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Print Friendly MapJust over 3 miles long, the Sue Grossman Still River Greenway is anchored by Winsted to the north and Torrington to the south. It occupies the right-of-way of the Naugatuck Division of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Locomotives once hauled freight and carried passengers between Bridgeport and Winsted (an unincorporated community within Winchester). Following a slow decline in demand, rail service was discontinued in 1958 and the stretch between Torrington and Winsted was left fallow. The current incarnation of the Naugatuck Division offers seasonal themed excursions that run from Waterbury to Winsted.
The Winsted endpoint is accessed from the DMV Driveway (151 Torrington Rd, Winsted), but no trail parking is available here. Heading south and paralleling Torrington Road for a half mile, the next trailhead (18 Lanson Dr, Winsted) is in about a half mile and it has a paved parking lot.
As it continues south, the smooth, flat asphalt ribbon of the trail cuts through riparian wetland, with the Still River gliding quietly behind a screen of bushes and colorful wildflowers. Crossing the border between Winchester (the town which includes the city of Winsted), Torrington Road becomes Winsted Road and the wall of wetland flora continues sheltering the rail-trail from the road and from civilization.
Just before the intersection with Pinewoods Road, you will see a trailside kiosk and memorial plaque. Benches here and at intervals along the way provide respite. Heading south from here, the route serves double duty as the Fitness Trail with outdoor equipment stations.
After Pinewoods Road, the rail-trail begins to follow the road more closely and the vegetation thins slightly when the route intersects with community hubs. This provides easier access to and from the nearby businesses and residences. South of the Greenwoods Road trailhead, you will find yourself in the tiny village of Burrville. There are a couple more minor road crossings before the trail terminates at the Harris Drive parking area in Torrington. Crossings are well marked, but they are at grade so use caution.
Young and old alike will enjoy this scenic, family-friendly trail. Even if you go solo, don’t be surprised if you have company; bunnies are a common sight and source of delight along the path. In your peripheral vision, you might catch a deer loping into the cover of trees in the surrounding protected lands. Perhaps the only downside to the Sue Grossman Still River Greenway is that it’s relatively short, but even that is bound to change with planned extensions into downtown Winsted and Torrington.
Parking is available at the southern end of the trail (Harris Dr & Winsted Rd, Torrington), at the Greenwood Road parking lot, and at the Lanson Drive parking lot (18 Lanson Dr, Winsted). Visit the TrailLink map for detailed directions.
Twice this week I saw a bear x the trail near the USA transfer station.
Also saw two women digging up poppies! That's a no no!
The extended trail that ends by the motor vehicle bldg has beautiful poppies and other ornamentals! Well done you guys!
I just rode this trail, again. I pleasantly surprise that the trail has been extended about 3/4 mile and now goes up to motor vehicle office in Winsted.
Easy access and very flat and straight. Nice trail to cycle for couples and families.
This is a nice even, smooth trail, mostly flat and very easy to skate. Just a few small hills, I can usually build enough momentum to coast most of the way up. It's not very long so it's a nice stop if I don't have a lot of time. Can be crowded in the evenings, after work and school, lots of people walking their dogs.
I love walking this trail. I have yet to make it to the end with the kids as they get tired we have gone most of the way. I walk there a few times a week with them. They love seeing the turtles in the water. Only thing I dislike is those who dont clean up after their dogs. I have stepped in dog doo on the trail, and alot of those who do clean up throw the colored baggies in the bushes so you always see colored bags oi n the ground and un the tree.if your not going to take the bag with you then leave the pool it will eventually go away your bag on the other hand will go nowhere :(
My hubby and I have walked and have now began bike riding it. Walking it is great exercise. I have to say though the bike was a bit harder when riding against the wind ... lol... Everyone we came across was very polite. Walkers, bike riders, roller blades etc. I certainly give it a thumbs up...👍🏼
Sue Grossman Still River Greenway is a fairly short (2.9) miles asphalt trail that runs parallel to Winsted Road. There are several intersections with other roads and driveways for local businesses. But the drivers we encountered were alert to cyclists and didn't barrel through. My friend and I rode the route in the late afternoon and there were only a few other people on the Greenway. But rabbits were numerous with young bucks and does lopping off into the brush. With a DQ just down the road in Winsted and nearby Burr Pond state park, I recommend Sue Grossman for families with younger riders.
I'm not a biker, so the "6" miles is great for me. I'd assume it would be too short for bikers.
As a walker, on a bike path, my dog and I tend to walk against bike "traffic", much to the chagrin of other walkers. When we walk in our neighborhood, we don't have sidewalks, and walking rules are to walk against traffic. This would be the same on a bike path. Plus the majority of bikers don't announce themselves when coming up behind you. And startling a dog you don't know isn't really smart or safe.
Since my dog is a trained "street walker" we tend to stick to the "wrong" side of the bike path and get some nasty looks from walkers walking with bike traffic. I can't get the dog to walk on the opposite side as her training is for streets and she knows how to safely navigate them that way. She even moves onto the grass and out of the way of on comers so we take up less room.
I notice there have been a lot of bush/tree cutting lately, and a lot seems to have been left to rot.
Along with people not picking up after their pets - freshly mowed dog-do isn't a pleasant smell. There seems to be attempts at mowing but a lot of the weeds are really getting large and taking over.
I would love to see a volunteer event where we can all help to clean up and weed the walk way.
the bunnies are adorable!
As noted by others, this trail is short, but the pavement is good. The trail is parallel to Winsted Road and is separated by only a thin line of trees in some places, and a strip of grass in others, so road noise can be an issue. This is a link to the map; http://www.torringtonct.org/Public_Documents/TorringtonCT_Engineering/Published%20Maps/Sue%20Grossman%20Greenway.pdf
This was a really nice, well-maintained bike trail. The only problem I had is that it was very short, at only 3 miles one way. This trail is obviously a work in progress and I look forward to the day that extensions are made. It definitely has the potential to be an awesome trail in the future.
Whoever submitted those first pictures in 2006 is not thinking of the right trail. I'm not actually sure where in Torrington he's talking about, but I plan on looking for it. The last 2 pictures from 2010 are the correct photos. It's a nice trail, my GPS watch says it's actually 2.8 miles, but unless you're like me and picky about exact distances, what's a 10th of a mile? All flat and well maintained. Find a bathroom beforehand because there's really no where to go while you're on the trail. I typically do an out and back run on it for a total of 5.6 miles, although with 3 parking areas, you could shorten it if you wanted. From the Torrington parking lot it's approximately 1.1 miles to the next major intersection, Greenwoods Rd. From that road it's another 1.7 miles to the end. So if you park in the middle at Greenwoods Rd you can easily make this run shorter if you so chose to.
We started our ride from the south end on a Saturday (March 20th) at noon. We noticed that every parking lot along the trail was full and people were parking along the nearby streets. By 1:00 the lots were only half full. In any event it appears to be a very popular trail.
The trail is 2.9 miles long and paved the entire length making for a quick round trip.
I could not find this trail except for about 1/4 mile in Winsted where the sign said an old round house was off Willow st. Someone there said they decided not do any more of the trail than this small section.
"This trail is very short at present; visit it only if you happen to be nearby on other business.
The surface is nicely paved, and there is wheelchair access provided from all three trailheads.
The trail runs along the Mad River, between Lake Street and Elm Street."
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