Hop River State Park Trail facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hop River State Park Trail
Hop River State Park Trail in Coventry in 2018
Length	20.8 miles (33.5 km)
Location	Eastern Connecticut
Designation	Connecticut state park
Trailheads	Manchester (41°48′02″N 72°30′28″W / 41.80054°N 72.50766°W / 41.80054; -72.50766) Windham (41°42′48″N 72°14′18″W / 41.71345°N 72.23820°W / 41.71345; -72.23820)
Use	Hiking, biking, horseback riding
Sights	Hop River
Maintained by	Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Website	Hop River State Park Trail

The Hop River State Park Trail is a fun path in Connecticut built on old train tracks. It stretches for about 20.8 miles (33.5 km) (that's over 33 kilometers!) from Manchester all the way to Windham. As you explore, the trail often follows the beautiful Hop River.

This trail is owned and cared for by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Local towns and amazing volunteer groups also help keep it in great shape. It's a popular spot for many outdoor activities like hiking, biking, horseback riding, and even cross-country skiing when there's snow!

Trail History: From Trains to Trails

This trail was once a busy railroad line. It was part of the Hartford, Providence and Fishkill line, which connected Hartford to Willimantic. This train line was finished way back in 1849.

Freight trains used these tracks to carry goods through the 1960s. The very last train rode on these tracks on September 29, 1970. After that, the old railroad line was no longer used. The section of the trail near Willimantic was built more recently, in 2015.

Exploring the Trail: What to Expect

The Hop River State Park Trail is open for everyone to enjoy. However, different parts of the trail are in different stages of being finished. Some sections are super smooth with a nice stone-dust surface and clear signs. Other parts have been cleared and have good drainage, but they might still be a bit rough. These rougher sections are perfect for mountain bikes or horses, but maybe not the best for road bikes.

For a while, there were some tricky spots on the trail, especially missing or unsafe bridges. But don't worry! Most of these bridges have been fixed or replaced by the state, towns, and local volunteers. Now, there's only one spot where you might need to take a short detour around an unfinished bridge.

Trail Sections and Conditions

Here's a quick look at what each part of the trail is like:

Manchester to Columbia/Coventry Line

This long section goes through Manchester, Vernon, Bolton, and Andover. It's one of the best parts of the trail! It's completely finished with improved drainage, new signs, sturdy bridges, and easy-to-use parking lots. The surface is smooth stone-dust. You'll find long stretches here that go through parks with no roads to cross. This part of the trail is also part of the East Coast Greenway.

Columbia/Coventry Line to Kings Road

This section has been cleared and has better drainage. Some parts even have a finished surface. It's great for mountain bikes and horses, but it can still be a bit bumpy for road bikes. This section is also part of the East Coast Greenway.

Kings Road to Flanders River Road

Right now, you can't go directly through this part of the trail. There's a bridge over the Hop River that isn't safe for trail use yet. But it's easy to get around! You can follow Kings Road to Flanders River Road and then rejoin the trail after crossing the river on the road bridge. This section is also part of the East Coast Greenway.

Flanders River Road to Willimantic River

This section is open, but it's not fully improved yet. The bridge over the Willimantic River has been fixed, and there's parking nearby. A paved path from the parking area goes under Route 66 and connects to the Air Line State Park Trail. This section is also part of the East Coast Greenway.

Route 66 to Airline State Park Trail

This section opened in 2015 and is completely paved. It's on a steep hill at the eastern end and doesn't follow the original train tracks exactly. It starts near the Willimantic River, goes under the Route 66 bridge, and then follows the Willimantic River. The trail ends at the Airline Trail South in Willimantic. If you turn right, you'll cross the Willimantic River into Lebanon.

Easy Access Points

The trail crosses many roads, making it easy to hop on and off! Here are some places where you can find access, often with parking:

County	Town	Name	Info
Hartford	Manchester	Colonial Drive	parking area
Tolland	Vernon	Taylor Street
		Elm Hill Road
		Dobson Road
		Church Street/Phoenix Street	parking area
		Tunnel Road (SSR 533)
	Bolton	Bolton Notch State Park near US 44/ US 6 and I-384	parking area, start of the Charter Oak Greenway
		Notch Road	underpass
		Steeles Crossing Road	parking area
	Andover	Bailey Road
		Burnap Brook Road	parking area
		Wales Road	parking area
		Shoddy Mill Road	parking area
		Route 316	overpass, access/parking at Andover History Museum
		Merritt Valley Road	overpass
		Lake Road	parking area
		US 6	underpass
		Parker Bridge Road
	Columbia	Hop River	river crossing twice in a row
		Hop River Road	parking area
	Coventry	Pucker Street	underpass
		Willimantic Bypass ( US 6)	underpass
		Kings Road	overlap
	Columbia	Flanders River Road
		Old Route 66 rest area
		Route 66	overlap to Windham
Windham	Windham	Route 66	parking at a local store
		Airline State Park Trail South	End of the trail

Special Features Along the Way

About 4 miles (6.4 km) from the Vernon trailhead, you'll find a special stream restoration project with signs. This is just north of where the trail goes under U.S. Route 44 in Bolton Notch State Park. It's a great spot to learn about how we help nature!

Connecting Trails and Future Plans

The Hop River State Park Trail is an important piece of a much bigger puzzle!

• The western part of the trail, near Bolton Notch State Park, connects to the Charter Oak Greenway. This greenway goes west towards Manchester and Hartford.
• The eastern end of the trail connects to the Air Line State Park Trail near the CT Eastern Railroad Museum.

These trails – the Charter Oak Greenway, the Air Line State Park Trail, and the Hop River State Park Trail – are all part of the amazing East Coast Greenway (ECG). The ECG is a huge trail system that will eventually link major cities all the way from Maine to Florida! In Connecticut, the ECG runs from Rhode Island, across to Hartford, down to New Haven, and then over to New York.