The FCHT, 58 miles of which is paved in Connecticut, stretches from New Haven to the Massachusetts border before continuing into Massachusetts for a total length of 80.2 miles and 11 towns. The multi-use trail runs along abandoned rail corridors and canal tow paths through urban, suburban and rural areas of Southern Connecticut and the Farmington Valley. Along the way are historic buildings, canal locks, the remains of canal aqueducts and other landmarks that provide a rich cultural background for the trail experience. The largest gap remaining is 9.1 miles from southern Farmington, through all of Plainville into northern Southington.

The FRT is an 18.2-mile loop trail which links to the FCHT at points in Farmington and Simsbury passing through the villages of Unionville and Collinsville and the towns of Burlington and Canton to create a 28.5-mile loop connecting five towns. For much of its length, the trail nestles against the banks of the Farmington River tracing the route of the old “Canal Line” railroad. While the trail passes by some of the area’s loveliest landscapes, it also contains the longest stretches of on road riding.

This vast project undertakes the construction of an urban multi-use trail system linking cities along the Atlantic seaboard form Calais, Maine to Key West, Florida. Nearly 800 miles of the route is on safe, traffic-free trails equaling 28 percent of the total mileage completed. The proposed 196 mile route through Connecticut will join the FCHT in Simsbury and follow it south to New Haven. For more information visit their web site at www.greenway.org.