The Rail trails in my surrounding area are my go-to walks when I’m not looking to travel and want a quick easy walk on flat , level and dry ground. The area is wooded and elevated , making it shady and breezy , so you can hit this trail on those nasty hot days, without dying.    I have some nice pics of the trail that I will upload soon.

7/12 – I just got my bike all set , I ride 3x a year , and I’m due this year. I like to start on the rail trail because its easy and funner than street riding.  (I was recently introduced to the word funner and find I like it.)

JULY 13th 2012 –

Did 5 miles on my bike on rail trail. I finally figured out how to take my gps info and get it into a google map picture , but unfortunately I can’t do it on this particular one.

Vernon –Rails Trails – www.vernongreenways.org
VERNON Rails~Trails_Map –PDF
DEP: Hop RIver State Park Link 

Did You Know:
Vernon has over 33 miles of trails.

Vernon has the headwaters for two rivers within its boundaries.  These are: the Hockanum River (Shenipsit Lake) and the Tankerhoosen River (Tankerhoosen Lake).
Vernon has the second largest sycamore (fifth largest tree) in Ct. It is in the wooded area behind Saxony Mill Park (West St. & North Main St.).

Introducing the One Mile Long ‘Walking Trail’ at Dart Hill South
Monday, August 1 2011

A walking trail is defined as a flatly contoured, wide, all weather trail built to be user friendly (think of a Rails-to-Trails without bicycles). After regrading, redirecting, putting in drainage and laying fabric & stone dust to the middle 1/3 of the one mile long Stone Dust Trail at Dart Hill South, there is now a ‘Walking Trail’ in the Hockanum River Linear Park System. It starts at the Dart Hill South parking lot, proceeds through the park, crosses Hockanum Blvd at the 0.6 mile mark, passes two historic overlooks and ends at the third overlook at 1.0 miles.

// I haven’t been there , have to check it out //

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Parking and Trail Access

Manchester

• At the western terminus where the trail meets Colonial Road

Vernon: The Church Street trailhead is just 1 mile south of Interstate 84 and located between Phoenix and Washington streets. To reach the Church Street trailhead from I-84 east, take Exit 65 and follow signs to State Route 30 north. Turn right at the first traffic signal on Dobson Road and cross beneath the interstate. Dobson becomes Washington Street. A mile south, turn left on Church Street. Trailhead parking is ahead on the left. To reach the trailhead from Exit 66, bear right on Frontage Road, then turn left on Tunnel Road. After 0.25 mile, turn right on Warren Avenue. Drive 0.5 mile, take a left on Phoenix Street, then an immediate right on Church. Trailhead parking is on the right.

Bolton: Bolton Notch State Park; entrance is just west of where US 44 becomes Route 44/ I-384. Enter the park at the end of the guard rail heading west. Parking is also available at Steele’s Crossing Road, about 0.3 mile west of US 6.

Winter Walk at Bolton – 2009 

 

 

 

 

 

Andover: Park at Burnap Brook Road about 0.2 mile west of US 6 and on Wales Road about 0.2 mile west of US 6. From US 6 west, enter Andover, turn left onto Lake Road then right onto Merritt Valley Road. The road will intersect with the trail after about 0.2 mile.

Columbia: Park at turnouts where the trail intersects Hop River Road and Pucker Street, 0.4 and 0.3 mile north of US 6, respectively.

 

Following from http://www.traillink.com/

– The Hop River State Park Trail is one of Connecticut’s top rail-trails. Narrow cuts and a lush tree canopy make for enjoyable visits year-round. Most of the 15.6-mile route from the Manchester–Vernon town line to Hop River Road follows a crushed stone surface. From the town line east to Washington Street, the trail is mostly forested. At Church and Phoenix streets the trail branches north and is sometimes called the Rockville Spur or the Vernon Rails-to-Trails.
From the intersection continuing east on the Hop River Trail, the trail climbs gradually for a few miles past impressive rock outcrops. Beyond the Bolton Notch parking lot, the trail passes beneath State Route 44 and US 6, threads a narrow rock cut then descends several miles through thick woods. Past Steeles Crossing Road, US 6 comes into view on your left, but not so close as to break the mood. Keep watch for small waterfalls like the one near Burnap Brook Road.

A new covered bridge over State Route 316 is fabulous—and was worth the 10-year wait!

Eventually you pass beneath US 6 through a 100-foot lighted tunnel. Another mile brings you to Parker Bridge Road. Another mile brings you to Parker Bridge Road. The trail continues east toward Willimantic with one section of stone dust and the rest manageable but slightly bumpy dirt. After going under the US 6 bypass, the trail continues along the Hop and Willimantic rivers to end at a spur off Flanders Road.

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