Connecticut

Trails in Connecticut

5 mapped routes in Connecticut: 2 hiking trails, 2 cycling routes and 1 scenic drive. Together they cover 116 km with 780 m of climbing, and the highest point reaches 203 m. Every route has a GPX download, elevation profile, gradient and surface analysis.

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Plate US-CT · 5 routes · GPS traced

Mapped routes: 5
Total distance: 116km
Total climbing: 780m
Highest point: 203m
Water crossings: 2

Destination guide

About trails in Connecticut

Connecticut's routes are concentrated in the New Haven area and the central valley, and they suit short outings. The backbone is the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, Hamden, a paved multi-use path on an old canal and railroad corridor running north out of New Haven. It is long enough for a proper day in the saddle but almost flat. The shorter Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, Southington picks up the same greenway farther north.

On foot, the Sleeping Giant Base Walk, Hamden circles the lower slopes of the traprock ridge whose outline looks like a reclining figure, while the Turkey Hill Walk, Orange is a brief woodland stroll. For drivers, the Newtown to New Haven Drive links the hills of Fairfield County with the coast along back roads and town centers.

Best time to go: May through October is the best period, with fall color peaking in mid to late October. Winter brings snow and icy paths, and summer afternoons can be humid.
Terrain: The ground is gentle: rail-trail grades, low wooded ridges and coastal lowland, nothing above about 200 m, and all routes are rated easy or moderate.
Permits & access: Connecticut state parks do not charge parking fees for vehicles with Connecticut plates; out-of-state visitors may pay at staffed parks in season. The canal trail has many road crossings and small parking lots along its length.

Ways to explore