Stafford, CT Birding Trails and Maps

1388 Reviews

Looking for the best Birding trails around Stafford?

Find the top rated birding trails in Stafford, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

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Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type
61 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Air Line State Park Trail

60.3 mi
State: CT
Ballast, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel

Assabet River Rail Trail

10.4 mi
State: MA
Asphalt

Blackstone River Greenway

29.9 mi
State: MA, RI
Asphalt, Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Dirt

Bloomfield Greenway Multi-Use Trail

1.8 mi
State: CT
Asphalt

Bridge of Flowers

0.1 mi
State: MA
Concrete

Canalside Rail Trail

3.6 mi
State: MA
Asphalt

Center Trail

0.6 mi
State: MA
Crushed Stone

Columbia Greenway Rail Trail

3.1 mi
State: MA
Asphalt

East Bay Bike Path (RI)

14.3 mi
State: RI
Asphalt, Boardwalk

Farmington Canal Heritage Trail

47.6 mi
State: CT
Asphalt

Farmington River Trail

16.5 mi
State: CT
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Hanover Pond Trail

1 mi
State: CT
Asphalt

Hartford Riverwalk

1.7 mi
State: CT
Asphalt

Hop River State Park Trail

20 mi
State: CT
Crushed Stone

Litchfield Community Greenway

2.5 mi
State: CT
Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Dirt

Manhan Rail Trail

9.5 mi
State: MA
Asphalt

Mass Central Rail Trail

59 mi
State: MA
Asphalt, Cinder, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel

Phenix-Harris Riverwalk

0.3 mi
State: RI
Dirt

Quinebaug River Trail

4.8 mi
State: CT
Asphalt
Accordion

Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail

5.7 mi
State: MA
Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Grass

Quinnipiac River Gorge Trail

1.3 mi
State: CT
Asphalt

Redstone Rail Trail

1.4 mi
State: MA
Asphalt

South Spencer Rail Trail

1.62 mi
State: MA
Crushed Stone

Southwick Rail Trail

6.5 mi
State: MA
Asphalt

Sue Grossman Still River Greenway

3.4 mi
State: CT
Asphalt

Ten Mile River Greenway

3 mi
State: RI
Asphalt

Upper Charles Trail

13.9 mi
State: MA
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Washington Secondary Bike Path

19.2 mi
State: RI
Asphalt

Westville Lake Community Trail

0.7 mi
State: MA
Crushed Stone

Windsor River Trail

0.8 mi
State: CT
Asphalt

Arkwright Riverwalk

0.8 mi
State: RI
Dirt, Woodchips

Ashburnham Rail Trail

1.3 mi
State: MA
Dirt

Burrillville Bike Path

1.2 mi
State: RI
Asphalt

CTfastrak Multi-Use Trail

4.4 mi
State: CT
Asphalt, Concrete

Captain John Bissell Trail

4.5 mi
State: CT
Asphalt

Charter Oak Greenway

16.5 mi
State: CT
Asphalt

Cheney Rail Trail

1.7 mi
State: CT
Crushed Stone

Connecticut Riverwalk and Bikeway

5.4 mi
State: MA
Asphalt

G & S Trolley trail

1.6 mi
State: CT
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Grand Trunk Trail

6.9 mi
State: MA
Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel

JAYCEE Arboretum & Senator Roch Riverwalk

1.3 mi
State: RI
Asphalt, Dirt, Gravel

Mattabassett Trolley Trail

2.9 mi
State: CT
Asphalt

Niantic Bay Boardwalk

1.1 mi
State: CT
Boardwalk, Concrete, Gravel

North Central Pathway

11.2 mi
State: MA
Asphalt

Putnam River Trail

2 mi
State: CT
Asphalt

Quinnipiac Linear Trail

2.1 mi
State: CT
Asphalt, Gravel

Rocky Hill Trail

0.9 mi
State: MA
Asphalt

Southern New England Trunkline Trail

21.8 mi
State: MA
Asphalt, Ballast, Crushed Stone

Stillwater Scenic Walkway

1 mi
State: RI
Crushed Stone, Dirt

Twin Cities Rail Trail

4 mi
State: MA
Asphalt

Chicopee River Canal Rail Trail

0.21 mi
State: MA
Asphalt

Moosup Valley State Park Trail

5.8 mi
State: CT
Ballast, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand

Stratton Brook State Park Trail

1.2 mi
State: CT
Asphalt, Cinder, Crushed Stone

Ware River Rail-Trail

15 mi
State: MA
Ballast, Dirt, Grass, Gravel

Billings Trail

3.3 mi
State: CT
Dirt

Naugatuck River Greenway

7.4 mi
State: CT
Asphalt

Trolley Trail (CT)

0.75 mi
State: CT
Asphalt

Middletown Westlake Area Bikeway

2.2 mi
State: CT
Asphalt
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
Overview The Air Line State Park Trail winds 60.3 miles from the northeast corner of Connecticut, where the state borders Massachusetts, down to East Hampton in the heart of the state. The pathway...
CT 60.3 mi Ballast, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
Overview The Assabet River Rail Trail connects five old mill towns that owe their revitalization to present-day high-tech industries. A midpoint gap splits the 10.4-mile trail. It offers a forested...
MA 10.4 mi Asphalt
Throughout history, the Blackstone River has been an important waterway, from its use by American Indians who fished its once-abundant salmon to its role as a major artery for the transportation of...
MA, RI 29.9 mi Asphalt, Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Dirt
Overview The Bloomfield Greenway Multi-Use Trail currently runs 1.8 miles between Bloomfield and village of Tariffville in the Town of Simsbury. The paved rail-trail passes through woods and fields...
CT 1.8 mi Asphalt
The Bridge of Flowers delights the senses of visitors walking among the trees and blossoms on the old trolley bridge spanning the Deerfield River, which connects two communities in northwestern...
MA 0.1 mi Concrete
The well-maintained Canalside Rail Trail provides users with a variety of trestle bridges, views of waterbirds stalking fish and frogs, and gentle grades that alternate between open sky and forested...
MA 3.6 mi Asphalt
The Center Trail runs for less than a mile from Hopkinton's downtown to its high school and middle school, providing a safe route to school for thousands of students. The wooded trail, which once...
MA 0.6 mi Crushed Stone
Overview The Columbia Greenway Rail Trail offers just over 3 miles of paved, tree-lined pathway through Westfield in southwestern Massachusetts. About the Route The rail-trail runs between...
MA 3.1 mi Asphalt
Overview Offering spectacular maritime views and an abundance of coastal wildlife, the East Bay Bike Path is a 14.3-mile trail that connects historic New England waterfronts along several river...
RI 14.3 mi Asphalt, Boardwalk
Overview First a canal, then a railroad, and now a trail defines the history of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. Completed segments span Connecticut south to north, from New Haven to the...
CT 47.6 mi Asphalt
Overview 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...
CT 16.5 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
The Fred Lippitt Woonasquatucket River Greenway provides a valuable crosstown connector of nearly 7 miles from downtown Providence to the city’s western neighborhoods and the nearby town of Johnston....
RI 6.8 mi Asphalt
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...
CT 1 mi Asphalt
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...
CT 1.7 mi Asphalt
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...
CT 20 mi Crushed Stone
The Litchfield Community Greenway runs along the former Shepaug Railway railbed in the Town of Litchfield. Operational from 1878 to 1948, the railroad line ran between between Litchfield and...
CT 2.5 mi Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Dirt
Overview 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,...
MA 9.5 mi Asphalt
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 60 miles from Boston to Northampton...
MA 59 mi Asphalt, Cinder, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
The Phenix-Harris Riverwalk, a short trail built on a former rail bed purchased from Penn Central Railroad, connects West Warwick and Coventry, two towns on the outskirts of Providence. The dirt...
RI 0.3 mi Dirt
The Quinebaug River Trail exists in two segments in northwest Connecticut. The northern section parallels Park Road and Tracy Road for about 2 miles in an industrial section of Putnam with few trail...
CT 4.8 mi Asphalt
Accordion
The Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail runs on the corridor once occupied by the Southbridge & Blackstone line of the Providence & Worcester Railroad, transforming a corridor once designed to link rural...
MA 5.7 mi Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Grass
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...
CT 1.3 mi Asphalt
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...
MA 1.4 mi Asphalt
The South Spencer Rail Trail runs for less than 2 miles from downtown Spencer to an area south of town near Spencer State Forest. The path, which is also known as the Depot Trail, occupies a former...
MA 1.62 mi Crushed Stone
Overview The Southwick Rail Trail extends for 6.5 miles between the Westfield town line south and the Massachusetts–Connecticut state line. About the Route Along the way, the Southwick Rail...
MA 6.5 mi Asphalt
Just over 3 miles long, the Sue Grossman Still River Greenway is anchored by Winsted to the north and Torrington to the south. It occupies the right-of-way of the Naugatuck Division of the New York,...
CT 3.4 mi Asphalt
Overview Ten Mile River Greenway, named for the waterway it parallels and not its length, runs 3 miles through a serene and green corridor connecting the City of East Providence and Pawtucket. The...
RI 3 mi Asphalt
Overview    Shaped like a checkmark, the Upper Charles Trail links Milford, Holliston and Sherborn—towns in Massachusetts’s bucolic MetroWest suburbs. Ornamented by an eight-arch stone bridge and a...
MA 13.9 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
Overview The Washington Secondary Bike Path offers just over 19 miles of paved trail from Cranston (Providence’s southwestern neighbor) to Coventry. About the Route The rail-trail, Rhode...
RI 19.2 mi Asphalt
The Westville Lake Community Trail offers a short, scenic excursion along the east bank of Westville Lake in Southbridge. Much of the crushed-stone pathway is under a lush tree canopy. Along the way,...
MA 0.7 mi Crushed Stone
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,...
CT 0.8 mi Asphalt
The Arkwright Riverwalk, founded on a former rail bed purchased from Penn Central Railroad, is located in Coventry, a rural central Rhode Island town that was built around textile mills. The one-mile...
RI 0.8 mi Dirt, Woodchips
More than a mile of the Ashburnham Rail Trail opened in 2015 from a point just south of Ashburnham's center to Turnpike Road. The rustic route, planned to be paved in the future, offers a...
MA 1.3 mi Dirt
Burrillville Bike Path runs for just over a mile through its namesake rural community in northwest Rhode Island. It connects the villages of Pascoag and Harrisville through a corridor that once...
RI 1.2 mi Asphalt
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...
CT 4.4 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The Bissell name looms large in this part of New England, and has been immortalized in multiple ways, including the Bissell Ferry, the Bissell Memorial Bridge and now, the Captain John Bissell trail,...
CT 4.5 mi Asphalt
Overview The Charter Oak Greenway offers more than 16 miles of paved pathways through Hartford and its eastern suburbs. At first glance, the trail looks as if it is simply a highway side path, but...
CT 16.5 mi Asphalt
Overview The Cheney Rail Trail is a 1.7-mile trail with a crushed stone surface in downtown Manchester. About the Route The trail is mostly shaded and a pleasant walk any time of the year....
CT 1.7 mi Crushed Stone
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...
MA 5.4 mi Asphalt
At the turn of the 20th century, Groton & Stonington Railway Company began to move passengers between Groton to Mystic via electric trolleys. But in 25 years, the line had been discontinued due to...
CT 1.6 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The overall goal of the Grand Trunk Trail in south-central Massachusetts is to connect the communities of Brimfield, Sturbridge, and Southbridge by trail. Currently, two sections of the trail are...
MA 6.9 mi Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
Riverpoint Park sits nestled into a bend of the Pawtuxet River in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The park accommodates the 400-ft arboretum which leads to 1.3-mile riverside path known as the Senator...
RI 1.3 mi Asphalt, Dirt, Gravel
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...
CT 2.9 mi Asphalt
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....
CT 1.1 mi Boardwalk, Concrete, Gravel
The North Central Pathway is envisioned as a trail network connecting points of interest through and between Winchendon and Gardner. Several completed sections of trail make for a lovely ride or walk...
MA 11.2 mi Asphalt
The Putnam River Trail extends between Arch Street in the Putnam District and Providence Street to the south. The trail follows the east bank of the Quinebaug River between the river and Kennedy...
CT 2 mi Asphalt
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...
CT 2.1 mi Asphalt, Gravel
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...
MA 0.9 mi Asphalt
Overview The Southern New England Trunk Line Trail (aka the "SNETT") was designated as a National Recreation Trail in 1994. It is built upon a segment of the former right-of-way of the New Haven...
MA 21.8 mi Asphalt, Ballast, Crushed Stone
The Stillwater Scenic Walkway is a short trail that follows an old railroad bed between Capron Road and State Route 104 (Farnum Pike) south of Smithfield. The trail passes through a wooded area along...
RI 1 mi Crushed Stone, Dirt
The Twin Cities Rail Trail will be a 4.7-mile multiuse trail connecting downtown Fitchburg and downtown Leominster, providing a variety of recreational opportunities and an alternative transportation...
MA 4 mi Asphalt
The Rockville Spur, a section of Vernon Rails-to-Trails, is a stone-dust rail-trail stretching 4.1 miles into the heart of historical Rockville. The trail begins on Warren Avenue in Vernon, but you’ll...
CT 4.1 mi Crushed Stone, Dirt
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...
CT 5.4 mi Asphalt
The Chicopee Center Canal Walk offers a short pleasant route in Chicopee, a small city on the outskirts of Springfield in southern Massachusetts. The pathway closely follows the slow-moving canal and...
MA 0.21 mi Asphalt
Closure notice: Moosup Valley State Park Trail is currently closed for renovation. This 5.8-mile trail is part of the planned East Coast Greenway, an off-road path that will eventually run from...
CT 5.8 mi Ballast, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand
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...
CT 1.2 mi Asphalt, Cinder, Crushed Stone
The Ware River Rail-Trail is an unpaved 15-mile rail-trail that stretches between Barre and Baldwinville, running through Hubbardston and Templeton along the way.  Following along the Burnshirt...
MA 15 mi Ballast, Dirt, Grass, Gravel
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...
CT 3.3 mi Dirt
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 7 miles. The...
CT 7.4 mi Asphalt
The Trolley Trail runs through Plainfield and is a key link the East Coast Greenway. Plans are to use this trail as a link between the Moosup Valley State Park Trail and the Airline State Park...
CT 0.75 mi Asphalt
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...
CT 2.2 mi Asphalt

Recent Trail Reviews

Washington Secondary Bike Path

Trail Construction

September, 2024 by nnnkfpw7zq

The trail in Cranston was repaved recently. There weren’t even lines painted yet! It was a smooth ride. There was one detour due to the paving, but it was an easy ride on a side street.

Ashburnham Rail Trail

Very Enjoyable, Much natural beauty

September, 2024 by tammy.bucklew

I'm in love with this trail. Much of the trail path is dirt, but there is a new area with fine gravel. I find this such a peaceful trail and consider it to be in good maintenance. Thanks to everyone that maintains the trails.

Moosup Valley State Park Trail

What an improvement!

September, 2024 by bopflu

When I attempted this trail in 2022, I called it "the worst ride of my life." I got covered in mud, and the numerous puddles teemed with mosquitos. But what a difference two years made!

The trail has been vastly improved, now offering a highly pleasant ride through Connecticut's Route 14 corridor. It does, however, become rougher shortly after you cross Route 14-A near the Rhode Island state line. I only hope further improvements will be made.

Accordion

Assabet River Rail Trail

not what I expected

September, 2024 by chleary11

This is a decent trail but there are a few things to note: No parking lot on Marlboro end but I did find parking on a side street. The trail has many street crossings, especially when you are in Hudson. Some of the crossings are busy intersections. The trail ends in Hudson but you can bike along rte 62 for a few miles, then down a side street to pick it up again in stow. That portion of the trail will take you to action. The guide says this is 10 miles but I’m not sure if the Marlboro to Hudson section is 10 miles or if it is 10 miles with the stow to acton portion. Marlboro to Hudson didn’t seem like 10 miles. I wouldn’t go out of my way to do this tri

Air Line State Park Trail

We had a great ride! 6.6 miles. Beautiful day!

September, 2024 by susanmazur13

We had a great ride! 6.6 miles. Beautiful day!

Mass Central Rail Trail

Weston-Waltham section

September, 2024 by msandman1943_tl

This section (8/2024) is about 5 miles long. It goes through woodland and past leafy backyards, but it runs alongside the towers for a high-tension power line. Trees have been clear-cut about 25 feet on both sides of the trail, so there's no shade along this section. But the trail is wide, very straight, and smoothly paved. It has a few small ups and downs and crosses four or five quiet roads before it comes to a traffic signal at the intersection of Routes 126 and 27. Just beyond, the trail turns to crushed stone with a few sandy patches. There's a large supermarket and shopping center adjacent to the trail at that point.

Southwick Rail Trail

Very busy on sunny weekend, well kept trail

September, 2024 by mdnkcn

We started going north on Copper Hill Rd East Granby Ct parking area and finished the trail in Westfield MA. Trail was all asphalt and in good shape. Most of the trail was scenic farmland but toward the north end going toward Westfield was some residential and city though still was plesent to the eye. Next time we plan to take the trail south at the Copper Hill Parking and take the trail to where it hopefully meets the Farmington River Trail

Blackstone River Greenway

Mile 17-7 going south from Woonsocket the trail is marked. Very enjoyable ride.

September, 2024 by buckley02

Mile 17-7 going south from Woonsocket the trail is marked. Very enjoyable ride.

Moosup Valley State Park Trail

Horse

August, 2024 by janeyac1

Love the beautiful trail, but horseback riders should have a manure bag on the horses to catch their droppings. Not fair to others walking the trail.

Chicopee River Canal Rail Trail

Unfinished trail. Did not feel safe on portions of the trail.

August, 2024 by bdrzyzga

Unfinished trail. Did not feel safe on portions of the trail.

Moosup Valley State Park Trail

It’s nice!

August, 2024 by revgil

When I first rode this trail in 2012, it was horrible, even though I had a mountain bike. My wife and I just settled on driving over to Coventry, RI to ride; Moosup was next to impossible. But several months ago work began to get it fixed up. What a nice job, with drainage, a new stone-dust surface, and nice fencing. We have ridden trails all over town country, and this is one of the nicest anywhere. Now, if RI will finish the Washington Secondary Trail from Summit to the state line, I could ride all the way to Providence without having to go on the road!

East Bay Bike Path (RI)

awesome

August, 2024 by jdawidczyk

This was an absolutely beautiful trail a few crossovers on some busy intersections but most crossings were in small neighborhoods car drivers in these neighborhoods were observant and allowed the bikers to cross Today was a gorgeous day weather wise so lots of walkers and bikers out there no issues. We will definitely be riding this trail many more times

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