Farmington River Trail

Connecticut

53 Reviews

Overview

A dozen miles west of Connecticut’s capital of Hartford, the Farmington River Trail forms a 16.5-mile arc that connects to the larger Farmington Canal Heritage Trail on both ends. The rail-trail was built largely on the former Central New England Railway right-of-way.

About the route

Beginning in Farmington, which the Farmington Valley Trails Council marks as Mile 0, the trail follows the river northwest through residential areas and past old trees. There are many points along this trail where trail users can stop and savor breathtaking views of the Farmington River, a National Wild and Scenic River, and perhaps even spot a heron resting on a rock. Winding through tree canopies and past old mills, rapids, and waterfalls, this paved portion of the trail connects Unionville, Collinsville, and Canton. The off-road trail experience ends in the lovely town of Canton, 10 miles from the northern endpoint.

North of Canton, the route transitions to on-road sharrows (markings that indicate a shared bicycle-vehicle lane). Follow the bike route signs on these lightly trafficked roads to Simsbury. At the intersection of Town Forest Road and Stratton Brook Road, a small section of the Farmington River Trail is once again off-road. This portion of the trail has a stone-dust surface and traverses Stratton Brook State Park. The densely wooded park offers hiking, swimming, and fishing opportunities.

When the trail reaches Bushy Hill Road, note that the trail turns left and crosses West Street to pick up another section of paved trail, which parallels the north side of West Street. When the trail arrives at Drake Hill Road, it crosses West Street again and parallel Drake Hill Road toward the Farmington River. Crossing the river on Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge provides a charming end to the journey. The metal-truss bridge was built in 1892 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. True to its name, it includes 62 flower boxes.

Connections

The Farmington River Trail encompasses the Stratton Brook State Park Trail.

Both endpoints of the Farmington River Trail connect to the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail.

Parking and Trail Access

The Farmington River Trail runs between Drake Hill Rd. (Simsbury) and Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, Red Oak Hill Rd. (Farmington).

Parking is available at:

66 Town Forest Rd (West Simsbury)
50 Depot St (Canton)
350 Collinsville Rd (Unionville)

There are numerous parking options along this route. See TrailLink Map for all parking options and detailed directions.

Farmington River Trail

November 2023 thejake91739

After reading many of the mixed reviews for this trail on TrailLink, I decided to keep my ride short but sweet by restricting it to what seemed to be the most picturesque - the portion between the historic Unionville train depot and the Riverside Nursery and Garden Center in Collinsville.

This part of the trail contains breathtaking views of the officially deemed wild and scenic Farmington River. In addition, since I did this in mid October, the river was a perfect reflecting glass for the amazing fall colors.

My ride was only a total of twelve miles out and back, but I now have the most perfect photos, videos, and memories of this Connecticut treasure!

The bike ride is easy and mostly flat with lots of locals getting their steps in and exercising their dogs. Surprisingly, I only encountered two other bicyclists on my early weekday morning ride.

very pretty

October 2022 lpusztai

We biked from Simsbury to Farmington on the Canal trail. It was nice with the fall color, but there is not much else to see. On the way back we took the River trail. It goes parallel to the river and it is very pretty. It goes thru Canton, which is a charming little town. From there the bike trail is quite good for a while, but then you have to bike on the road. The bike trail sign is painted on the road, but you have to look for it. Traffic was not bad at all. The last part goes thru a simsbury park, there are a lot of roots, gotta be careful. All in all the river trail is very nice, even with a couple of miles of in road biking. there there

Horrible Upper half

October 2022 dcsnyder

While the portion along the River is nice. The upper half from Simbury to Canton is terrible. Mostly on road, 10% grades, poorly marked. We had to use rail to trails app and use GPS so we did not get lost. I’d rate it one star but the Canton to Farmington section is nicer. Stick with the Farmington Canal Trail only if your visiting from out of town like we were.

out of town- you’re guessing

September 2022 southpawbrooks

I went to ride this trail for the first time from New York State. It was fair at best. It’s probably fine for folks who live there and know where to go when the actual trail ends. Being it was my first ride there, I could have used a couple of signs to direct me in the right direction. I got to Collinsville and had no idea where I was going. Finally gave up and went back. It could use a little maintenance along the River where the tree roots break through the pavement. Not impressed.

Farmington River Trail Reviews

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Accordion

I usually start just part the Farmington River Mini Golf, and head towards Canton. When the route shown ends at the nursery, is there a loop to get back to Farmington and not just go in reverse?Thanks.Dennis

August 2022 djdr042062

Best Trail in Ct.

April 2022 whitney495

I usually park at the lot at the corner of Red Oak Hill dr. and New Britian ave. and head north. You go thru Unionville then to Collinsville where you can stop for a drink and bite to eat. You can go back to your car from there (16 miles round trip) or continue on to Canton and even farther. Well, maintained, great scenic views of the Farmington River rapids. It can get crowded on weekends. During the week, is perfect.

Ride the whole loop

May 2021 bblhed_tl

I have done the trail in sections and I have done the entire loop. I recommend doing the whole loop if you can. The Farmington River Trail is quite scenic and offers a mix of closed paved trail, closed dirt trail, trails through parks, roads, and sidewalks. Along the trail there are plenty of places to stop and relax, shop, eat, even play mini golf, there are views of the river, and open areas. In Collinsville there are places to eat or grab a snack. Simsbury offers plenty of dining choices as well, and not far from the trail is the Drake Hill Flower Bridge. The trail along the river south of Collinsville can get really busy especially on weekend afternoons. Overall a great trail but combining it with the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail section that makes it a loop of just under 30 miles makes it a great ride.

signage

May 2021 slloyd59

The southern section is beautiful along the river. I rode from Simsbury to the Heritage trail. Cinder part is ok. Had a few problems with signage and luckily had downloaded the trail map. I had to stop Often to make sure I was in the right place

I really like this trail, but my only concern is the intersection at RT. 44 and Lawton Road. There's no signs for either the biker or the motorists

August 2020 davehmv

The LoopTrail ( Farmington River Trail/ Farmington Heritage Trail) 28 miles

August 2020 czajk

We did the loop trail starting in Collinsville. Initially started towards Canton but turned around as wasn't sure where to head after the first mile and half and did loop towards Unionville. Take note of the insets on map as trail needs better signage when you get to the towns. Nice ride along river and through towns but a lot of stop and go across highways, some being busy but with pedestrian lights to stop traffic. Be careful getting to the State Park as busy road and uphill. In the park again poor signage and ended up on an incorrect trail and had to back track. ( Take stone dust trail by covered bridge not the one by swimming area) Once out of the park the trail runs on the road for approx 3 miles- make sure you take Lawton Road! Would have given it 4 stars but the stop and go and poor signage as well as distance on road was frustrating and took away some of the enjoyment. Note: During this pandemic saw very few people wearing a mask on trail and trail is not as wide as some others we've been on.

An enjoyable trail with a few warts

July 2020 potterdunn

First, the trail is 10 miles, not 16. I don’t consider the 6 miles on a road a trail because, well, it’s a road and not a trail. Focusing on the 10 miles, it’s a nice trail - paved, scenic, wide, mostly shaded which helps block out the sun and wind, no major hills, and there’s plenty of parking. There are a few negatives: crowded, busy roads to cross, roots have pushed up the pavement in spots, and the stretch in Collinsville isn’t well marked and you have to ride on narrow boardwalks in spots. But overall, I highly recommend it. And a huge positive is it connects to the canal trail which offers a great 30 mile ride all the way to Westfield, MA and will eventually provide a nonstop trail all the way to New Haven.

great trail spot

July 2020 cflynch56

Great ride today. Had lunch at Lisa’s crown and hammer pub in Collinsville on the way back. Great day.

Very nice, incredibly varied, connects with local trails and Farmington Canal Trail

June 2020 spanny

My wife and I rode this trail on 5/30/20, riding about 28 miles in all in a circle that also featured the Farmington Canal Trail. There are a number of different sections to this ride you need to be aware of before you go. We started at the parking lot on Red Oak Road, near the start. The first part of the trail, heading Northwest, runs on a very pretty course alongside the Farmington River, with lots of water views. Very scenic. There are several small towns along the way...in particular, Collinsville has a nice little downtown with places to eat, and places to stop with picnic tables alongside the river. The route then proceeds back East, until you get to the intersection with Route 202/44/Albany Turnpike. There is then some riding along regular roads: Lawton, Notch, West Mountain. The roads are basically flat with good sight lines, not difficult if you're an experienced rider (I wouldn't take kids on this section). Off of West Mountain, you'll find an entrance (a little hard to spot, there was a temporary sign there) to a hard packed dirt/cinder trail that proceeds for a short distance. It ends, and then following the markings on the road, you'll again ride on-road (Town Forest Road) again for a short distance, at which point you'll pick up another dirt/cinder trail (Stratton Brook State Park Trail) which ends at Brushy Hill Road. Cross Route 309/Farms Village Road and on the other side of the street is a paved trail that takes you down to Simsbury, where you pick up the Farmington Canal Trail south that takes you back to the Red Oak parking lot. Be aware that there are some varied signs/directions as you ride through Avon that take you behind offices etc. in a confusing way...I guess they didn't have the room to just cut the trail straight through. But soon you'll be back on the conventional trail. But as for the ride:
What's nice about this ride was its diversity: the section along the river, some riding on country roads, the dirt/cinder path through the woods, and the more conventional trail from Simsbury south. Lots of places to stop and eat (especially Simsbury), many trail parking lots, we saw a lot of bathroom options . We know the Farmington Canal Trail well, were glad to discover this very nice connected option! Definitely check out the map at their website before you go. One more thing: we used our road bikes, and we were able to navigate the short dirt sections pretty easily...you don't need a mountain bike just for that.

Some beautiful views !

November 2019 hilary.cain

I did the loop today going north on this River Trail then back south on the FCT. The gravel is at mile 12.3 after a little on the road segment but it only lasts about 3/4 mile. I had to go very slowly on the gravel dust because I was on my road bike (22mm) but it was tolerable because it was short (&pretty). At the entrance to the Stratton State Park a sign indicates you can take the road downhill to Simsbury felt safe. froDOWNdown to Simsbury which was much better on thin tires. indicating on esign The on the road section was well marked today - although many of the signs were large temporary ones. I how

Where is the gravel? Please correct the summary

September 2019 petesalomone

This entire trail has been paved for years.

Beautiful loop!

August 2019 sgwarnerp

We just rode the Plainville to Simsbury portion of the Farmington Canal Trail and then down the Farmington River Trail. Spectacular. There are a couple of confusing road crossings (1 in Simsbury and another less than clear route just after the bridge in Collinsville). But we loved it. Worth even a long drive. Very shady. Some parts through the woods so not suitable for skinny tire bike.

Excellent

June 2019 yiwang100

This is the 1st trail I rode since started biking 7 years ago. It is still one of my favorites. Close to the north end there is a small town with nice restaurants and a surprisingly good small museum displaying local history. It is well worth a visit.

Very scenic, pristine, well maintained..A must Ride!

July 2018 doreenvm4

Well worth the 1 1/2 hour ride to get to!! We started at the Plainville parking area and decided to take this path to Simsbury and then return the Farmington Canal Path. The River path is beautiful and deserves the 5 stars. It runs along a beautiful river and brought us to the quaint little town of Collinsville. The only issue we had was the path came to an abrupt end at the route 202 & 44 intersection. There were no signs to indicate the street riding. Guessing , we proceeded on the street until we saw the cycling insignia. The only other poor signage is when you come out of the state forest and there is no indication until approx 100 yards that tells you that you're going in the right direction. We were glad we had the Rails to Trails Southern New England Guide Book we could keep referring to!

Worth a long drive

June 2018 lughnerson

August 2017
It was a great ride, next to a river, shady, smooth, and there is a parallel Farmington Canal trail that meets this one at the southern end. The north end is near a conjesting roadway and was supposed to continue on a non-paved section, but I could not find it. Go check it out.

July 2016 thymiann

It is a great trail in the woods and thanks to lots of shade it is a very pleasant place even on a hot summer day. It seems like a perfect place for a walk or bike ride.

Last Sunday I went on about 22 mile afternoon bike ride with my husband which we really enjoyed. We started at the beginning of the Farmington River Trail in Farmington and rode almost all the way to Simsbury. Unfortunately on our way back, while I was riding as a second rider, I’ve heard some noise and turned my head in anticipation of seeing a squirrel jumping on a fence, but in reality it was a mature black bear leaning on the wooden fence and looking at me! A few seconds later as I passed it and turned back the bear was already on the other side of the fence on the asphalt path. Regardless of what it’s intentions were I got very lucky – I’m afraid to guess what could have happened if I would arrive there just 2 seconds later!

After I got back home I googled information on black bears sightings in Connecticut and it appears that both Farmington and Avon have one of the Connecticut’s biggest black bear populations with more than 900 reported black bear sightings according to the Connecticut’s Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (http://www.depdata.ct.gov/wildlife/sighting/bearsight.asp). But what is the most upsetting to me is that in my 22 mile long bike ride I haven’t noticed any single sign of warning that would let people know of black bears seen in the area!

As much as I loved the ride and the sights I’m never coming back there again!

More on black bears: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America

Wonderful

June 2016 katt.wilkinson12

I am a roller blader, my friend and I went out around 5 and finished the 10 mile loop in about 3 and a half 4 hours. The roads were pretty nice, however the only thing I didn't like was the nice paved trail randomly turning into a road that was bumpy and rocky without any notice that this trail would turn into a road then back into a trail. Besides that it was a great ride, nice and smooth besides the sticks from the blustery wind. Great spots on the side of the trail to stop and check out as well. All in all, wonderful!

Lovely ride

May 2016 casualextremistbicyclist

Nice path

May 2016 kjskid

Biked the first 4 miles of this path. Level and wide. Loved it!

Great ride

October 2015 sessick

Rode this trail for first time today with my son and daughter. Started in Farmington and rode the first 10 miles to where a sign says bike trail ends. You can continue but would need to ride on side of road for a few miles. We turned around at this point and returned. Trail was in great shape, just a few small bumps close to the start, but even those were highlighted with orange paint as a warning. Ride is very flat and scenic, running along side the Farmington river.

About 2 miles from start there is a miniature golf and ice cream place, so we had to stop for ice cream on the return.

We definitely plan to return, as it was a great ride. Next time we will leave more time and combine it with the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail that intersects it where we started and at the end of the Farmington River Trail. It looks like you can combine the two trails for up to ~60 miles round trip, if you head North to the MA/CT border and return.

July 2015 sessick

Rail Trail Jewel

July 2015 6152

This newly redone Farmington River Rail Trail was a pleasure to ride today, July 6, 2015.
The prettiest part, along the river, that was so bumpy before, is now smooth smooth smooth!
We rode from Farmington, to rt 44 in Canton. Then returned and had a great lunch at LaSalles market in Collinsville, then back to Farmington. About 20 miles. The River trail is my favorite!

trail renovation

June 2015 scooby

Thank you for all your hard work! The newly renovated trail is great and such a joy to ride. We come from New Milford,CT because we have nothing like this in our area. We'll definitely be returning

well maintained

May 2015 agnes.josephine.9

Well maintained. Great for cycling.

April 2015 sarahkrzanowski

Love this trail, we need more of them in Connecticut!

Father And Daughter Ride

September 2014 gwilly

On September 28, 2014 My daughter and I did our first ride on the Farmington Trails. And it was a beautiful sunny day temp. was around 80. The people were very friendly and everyone respected us on the trails.Thanks for our first ride The Wilson's!

Great for a shaded run

July 2014 lsirun

July 2014 gall22

Nice- very nice - with minor flaws

September 2013 rparian6363_tl

Thanks for those who warned about the tree routes. I chose the mtn bike to cushion the ride with the suspension. I started on the north access in Collinsville and found that the tree roots were perhaps a bit overstated as it was only the first 2-3 miles of the trail. None the less the mtn bike cushioned the ride, but I would have preferred to ride the 18 miles on the road bike. Don't let this deter you. The ride is scenic, clean and well maintained. The East Bay trail in Rhode Island still sets the gold standard.
If you like this trail and are up for the drive you have to do it, at least once, in your life.

The Farmington River Trail, One Of My Favorite Rides

September 2013 mbiker71

I live local to this trail and enjoy it a few times a month on my mountain bike. I usually treat myself to coffee and an egg sandwich at LaSalle Market and Deli when I get to Collinsville. There are many parking areas along this scenic path. The section from Burlington To Collinsville has tree roots and my be a bit bumpy for a road bike. I have heard it will be repaved soon. You can easily move from the path to the parallel road to avoid this section for now. If you want a preview you can ride along with me here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9YmS_ZI_mU

Happy Riding

August 2013 smirkr

enjoy this ride immensely but some roots are popping up in areas under asphalt

Gorgeous but treacherous for road bikes...

July 2013 shessosquare

I love this trail, especially the huge bridge that crosses into Burlington. What a find! So much to see.

The only reason I don't give this trail 5 stars is because there is a horrible problem with roots poking through the pavement. I was terrified that I'd wreck my road bike or even go over the handlebars. Go slow over roots or avoid them if you can.

Beautiful Ride, but busy

April 2013 zimm25

I live about a mile from the middle of this trail and know it well. I've run, biked, x-c skied, walked (with stoller, dog, wife, and more) over the trail hundreds of times. It's a beautiful area with a fun town to visit half way along the trail map. Collinsville has the unique breakfast/lunch stop at LaSalle, the Village Sweet Shop for a chocolate/sugar fix, Antiques to look at while visiting or you can end your trip and grab food/drink at Francescas Wine Bar or Crown & Hammer.

All that said, it is very, very busy during spring, summer & fall, especially on nice days and weekends. There are lots of dog walkers, families with kids (including mine), lovebirds taking a stroll, etc. If you're looking to move at a faster pace, you should look elsewhere or plan on moving to the road during the portion near route 179. You'll just be frustrated here if you want to go above 5 mph!

A 5* trail to come throw some rocks in the river, grab a snack and visit. A 3* ride for the more ambitious riders.

Road BIkes Use Caution

April 2013 captain art

I love this trail but some of the older sections have tree roots that pushed the pavement up. You will have to steer around them so you don't damage your wheels. Its like going over speed bumps. Hopefully they will clean up some of these areas in the near future.

osborn2ride

September 2012 laretha

Last Thursday on my way to the North Shore of Boston I did the Farmington Canal Trail and had such a great ride I thought that on my way back home I would do this trail and had another great ride. This trail is much more scenic than the Canal trail as most of the first ten miles runs next to the Farmington Rive. I saw a Deer, a number of Turkeys, a Fox and a lot of Squirrels. Like the Canal Trail it has it all, Park Benches, Picnic Tables, a great Canopy, Mile Markers and great Historical Markers. My only disappointment was that after ten miles it just comes to an end. You then have to do a road ride up to Stratton Brooke State Park. It was not what I call a great ride between those two points. The 1.2 miles of the Stratton Brooke Trail made up for some of my disappointment as it is a great little trail. If you do this trail it is a dirt surface but is in great shape. From Stratton Brooke I went over to Simsbury and took the Farmington Canal Trail Back as I just did not want to deal with the five miles of Road. The ten mile southern section is family friendly, the only thing is some of the older pavement has a lot of tree roots and it is l little rough. The beauty of this trail is as good as it gets.

Open at last - a few rough spots.

August 2012 jeanna4

Thank goodness this is finally a paved trail from Rt 4 into Collinsville. Most of it is well engineered, the fences and crossings well done, with several parking areas - at the former terminus near the underpass and along Rt 4. Here's the beef - there is a distinct difference in the paving north of where Spellman Highway meets Rt 179 - it's "Tour de Tree Root" from there to Arch Rd. Not sure why this section is so bad, but if you have a road bike, be prepared to spend a lot of time worrying about your teeth. Park at the Red Oak Hill Lot, and you now have a 14 mile r/t on this western leg of the trail, and 44 miles r/t on the eastern leg.

Nice detour from the Farmington Canal Trail

July 2012 matthew lupoli

After cycling the entire Farmington Canal Trail, I decided to ride the River Trail. Overall, I think it is much more scenic the Farmington portion of the Canal Trail. I especially liked the Collinsville section. My only complaint is that the paved trail ends abruptly in Canton and that you have to use the regular road the rest of the way until you pick up the Stratton Brook Trail / Farmington Canal Trail in Simsbury. I hope that they can develop this gap into a paved trail in the near future, but other than that it's a great bike trail.

Farmington River Trail 7/10/2012

July 2012 starrwoman

Did 11 mile round trip with my husband. Nice ride, well maintained trail, flat easy biking. Might be very on weekends, had steady traffic, several walkers and moms with kids. Well shaded along much of trail, good views of river. Would definitely go back for another ride!

All Trails Open

March 2012 gfoote

Had a nice ride this week from the start of the trail in Farmington all the way to Simsbury. The Burlington section is now open, as is the Canton to Simsbury link - all in beautiful condition. Take advantage of the early Spring weather!

September 2011 fletch6

I have been wanting to take a ride on the newly completed Canton section for a while, but have waited to do the New Burlington section at the same time. The 10.9 mileage is about right one way although the end at Canton does not have mileage markers yet. The new Canton section is well done and makes for a great ride. I parked with permission from the Ski shop at the end on Rt.44 and started a gentle down hill to Collinsville and the ride along the Farmington river headed south. There is however Parking at a park and across the street from the Canton fire station one block west from the start and on week ends should be used to keep the ski lot for customers. At MM 5 a newly completed section was a welcome relief from the 2 miles of root heaves from Black Locust trees left too close to the trail. With no mile markers between #5 and #3.5 I am not sure how much is left to do, but a construction worker says it should be finished in about a month and is packed gravel for about 3/4 of a mile to the underpass at Rt.4. I think the previous report confused the Farmington Canal Trail with The Farmington river trail.

This trail is a 10

September 2011 rcdunbar

In late September I rode from the Avon trail head north to a point about 4 miles into Massachusetts - 37 miles round trip. Contrary to the info above, the trail now passes through and well past Simsbury and continues seamlessly into MA, although the name changes at the border. Most of the trail runs on the old railroad right-of-way, but there are significant departures. In the Simsbury area the trail runs along side Rt 202 for over a mile, but not on it. Except for well-marked crossings, you are never ON a street.

It's asphalt 100% - not a speck of gravel except for some run-off from the recent rains. Yeah, there are root breaks, but show me a 20 mile paved trail without any. All told, it's an excellent riding surface, and the signage is plentiful and unambiguous. The various off-rail sections are not flat, but the ups and downs are short and manageable. All told, my aged legs were able to maintain a 12.5 mph clip over the entire route.

The scenery is varied and attractive - you won't be bored. There are long heavily wooded stretches above and below the CT-MA border, as well as some marshy areas. Lots of small rodents running back and forth. In the populated areas I didn't see anything that I would call ugly - no run-down or deserted factories or the like - but that's a subjective opinion. In fact, the towns are attractive, and you get to see a lot of back yards.

It's a trail i would definitely do again, on another trip to New England someday.

Treat Today

May 2011 globebiker

While reaching the end of the trail today in Collinsville and planning to turn around at the Nursery, I noticed a painted crosswalk and a continuation of the trail across the road. I followed newly constructed and paved trail ahead! I rode onward for about 2 miles on this new section and ended up at Best Cleaners on Rt 44. Looking like it ended there I turned around and headed back to Simsbury. Kudo's to Collinsville and Canton for extending the Trail!

November 2010 bktourer1

This trail is in the process of being extended along the river. New paving has been done reently and sections of wooden fence is in place. The new section is not curently open "officially" yet.
This means you will no longer need to ride uphill on Rt 177 to the next parking lot.

Correction to exit # of I-84 & Great destination rail-trail

October 2010 bboo60equus

If you are taking I-84 North it's exit 39 not 38.

It's a great destination rail-trail. My husband & I love this trail. We have biked it 3 times this past year. Upgrades are being done so check out the trail. The village of Collinville is so charming and historic. The village is a nice rest stop before heading back to Farmington.

Farmington River Trail Mile 0 to Mile 3.8

October 2010 johnwkauffman

My wife and i had a very enjoyable ride down off the Farmington Valley Rail trail form the 1.8 mile parking lot. Our intent was to joing up with the Farmington river trail where the two join.
When you get to the end Mile 0 of the Rail trail there are no clear concise signs at how to get to Mile 0 of the River Trail, You end up traversing a very narrow side walk ( to the right of the end of the rail trail) to you fid the parking lotto the River Trail.
At this point the river Trails is a very enjoyable ride untill you reach the Crossing at Plainville Rd. (Rte 177).
I don't know how to say this but this is a VERY DANGERIOUS CROSSING, There is no painted crossing area, the road is very heavely traveled with cars and trucks, there is no warnings signs as farther up the trail to warn Drivers of bikes crossing. The trail continues following the river untill is cross's route 4 ( well controlled crossing)(signs and painted lines) it follows route 4 then crosses under it to a parking area. at this point the trail ends it paved service
All in all a very enjoyable days ride for two old folks.

Rode this trail today

May 2010 al.hissong4us_tl

After a nice ride on the North Hampton we drove down Rt 10 and over to collinsville to check out the Farmington River Trail. There were a lot of bikers there at the market near the Center parking area. Not
that many on the trail. I did notice a lot of mountain bikes and after riding about a mile I soon learned why.
This is no trail for road or hybrid bikes of any kind. The root bumps are so bad I wonder how people can even walk this trail. And there are so many batches of people walking this trail its hard to bike because they seem to ignore that your on a bike and rarely give you the courtesy of moving aside for you, making you slow to a stop if there's oncoming traffic. I won't be back anytime soon unless something changes there.

New parking area on south end of trail

August 2009 fletch6

Forgot to mention this in my last post. It is about 1000 yards up from the end of the trail.

Nice ride but getting very bumpy

Took a ride over from Avon today to do a loop off the Canal Trail and the section south of Collinsville is getting a lot of root heaving. I did not see many bikes although it was a nice cool ride. I was wondering if when being built more cut back of trees would help keep this from ruining a trail as fast. It seems that Locust trees close to the trail are the worst. I am still exploring to find a good way to climb over the ridge back to Avon from Collinsville with out the trafic of Rt. 44

Farmington river Trail

May 2008 fletch6

As said on the page for the Farmington Valley Green way It is possible to bike south from almost the Mass. Line to the Plainville line and then turn north again on the Farmington river trail for a loop ride of over 30 miles. ( the 30 miles is from Simsbury and back not up to the Mass. Line) When you get to the end of the FVGW take a right and about 50 ft. you will cross a street to start.
The first 3.3 miles if asphalt and with the new underpass for Rt.4 very nice riding. You then will find about 2 miles of trap rock and dirt riding up to the section going to Collinsville. I think this is the town of Burlington and hopefully they will finish sometime. This is a very nice river ride along the Farmington river with a spectacular trestle at the edge of town. After the end you can wind through local back roads to pick up two pieces of an old RR (I think) that went over the ridge to Simsbury. I had scouted the easterly section last year and still have not found the section near Collinsville so we just road up and over Rt.44 to some more back roads and back down a 3 mile stone chip section of the old RR to join with Rt.167.

Farmington River Trail

Connecticut

53 Reviews

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Farmington River Trail

very pretty

Horrible Upper half

out of town- you’re guessing

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