
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 Locks. Due...
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...
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...
When Jones Beach State Park opened on Long Island’s South Shore in the late 1920s, a series of scenic parkways was built on infill dredged from nearby towns to connect New Yorkers to the new public...
While not a "rail-trail," the Hook Mountain/Nyack Beach Bikeway is a very scenic trail along the Hudson River in Rockland County. The southern half of this trail is flat and runs right along the...
The Bronx River travels from the mouth of the East River north to the Kensico Dam, providing views of the natural history of the area. Because the trail is under development, there are several gaps...
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...
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 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...
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...
My wife and I rode this trail on 5/30/20, riding about 28 miles in all in a circle that also featured the Farmington Canal Trail. There are a number of different sections to this ride you need to be aware of before you go. We started at the parking lot on Red Oak Road, near the start. The first part of the trail, heading Northwest, runs on a very pretty course alongside the Farmington River, with lots of water views. Very scenic. There are several small towns along the way...in particular, Collinsville has a nice little downtown with places to eat, and places to stop with picnic tables alongside the river. The route then proceeds back East, until you get to the intersection with Route 202/44/Albany Turnpike. There is then some riding along regular roads: Lawton, Notch, West Mountain. The roads are basically flat with good sight lines, not difficult if you're an experienced rider (I wouldn't take kids on this section). Off of West Mountain, you'll find an entrance (a little hard to spot, there was a temporary sign there) to a hard packed dirt/cinder trail that proceeds for a short distance. It ends, and then following the markings on the road, you'll again ride on-road (Town Forest Road) again for a short distance, at which point you'll pick up another dirt/cinder trail (Stratton Brook State Park Trail) which ends at Brushy Hill Road. Cross Route 309/Farms Village Road and on the other side of the street is a paved trail that takes you down to Simsbury, where you pick up the Farmington Canal Trail south that takes you back to the Red Oak parking lot. Be aware that there are some varied signs/directions as you ride through Avon that take you behind offices etc. in a confusing way...I guess they didn't have the room to just cut the trail straight through. But soon you'll be back on the conventional trail. But as for the ride:
What's nice about this ride was its diversity: the section along the river, some riding on country roads, the dirt/cinder path through the woods, and the more conventional trail from Simsbury south. Lots of places to stop and eat (especially Simsbury), many trail parking lots, we saw a lot of bathroom options . We know the Farmington Canal Trail well, were glad to discover this very nice connected option! Definitely check out the map at their website before you go. One more thing: we used our road bikes, and we were able to navigate the short dirt sections pretty easily...you don't need a mountain bike just for that.
For the most part the bike trail is very well paved with the exception of a small strip that was slightly bumpier. We parked at the parking lot on Executive Drive and Washington Avenue, it’s free. The path is not super-scenic but it’s a nice ride nonetheless.
Great trail, well-groomed. Lots of trees on each side of the trail so good shade. Everyone is respectful of their space and good bike etiquette. I brought my dogs and it was a perfect four mile walk.
Because this is close and I'd never been to it, I finally did and what I found was something that was a very old rail path that had never had any work done to be "bikeable". The Western Section is owned and managed by a Land Trust who has not even done the work to make it walkable. Trail is covered by fallen trees and clearly, zero tail maintenance is going on. At times the only passable place to walk and carry your bike are narrow trails that leave the "path" and then return where there is a dry spot. Worse trail I've even been on in my 70 plus years of biking. It's an embarrassment and should be listed in your book or on-line stuff.
Dennis Sears.
It was so much fun , I don’t know if I got lost or if it really gets difficult at some point but it was challenging haha
Took off from Silver Lane on the Charter Oak Trail to get started. 1/2 mile take a right to get on this trail. The surface is ok but showing a lot of grass in the frequent pavement cracks. Woody vegetation is leaning into the trail. The trail twists and turns. There are many places where the visibility is poor especially on faster down hill areas. Mowing back everything would help. Most problematic is the very poor signage. With all the changes in direction improved signage on this trail is a must.
Road this trail and found it in good condition. I had hybrid 1.95 tires on my bike. There are several road crossings that require careful attention. The trail was being well used which is great to see. I road it from the Hop River trail junction to its end in Rockville. 4.2 miles and a grade of mostly up made it a good test for a fast ride. Watch for fast cars at the crossings.
I road the entire nearly six mile trail today. The scenery was beautiful and the water views gorgeous, if you could look away from the trail surface. The asphalt is tired, cracked and roots cross it in many locations. I road a street bike with narrow tires which was a mistake. The trail surface is better suited to MT bike or larger tires.
I started at the southern end. Follow along the east side of the factory building to the newly refurbished parking lot with picnic tables. Then the trail goes north to the intersection with Route 190. Turn west to get to Route 159 and back track over the CT River to see the whole trail. At 14 MPH, I need to get my fillings replaced due to the rough surface. The CT Parks Division needs to put this trail on the rehab list. Despite my complaints, it's a pretty trail in need of work.
Wow! Once open, the Undermountain Road to Millerton gap is going to be spectacular. I note that the northernmost section going south from Undermountain Road to Boston Corners Road, about one mile long, is now open and beautiful. The next two miles going south, to White Horse Crossing Road, includes a gorgeous mile long raised section going through a beautiful wetland. Parts, including that section, are currently paved but construction is ongoing. Later this season this will be the place to ride!!
I rode this trail in 2018 and loved it, the memory of that day, even the car drive getting there, always bring a smile to my face. It is not for bikes with racing tires, but most others will do fine if the region has not had any rain recently. It is not a tough path, even with its few small hills. Beautiful scenery very close to the river, mostly shaded from the trees. The trail seemed to end near a highway bridge where I sat with my lunch right on the river.
With a drive of almost 2 hours, I would not have visited this area without the this trail. If and when the trail is expanded I will be back. Trails do bring tourists and money into new areas, so good job New Milford.
Passed through here with a friend on our way to Montreal in June of 2018. Easy to miss, but the gentleman who lives in the house at the southern end helpfully pointed it out.
If you can get through the initial brush, it clears up just fine. Besides being gnatty, it's like a secret garden, and about halfway through there was a sort of meadow filled with flowers.
No special bike here, just two tourers from the 1980s. I had 700x35 Schwalbe Mondials on, my friend had similarly sized but totally slick tires. He did alright, but said it could have been better with some tread. We were both fully loaded with panniers, etc.
I can't quite remember, but the fallen tree mentioned above was actually quite light, more like a large branch. So I moved it out of the way!
According to data I found about the trails being put together for the Empire State Greenway, it's 1.9 miles long. Definitely preferable to climbing and descending 9W with the cars, which we had done a few weeks before in preparation for the full tour. Bleh. I'd rather risk having to backtrack and THEN take the highway if the trail were impassible.
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