Dear Trail Friend,
Welcome to 2026! It has been a very snowy winter, so I suspect many of
you have felt the lack (albeit temporary) of the Farmington Canal Trail for nonski activities because it has not been cleared or cleared enough. Each trail
segment is owned and maintained by the town through which it passes. Some
plow and some do not. The reason varies: cost, staff, time, and inaccessibility to
plowing equipment to name a few. But spring is coming and soon you will have
all the access you desire. However, this present absence of the trail is a good
reminder of what a valuable asset it is.
The Farmington Valley Trails Council (FVTC) was formed 40 plus years ago
to fight for the creation of a multi-use trail. Since then, the trail has become
continuous from Farmington to the Mass border. We are hopeful that within the
next few years it will be continuous from New Haven to the Mass border. All
this has been possible because of loyal members of FVTC who joined and
supported our efforts to get the trail built.
Now our focus has turned to promoting maintenance and improvements by
the towns. I am sure you have seen at least one of those improvements, such as
the water fountain in Farmington, or the many bike repair stations, or the
information kiosks along the trail. I hope you have also noticed other
improvements such as the Avon tunnel under Rt. 44 or the many areas where
the trail has been repaved. Maintenance is an ongoing obligation and we
enthusiastically support the towns to see that it is done.
