View from Plains Road Bridge
Multi-Town Trails in the Willimantic River Watershed
One of the Willimantic River Alliance's visions for the Greenway is to link public lands by creating trails from town to town. Such trail projects are planned in Stafford/Ellington, in Coventry/Mansfield/Tolland and in the Willimantic area.
Midriver Trail
Coventry and Mansfield have developed a 3-mile trail from River Park on Plains Road in Mansfield to Riverview Trail Park on Riverview Drive in Coventry. Click on each park for specific trails notes about that part of the Midriver Trail.
South to North
Note that the River Park and Lynch Landing access to Depot Road is temporarily closed because of construction. For now, it is best to start in the parking lot at the back of the former Depot Restaurant by the railroad tracks on Route 44.
From Route 44, the Midriver Trail continues along Spring Manor Farm Trail, which begins at the back of the former Depot Restaurant's parking lot near the railroad tracks. This trail follows the river along the west side of the University of Connecticut's Spring Manor Farm in Mansfield. Public access is allowed only along the trail. The white-blazed trail extends one-and-a-half-miles between Mansfield Depot and Merrow Meadow Park. The going is easy, but stay alert for the white blazes when the trail leads between the wooded riverbank and the farm road. See Spring Manor Farm Trail for a guide to this trail.
From the north boundary of the farm, the white-blazed trail continues into the woods of Merrow Meadow Park and down to the park's riverside trail, which leads along the river for a half-mile to Merrow Road. At Merrow Road, turn left and cross the bridge into Coventry. Riverview Trail Park is on the right by the bridge. The Midriver Trail follows this park's trail, which begins by the bridge and extends for a half-mile up the river. The Midriver Trail will be extended into Tolland in the near future.
Willimantic/Windham Trails
Willimantic/Windham is a potential trail hub where three greenway trails converge (Air Line State Park Trail, Hop River State Park Trail, and Willimantic River Trail). The East Coast Greenway from Florida to Maine is slated to pass through Willimantic via the Hop River Trail and the Air Line Trail (North). Linking these two trails through Willimantic and Windham will be an important step in completing the East Coast Greenway.
Hop River State Park Trail
On a converted railroad bed, this gravel trail is a wide, level path suitable for bikes and hikes. It begins at the Willimantic River near the Route 66 bridge in Columbia and extends west for 18 miles across Coventry, Andover and Bolton to the Vernon line. Park at the former roadside rest area on the west side of the Route 66 bridge or at town roads that cross the trail farther west. This trail is part of the emerging East Coast Greenway from Florida to Maine.
For more information on the Hop River State Park Trail and additional access points, visit Pathways of Connecticut.
Air Line State Park Trail (South of Willimantic)
This gravel trail on a converted railroad bed begins at the Willimantic River, but the first good access is where it crosses Kingsley Road in Lebanon. It extends 20 miles west from the river to East Hampton. There are plans to link this trail through Willimantic to the north section of the Air Line Trail.
For more information on the Air Line State Park Trail and additional access points, visit Pathways of Connecticut.
Air Line State Park Trail (North of Willimantic)
A short length of the Willimantic/Windham section has been completed and designated as the Veterans' Memorial Greenway Trail. It extends one mile east from the corner of Jackson and Union Streets in Willimantic for one mile to Route 66 near Tuckie Road in Windham. The surface is paved and is handicapped accessible. A short distance along Tuckie Road, the trail resumes on a gravel surface leading to Putnam, and on to Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
For more information on the Air Line State Park Trail and additional access points, visit Pathways of Connecticut.