We parked by the pet store mentioned in a previous review and biked to just passed the covered bridge, maybe 6 miles out? Beginning of trail is rough but that ends quickly . Nice ride in the woods. Not much to see. It was a slight incline on the way out which made the return better. I wish there some benches along the way to take a break.

We did this in a Sunday afternoon and it was impossible to ride our bikes across. We walked most of the way and the views were great going over the bridge.

This trail is an easy ride for everyone. It’s well maintained with plenty of benches to rest and a mixture of sun and shady spots. The end of this trail leads right into the Walkway over the Hudson.

One of the best trails I have done. Nice and smooth. You must do Walkway over The Hudson.

My friend and I rode from Millwood on the North County Trail and just kept going. We ended up on the Putnam Trailway for a total of 46 miles. There are several decent hills on this segment of the trail. There are some street crossings but they are not very busy roads. You eventually come to the end of the trail, which is clearly marked. Near the end of the trail is a large reservoir. The trail is completely paved with just a few bumpy spots. We rode on 10/10 and the foliage has not changed much yet.

Level easy trail quiet and very pretty. Tricky entrance and exit onto busy road. Short easy trail. Wear boots muddy areas.

We started at Tait road entrance around 4:30 pm. Path was leafy but dry and good with great views.

I am an experienced cyclist who doesn't mind hills and other challenges. My wife is a casual rider who likes mostly flat, but not boringly flat, rides.

I drove almost an hour to scout out this trail for one of the leisurely rides we like to do together. After literally two minutes, I turned around and rode back to my car.

This trail is NOT suitable for occasional cyclists, beginners, older riders, or younger riders. In fact, I don't really know WHO it is good for, as for someone like me who can live with a few hills, it is way too short.

Perhaps if it, at least, led somewhere scenic or lined with coffee and pie shops, it might be worth the effort. However, it appears to start in the middle of nowhere and end in the middle of nowhere.

I gave it two stars instead of one on the chance that it might get better after the first thousand feet I covered. You'll have to find out for yourself. I'm not going back.

I rode the entire Hop River Trail beginning in Manchester and ending in Willimantic on a wonderful Fall day. The trail is tightly packed gravel and was in very good condition. The trail is mostly shaded and offers a nice views of woods, streams and rock formations throughout the trail. I didn't notice many opportunities to easily exit the trail for food or supplies so plan your trip accordingly.

My biggest complaint about the Hop River Trail is that every road crossing has very narrow gates on each side that only have one opening. It wasn't very busy when I rode but I can see that these gates would cause congestion on a busy day. Also they almost require you to carefully walk your bike through as riding in those narrow openings can be very difficult. I enjoyed the tunnels along the trail but I could see how the lack of lighting in one of the tunnels could be uncomfortable for some riders.