New parking lot and pavilion with new overpass for trail over main road. Here are a few of the great attractions here when you explore Air Line State Park Trail in East Hampton, CT: 207 at Hebron and gets more unfinished after with some sections of really large trap rock. The missing bridge, 3/4 mile north of RT 193 still needs a DOT condition inspection and an engineered design, before construction can start. Towards the eastern end of the main trail, the surface is noticably rougher due to horse traffic. I know we can download the trail map here, but when your out riding and want to be free of technology, a free standing info board would be nice, simply to see where you are. Rode the Airline southwest from Kingsley Rd., Windham, to Colchester via the spur trail on October 15. I understand that the trail is much better than it used to be, but the ride was not too pleasant--more for mountain bikes. The Airline State Park Trail is part of the EAST COAST GREENWAY , a planned biking & hiking route stretching 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida. The ride ended up being around 57 miles on my bike computer. The trail conditions deteriorate to a mixture of dirt, crusher run gravel, and larger stones, and stays that way all the way to Potter Road in the Goodwin Conservation Center, in Hampton, CT. the portion of the Air Line trail in this brochure is part of the 22.95 mile southern Air Line rail corridor and also includes 3.6 miles of the Colchester Railroad spur. It took just under 5 hours ride time, not counting a few breaks. Work will also be done on the trail section in Thompson up to the state line. We spent two days on the trail doing an out and back loop each day as we only had one car. Follow Bike Trail signs and painted bike signs on the road (River road I think) till you get to the FROG bridge on Jackson St. Make a left, following the bike trail signs into a parking lot (referred to in the itinerary for day 2 parking) on the right side just past the bridge. From there it was back to the start, just over 11 miles. The trail ends in East Hampton, once known as Bell Town for the 30 bell-making companies that settled here. I also took the Colchester Branch on the way back to get some food. I had a great time riding this trail last Sunday. I started at The Pomfret "Train Station" which is actually a very nice little picnic area and kiosk built by the the state as part of the Airline Trail State Park. MLS# 170579668. They had just graded in the week before we used the trail. All in all it was a great experience, with the exception of the Thompson section. It really is a simple matter.Motorized vehicles are not ALLOWED! Very pretty (I didnt take a photo, but there is a photo on Google Maps). But after that it's really good. those comments apply to the trail NORTH of Willimantic, not this section of trail. Salmon River State Forest. The trail s rel. If this turns out to be true, then there will finally be a connection with the airline Trail-North. I saw a lot of people on bikes and most where Mt Bikes but a Cross Bike would get the job done. After Kingsly Road the trail will end at the river and you cannot cross. This trail offers an excellent opportunity for family rides of all ability levels. We started at the parking lot on Flanders Rd. Good food nearby - we went to the Hill top restaurant which was reasonable and offered good choices. Average comfort speed is 5-8 mph. There is a little access trail built as an Eagle Scout project here at the town hall, and parking is available - this is an excellent access spot also. I never tire of it and am still regularly surprised to see some new plant or animal, a new aspect of animal behavior, or a superb sunrise. Trail Description Directions Location: Portland, East Hampton, Colchester, Hebron, Columbia, Lebanon. Let's hope the trail gods make this happen. Weve always loved the Air Lineit has a varied feel as you proceed through the different townthe vast majority shaded, sections on a high ridge above a stream, two nice viaducts across what was once a trestle bridge, a section running through a nature preserve. Thanks to a new section of trail which includes a short bridge, that is no longer a problem! Airline Bike Trail, East Hampton Map - ctxguide.com Does anyone out there have any information on when this section will be started? Hopefully, by spring we will be able to bike straight through from East Hampton to the Willimantic River! Great ride. East Hampton, CT 06424. (both had parking for a couple cars and signage) followed by crossing under CT route 200 (no access) and passing the CT DoT Maintenance Depot. There are no tracks there today, but it was once the junction between the mainline going from Putnam, CT east to Blackstone, MA and Boston with a branchline running to Southbridge, MA. Work has started on the bridge over the Willimantic River! There is also a .6 mile extension from the Depot Road crossing to about .25 mile short of the Rte. Between Sand Dam Rd and the CT / Mass state line, same story. I rode the easterly section of this trail from Route 207 on 4/13/14 to the Willimantic town line where the bridge is still out over the Willimantic River (8 miles). It turns out to be a rather large parking lot with a tall sign (see the pictures) over the trail at the other end of the lot. Note that the section from Putnam to Pomfret is supposedly much worse than the others. the southern section of the Air Line trail links Portland, East Hampton, Colchester, Hebron-Amston, Lebanon, and Willimantic To get there, follow the Route 6 expressway to its eastern terminus in North Windham. WOW! Very nice garden like yard. NOTES- *There are some amenities scattered along the trail which include signs, trail markers, maps, picnic tables, and benches. I'd rate this a 4. In Putnam went south on Putnam River Trail (excellent paved trail) south to bridge over Quinebaug River. Wonderful news, the bridge is in going north in Thompson,Ct it is in finally. In an split instance one of those 50 pound bike missles can do a 90 degree turn when you least expect (or want) it. It's quite well known in the area and has great burgers and ice cream. It's best traveled with some good knobby tires and some stamina. South of this Rte 44 crossing, the trail is passable, but conditions are variable all the way to Hampton's Goodwin Conservation Center. There they can cross RT 6 and be at the start of the Airline Trail-North. An abutter has dumped some brush at one road crossing, but it is easy to go to the left and pick the Rail Trail up about 1/2 mile further. I would love to check out the spurs off this main trail as well as the Airline North trail too.Note that there was mainly a downgrade from East Hampton for about 3 miles, an upgrade as you approach the 207 parking lot coming Eastbound. Ate at Vanilla Bean Cafe in Pomfret which was very busy, lots of outdoor parking and sports or hot rod cars and motorcycles to ogle at, great cake. Location: 1.2 miles east of the intersection of Routes 44 and 97. Easy to go from trial into Putnam for food. Three bridges in excellent shape. This section has a good surface of stone dust. Does have some drainage issues here and there, so be alert especially in mini-canyons created for the railroad. That will be the last of the hard work on the Airline Trail. You come to the parking area for the trail and the paved trail and sign board. ", "Today I road west from the pedestrian bridge in Putnam to where I had stopped a few days ago. An entry point from here cannot be found without trespassing onto the farm (we stopped and asked the farmer for permission to pass)which was denied. About 150 yards down the hill, you can pick up the trail again after going down a short but steep trail on the right.It's worth it & I'm ready to try the North next.FYI, the Colchester Spur is a ""ho-hum"", but a short shot to get some food. The railroad attempted the shortest route from New Haven to Boston "as if by a line drawn through the air", thus the name which is two words, not one. The grade has all been cleared and drainage provided so it stays relatively dry though. The Old Air Line Trail located in East Hampton takes its name from the imaginary line drawn from New York to Boston, through the "air" so to speak, to illustrate the shortest possible route between these two major east coast cities. Thanx to all involved.". I am used to riding groomed, stone dusted rail tails. Air Line State Park Trail | Visit CT Some are in fine shape. Portland has announced that it will begin to design trail improvements from the current end at camp Ingersoll toward Portland's center. Known as the Portland Air Line State Trail, it starts on Depot Hill Road near Old Middletown Road and ends adjacent to the YMCA Camp Ingersoll. Our speed on the trail ranged from 5-8 mph, so doing the entire 50 miles as originally planned would have meant an exceedingly long, tiring and frustrating day.Besides the usual tunnel vision effect of rail trails that go through woods, we found that we were so busy navigating our track that we didn't have time to look at anything on the side of the trail, as unattractive as it was. it is just a woods road---no grading or stone dust. You can actually ride quite a bit longer than the 6-7 miles, the trails have been extended but we typically do the ~6-7 mile run (~12-to 14 miles as an out & back ride, which takes us approx. to the Willimantc River. The trail itself is great. Photos (624) Directions. We take friends/family who are bike novices, and born again cyclists out on the trail with us because it is easy for them to get [back] into cycling and seems a lot safer than riding on a public road. At about the 2 mile mark, the trail crosses Rt. I did this on my very old Mt Bike with a town and country tire and it worked for me. Air Line State Park Trail: Exeter Road to East Hampton - AllTrails East Hampton has done a great job of embarrassing this trail, there are signs to the parking lots and they have extended the trail to there Down Town including a parking lot. The trail was well mowed. I never thought I would see this in my lifetime--to be able to ride from East Hampton Center to the Goodwin State Forest!! Best for walking or a fat bike. At the eastern end of the trail, the bridge over the Willimantic River in Willimantic on the Hop River State Rail Trail received a new deck in 2019 and opened to the public in September 2019, thus making a direct connection to the Air Line Trail. http://citystrides.com/users/106/map Also here is a write up of the day I ran the South section end to end then biked back. 1 Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station at 89 ain St, East Hampton, CT 06424, USA. On e Bikes; trail to north from Windham generally passable but long wet areas (eventually turned around) and trail a bit rougher than going south from Willimantic. In April 2018 the Windham Town Council approved $1,300,000 for rehabilitation on the Willimantic River bridge behind Mackeys. With its gradual ascent, the trail provides a decent workout on knobby tires. I was driven to East Hampton and dropped off at that end. Went here for the first time this past weekend and it completely surpassed any expectations I had. Conditions were really good, totally dry. Trail Length: East Hampton to Windham: 22 miles Trail Surface: Crushed stone, gravel, ballast Trail Difficulty: Easy Everyone was friendly and courteous. Go straight ahead riding on public streets behind old buildings. Another trail with great potential slowly being realized as it is being continuously developed. Air Line Trail State Park | Lebanon CT We were dog walkers. to Rt 97 it is graded, filled and sort of compacted. The first three miles of the trail are terrific--the trail is graded well, and it allows a biker to avoid the hilly and dangerous route 16 (see note below). Went to RT 87 (about 8 miles) from Willimantic. It was about a 10 min car ride from Putnam. The Lyman viaduct is worth the ride alone. Section of the trail at Bull Hill Road is closed as well as the parking lot at this location. You have to continue down an take a real left. It appears that the state is now filling and grading the missing trail section that runs through the Andrews farm from Cook Hill Rd. PArkinG & TrAiL HeAd Cranberry Meadow on Smith Street Handicapped Accessible. There are some sections where you can coast donwnhill for some time. How it is stated that this trail is 22 miles long is a mystery. Can ride with street or mountain tires. Definitely worth repeating especially when the leaves change colors. From the fork, its 1.4 miles to beautiful Grayville Falls Town Park, which offers waterfalls and wooded hikes. I found out today when I thought I was going to ride from Portland to the Air Line Trail North. 2016 CT.gov | Connecticut's Official State Website, regular I rode east and found the trail firm, mostly dry and easily rideable on a mountain bike until passing Holmes Road, where the trail has literally not been touched since the rails were removed - trees down, overgrown, wet. Wouldn't take that much effort to mow it back at least once a year. I've been walking and photographing the Air Line Trail daily for over 8 years. The chimney is pretty impressive and looks to be in excellent condition. Air Line Trail | Airline Train | East Hampton, CT Airline Trail If you've got knobby's on you'll be OK for it if you like riding on old railroad ballast, (I didn't have my knobby's on my AT Bike that day). . It would be nice if it were ever paved. The penalty for the short route was the need to traverse north-south trending hills and valleys. They are calling the two sections connected now, but you do have to ride on busy Route 66 for about a mile through downtown Wilmantic, and its not terribly well marked yet. Air Line State Park Trail - CT.gov On Feb. 17, 2020, I walked from Smith Street, East Hampton west for 2.9 miles through the tunnel under Rt. We ride this trail section often, and all agree it is a truly great ride. My biggest concern is there is not enough parking places, entrances , and no benches. Write your local officials and thank them for their support so these projects continue! This web site states that it's about 20 miles. Rode our bikes there last week and was very disappointed with the recently resurfaced section from the Cranberry Bog in East Hampton. The horses have really wrecked it for bikes. EAST HAMPTON Some 20,000 people flock to the historic Old Home Days . Picnic tables at viaduct. I'm not sure what the other North sections are like, I know there are some upgrades in progress in the various towns. There is a small sign at Cook Rd but I just did not want to deal with it. When you reach the Bull Hill Road trailhead parking, you can take an on-road side excursion of 1.4 miles to reach the Comstock Covered Bridge. nests in the trees. What a wonderful trail.We went from Pomfret Station and rode to Lewis Road. I have heard that the southern section, beyond Willimantic, is more scenic and the trail is in better condition. by Goodwin Forest in Chaplin to Route 203 North Windham, CT. I have been hiking 5-7 mile segments for the past three weekends. Little or no scenery. So many choices! The improvements will run from the Hampton line through Pomfret and eventually into Putnam to Town Line Rd., with some parts north of Wrights Crossing Rd. I found the trail was finally finished from Cook Hill Road to Cards Mill Road. -- the trail dead ends at a fence near Spinning Mill Brook about halfway across this section and you have to backtrack. ", "I rode from south to north on this pretty trail on a summer morning and had a blast. You really feel out in the woods and away from civilization - we saw no sandwich store or stops of any kind. The short section between Rte 203 and the Rte 6 interchange is nicely finished with stone dust, and is easily negotiable with a cyclocross or mountain bike. Maybe I am missing something here. Airline trail from East Hampton to Willimantic - 20.5 mi, +1016 ft. Bike ride in Windham County, CT In 1976, the trail designation was extended north to Town Farm Road in Putnam. I'm going to start at the Price Chopper (251 Kennedy Dr, Putnam, CT 06260). My wife and I biked the eastern section from Route 207, northeastward to the trail's end at the bridge remains just west of Willamantic. The south trail is in much better shape and had inviting scenery with streams, farms and wetlands/lakes + virtually no wet areas on trail. It takes quite a lot of perseverance on some of the segments. Next went SW from rail station on trail to Covell Road. Bikes were very safe kept outside our cottage. I rode my hybrid bike from Cook Hill Rd. Just past this bridge, eastbound on the left is a big open area where the North Windham train station used to be, I think. Enjoy the ride. I would highly recommend the trail to someone looking for a bit more adventure and more of a workout then the Airline South trail.Give the people on ATV's a hard time. the improved trail ends here at a small pond, but you could continue if you wanted. Much of the adjoining flora is very overgrown so that a lot of your time is spent avoiding being whipped by branches. The nests that the previous reviewer noted are heron nests. The Thompson section was opened in 1992. My best regards and thanks to CT DEEP and local DPW's! The path from Willimantic to the beginning of the trail at North Windham was okayafter that it was stones, sands, stones, sands, puddlesit was hard to ride. Both of these trails are so much fun to ride. You'll also find a printable PDF version of the color trail brochure (I'm proud to say illustrated with my photos). Few crossroads, cool, not heavily used the day we were there. Good luck and have fun . They actually added to the adventure.We passed only three bikers the entire time out. ", """Give the people on ATV's a hard time. We enjoyed the experience immensely. It could be because it is not supported, or that JavaScript is intentionally disabled. Once at RT 193 the grade needs to be cut down to allow an at grade crossing. This weekend I found that some vast improvements have been made. Here is where having wings will help because the trail is too high above the river and with a 90% pitch too steep as well. 3. Parts of the path near the marsh are kind of narrow and don't accomodate 2 way travel very nicely. The last shuttle to the starting point will leave promptly at 8:30 AM for the 9:00 AM start. Runners registering at the start line should take and earlier shuttle. Today I headed south, and after a short time, I realized it was just too rough for my seventy year old body. ", "We just biked the airline trail from East Hampton to the Salmon River bridge, which is out, and back. Well, yes! Outside of the first three miles in East Hampton, I do not recommend this trail for family rides. But after crossing the river, the improved trail ended quickly at a chain link fence. I used to enjoy riding this section, but it is becoming a very jarring experience-not fun. My favorite place to start bike riding for this section of the trail is where it crosses CT Rte 203, N. Windham Road, about a quarter mile south of where Rte 203 crosses US Rte 6 in North Windham. There is still the bridge over the Hop River which looks to be in terrible shape and may never be repaired. This is a great trail. Basically a combination of dirt with natural stones. My favorite portion is Raymond Brook Marsh in Hebron. but you could park on Rt. NO MORE WATER HAZARDS! . The Town of East Hampton and the State DEEP have added 1.3 miles of riding to the existing Airline Trail - South. It's perfect for hikers, bikers, and horse riders. Have been on this stretch of the Air Line trail numerous times over the past few months as I have had the good fortune to make it part of my daily work commute.