East Coast Greenway Guide CT RI

GUIDE to the
EAST COAST GREENWAY

New Haven, Connecticut,
to Providence, Rhode Island
by bike or on foot
By Lisa Watts
EAST COAST GREENWAY ALLIANCE
The nonprofit East Coast Greenway Alliance is fostering a safe biking and
walking route through the country’s most populated corridor. The East Coast
Greenway travels through 15 states and Washington, D.C., connecting 450
cities and towns for 3,000 miles from Key West to Canada. greenway.org
The 1772 Foundation works to ensure the safe passage of our historic
buildings and farmland to future generations. 1772foundation.org
Writer and editor Lisa Watts lives in Westerly, Rhode Island. A former
communications manager for the East Coast Greenway Alliance, she and
fellow Rhode Islander Deirdre Bird biked the entire East Coast Greenway,
Key West to Canada, over two months in 2018.
Guide to the East Coast Greenway
New Haven, Connecticut, to

Providence, Rhode Island
by Bike or on Foot
By Lisa Watts
An East Coast Greenway Alliance publication,

with support from the 1772 Foundation
2021
Page 1 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Please note: At the time of this guide’s publication, spring 2021,
! many businesses along the route were still affected by the

coronavirus pandemic. We have tried to note when restaurants
have outdoor seating for safer dining. As with all trip planning, it’s
wise to call ahead to check hours and availability.
The pandemic also means more people have turned to the East Coast
Greenway as a safe place to exercise, commute, and spend family time.
Please use good trail etiquette by slowing down and calling out when
passing others. Through crowded sections, please travel single file.

13 23 85
Contents
Overview map 04
Sources and Contributors 06
Introduction 07
Itineraries & Navigation 11
Chapter 1: New Haven 13
Chapter 2: New Haven to Simsbury 23
Chapter 3: Simsbury to East Hartford 31
Chapter 4: East Hartford to Willimantic 41
Chapter 5: Willimantic to Putnam 51
Chapter 6: Putnam to Coventry 63
Chapter 7: Coventry to Providence 69
Chapter 8: Providence 77
Chapter 9: East Bay Bike Path 85
History of East Coast Greenway Alliance 93

New Haven to Providence
Culture, history, and natural beauty
experienced up close and in person
on the East Coast Greenway
Hartford, CT
New Haven, CT
New York City
For an interactive map that can create turn-by-turn directions and/or

gpx files of the route, go to: map.greenway.org
For an interactive Google Map pinpointing all recommended lodging,

dining, attractions and other sites, go to: greenway.org/ctriguidemap

Boston, MA
Worcester, MA
Providence, RI
Cape Cod
New Haven to Providence: 170 miles

paved greenway unpaved greenway on road

Sources & Contributors
Many thanks to everyone who contributed their insights, photos, and recommenda-
tions — and their miles — to this guide, including:
Barbara Amodio Raymond Gauthier

Matt Anderson Grace Geilink, Preserve RI
Mary Anthony Aaron Goode
Silvia Ascarelli GoProvidence.com
Deirdre Bird John Hankins
Blackstone River Valley National Joshuastrust.org
Historic Park Kristine Keeney
Bike-Walk Bolton Scott Livingston
Laura Burrone Ana Markasyn
Connecticut Department of Energy Michael Melford
and Environmental Protection Bill O’Neill
Connecticut Office of Tourism Sylvia Ounpuu
Rob Dexter Paul Proulx
Bruce Donald Erin Roll
Jack Dougherty Save the Bay Rhode Island
Farmington Valley Trails Council & Steve Sokolosky
The Farmington Canal Rail-to-Trail Karen Votava
Association WaterFire
Sandy Fry Eric Weis

The East Coast Greenway crosses the Connecticut River from downtown Hartford via the Mortensen
Riverfront Plaza. Erin Roll photo
Introduction
There’s a powerful magic to connect those two metropolitan areas.
the little green and blue signs Soon they stretched their vision to span the
that mark your way on the East whole East Coast, from the tip of Florida
through Maine. They intentionally routed
Coast Greenway. the Greenway through the coast’s largest
You might be out for a morning’s run in cities, from Miami to Boston, rather than
Georgia or a quick afternoon bike ride in skirting urban areas. From the start, they
New York City. You see the Greenway sign envisioned the Greenway as an equitable,
and it hits you: One day you could just keep accessible multi-use path that connects
heading north and reach the Canadian the places where the most people live.
border, or head south for the palm trees As a result, the East Coast Greenway is
and beaches of Key West. as suitable for local commuting by bike
or foot as it is for enjoying the outdoors,
Such was the East Coast Greenway
exercising, and traveling — for hours or for
founders’ vision in the early 1990s. As
months.
planners and bicycle advocates living in
Boston and New York City, they imagined a To develop a long-distance route, you have
biking and walking route that would safely to take the long view. It’s a marathon, not a

have championed the vision of a long-
distance trail and whose transportation
and parks departments have made it
happen.
Traveling the Greenway through
Connecticut and Rhode Island, you’ll
enjoy far more than just traffic-free
miles. The route through the Nutmeg
For Rhode Islanders, clams are quahogs State and the Ocean States is steeped
in history and culture, natural beauty and
urban innovation. Names of towns and
sprint. The Greenway began as a network rivers and roads remind you of the area’s
of existing paths connected by the safest first settlers, including the Wampanoags,
roads possible between them. The hard the Quinipiacs, and the Narragansetts,
work is in developing safe, accessible whose descendants still live here. Thanks
greenway connections. As the nonprofit to an early deal with the Wampanoags,
East Coast Greenway Alliance approaches Roger Williams founded Rhode Island in
its 30th anniversary in 2021, the route 1636 as a refuge for religious freedom.
has reached the milestone of 35 percent Just north of Providence, Samuel Slater
complete, with more than 1,000 of its 3,000 harnessed the Blackstone River to spin
miles now on protected paths. Those miles cotton yarn into fabric, creating America’s
represent $1.5 billion in infrastructure first textile mill and launching the American
investment that has produced a strong Industrial Revolution in 1793. In Hartford,
return in terms of economic development merchants worried about their valuable
as well as benefits for public health and wares sitting in warehouses, vulnerable
the environment. In 2020, so many people to fire, so the country’s insurance industry
flocked to the East Coast Greenway for took root in this bustling city on the
their physical and mental health during the Connecticut River.
COVID pandemic that it has become the
most visited park in America, counting over You’ll read about this history and more in
50 million bike rides, runs, and walks. the following chapters. You will learn that
the East Coast Greenway passes where
Visitors to the East Coast Greenway in America’s first coins were minted and the
Connecticut and Rhode Island will enjoy first American factory to build bicycles.
a number of the Greenway’s earliest and You can visit the home of Mark Twain and
most beloved stretches of protected a boxcar museum detailing the life of
paths: from the Farmington Canal Heritage Boxcar Children author Gertrude Chandler
Trail to the Charter Oak, Hop River, and Warner. You can tour the handsome,
Air Line State Park Trail in Connecticut to centuries old campuses of two Ivy League
the Washington Secondary Trail across universities. You can take in awe-inspiring
Rhode Island and the East Bay Bike Path views of Long Island Sound and the city
alongside Narragansett Bay. The two states from New Haven’s two sentinel ridges,
have some of the highest percentages West Rock and East Rock. You can soak in
of completion among the Greenway’s 13 the peace and beauty of miles of woods
states — 50 percent for Connecticut, 68 and marshlands where trains once carried
percent for Rhode Island. In both cases, freight and passengers between New York
that progress is thanks to leadership from City and Boston. You can grab a bench
the top: governors over the years who and feast on a fish taco or slice of pizza

while people-watching on a pedestrian
bridge over the Providence River, just a
few miles downriver from Slater’s first
mill.
The history here is not all admirable,
of course. The deep-water harbor of
Bristol, Rhode Island, at one end of the
East Bay Bike Path, was a key port for
the global slave trade. The region’s
Native American tribes united at one
point to fight off English colonizers,
but ultimately the Indigenous people
were forcibly displaced. In the 1800s
an African American entrepreneur
and community leader in New Haven
died, poor and alone, after decades
of growing racism from the French
Canadian, Irish and Italian immigrants
who moved to the city for industrial
jobs that he helped to launch by
building Long Wharf. As the region’s
industries grew, industrial waste
polluted the once thriving rivers, bays
and harbors. Cycling along Long Wharf Park in New Haven, CT.
Rob Dexter photo
Much of New England’s evolution has
centered on its modes of transportation. businesses, from breweries to think
It’s a story that is told as you travel along tanks. Leaders in downtown New Haven,
the East Coast Greenway. The rivers and Hartford, and Providence are embracing
footpaths traveled by Native Americans their waterfronts and opening their streets
expanded to dirt roads and canals used to people again, not just automobiles,
by farmers and traders (and the nation’s through bike lanes, redirected highways
first cyclists). The Industrial Revolution, and more.
seeking the quickest and flattest path
between producers and markets, brought As you travel the East Coast Greenway and
rail lines and trains. Automobiles, trucks enjoy its completed segments through
and highways eventually replaced most of Rhode Island and Connecticut, keep in
the freight and passenger trains, leaving mind the vision and effort it took to build
rail beds to weeds and rust. Factory these miles. You see a beautiful stretch
work moved to the American South and of paved trail winding its way through
eventually overseas, leaving empty red the Farmington Valley and alongside
brick mills and factories along the region’s the Pawtuxet River and think, of course
riverbanks. there’s a greenway here. But often it takes
decades of advocating and hundreds of
Today, more and more abandoned rail meetings — plus millions of federal, state,
beds are being reclaimed as the trails and local dollars — to bring a mile or two of
we love for work and play. Repurposed Greenway to life.
factories are home to residents and

WaterFire lights up Providence on select weekends in the warmer months. Waterfire.org/Erin Cuddigan photo
Just ask Bruce Donald. The East Coast people are able to access and experience
Greenway Alliance’s coordinator for nature from the greenway, while trips in
Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, cars and fossil fuel use are reduced.
Donald has seen the cycle repeatedly in We look forward to celebrating future
his two decades of trail advocacy, much milestones — the occasions when
of it in his native Farmington Valley. A civic Connecticut and Rhode Island each
leader or two will propose and champion complete their section and the day
a multi-use path. But once initial plans are when the entire East Coast Greenway is
drawn and a route announced, opposition complete, Key West to Canada. In the
appears, often from landowners bordering meantime, we wish you tailwinds, tasty rest
the proposed trail. A bike path will attract stops, and many delightful hours and days
hooligans to my backyard, they say, with spent exploring southern New England on
looting, vandalism, drug use and worse the East Coast Greenway.
sure to follow. A paved path means
destroying a natural area, others will say. As you explore the Greenway in southern
If the trail plans proceed, the landowners New England, we hope you’ll share your
build fences and walls to protect their adventures. Write to us, tell your family
property. Yet soon after the ribbon cutting, and friends, post and tag us on social
naysayers see clearly that greenways and media. In the same way our route is a
trails attract not thieves but cyclists and work in progress, adapting and redirecting
walkers, families and friends, young and as we aim eventually to be located fully
old. Property values increase for the homes on protected paths, this guide is a living
document that we’ll update with your
and businesses within walking distance
recommendations and insights.
of the trail, expanding tax bases. Nearby
coffee shops and ice cream stands thrive Don’t forget to support the nonprofit East
on thirsty, hungry greenway users. And Coast Greenway Alliance, which works to
slowly but surely, property owners begin develop the 3,000-mile route for many
to cut holes in their walls and build gates generations to come. You can read more
in their fences so they, too, can access the and support our work at greenway.org.
trail. Environmentalists recognize that more

Itineraries & Navigation
Whether you have a few hours, a few days, Providence. Your trip will be every bit as
or a week to spend exploring, here are enjoyable if you travel it in reverse, north
some suggestions for how to enjoy the to south. Prime months for enjoying this
East Coast Greenway in Connecticut and stretch of southern New England are May
Rhode Island. through September, when average tem-
peratures range from 70 degrees to the
This guide describes the route head- mid-80s. April and October are cooler, with
ing south to north, from New Haven to average highs in the low 60s.
Favorite half-day runs, walks, and skates: 2-8 miles

Scenic stretches of protected multi-use trail, with nearby amenities (parking, bathrooms,
cafes, etc.)
• Long Wharf Trail, New Haven, CT
1.6 miles out and back, scenic views of the harbor. Food trucks at lunch time; port-a-
potties near maritime center. Tons of parking.
• Elizabeth Park, Hartford, CT
1.8-mile loop past the park’s stunning rose gardens. Extend with side paths, or run 2
miles east to Bushnell Park. Bathrooms in the visitor center; cafe and take-out snack
bar.
• East Bay Bike Path, Providence, RI
6.6 miles out and back from Providence, parking at the Mercer Street and Veterans
Memorial Parkway lot (a popular spot for watching the sunset). Turn around in River-
side at mile 3.3.
• Putnam River Walk, Putnam, CT
2 miles end to end. History displays and scenic river views. Parking lots along Kennedy
Street, restaurants on South Main Street.
• Great River Park Trail, East Hartford, CT
2-3 miles. Great views across the Connecticut River of Hartford, the Colt Manufacturing
Plant, and bridges up the river. Access to bicycle/
pedestrian Founders Bridge across the river to Hartford.
Favorite one-day rides, runs, skates: 15-50 miles

• Farmington Canal Heritage Trail and Farmington River Trail,
CT, 30-mile loop
• Cheney Loop, Manchester, CT, 17-mile three town loop
(see map)
• Pomfret Center to Willimantic, CT 40 miles out and back
• Hartford to Bolton Notch, CT, 36 miles out and back
• East Bay Bike Path, Providence to Bristol, RI, 28 miles out
and back
• Washington Secondary Path, Providence to Coventry, RI, 30 Sylvia Ounpuu on the Air Line
Trail during RiMaConn Relay,
miles out and back
a 3-state running event

Entire route, New Haven to Providence (or reverse)
Suggestions for breaking up the route based on how much time you can take and the
distances you want to travel each day:
3 days:
• day 1, New Haven to East Hartford, 64 miles
• day 2, East Hartford to Putnam, 56 miles
• day 3, Putnam to Providence, 50 miles
5 days:
• day 1, New Haven to Simsbury, 45 miles
• day 2, Simsbury to East Hartford, 20 miles with time to explore Hartford
• day 3: East Hartford to Putnam, 55 miles
• day 4: Putnam to Providence, 50 miles
• day 5: East Bay Bike Path out and back, 28 miles
8 days:
• day 1, explore New Haven
• day 2, New Haven to Simsbury, 45 miles
• day 3, Simsbury to East Hartford, 20 miles with time to explore Hartford
• day 4, East Hartford to Willimantic, 27 miles
• day 5, Willimantic to Putnam, 28 miles
• day 6, Putnam to Coventry, 35 miles
• day 7, Coventry to Providence, 15 miles, time to explore Providence
• day 8, Providence to Warren and back on East Bay Bike Path, 24 miles
How to navigate the East Coast Greenway

Connecticut and Rhode Island feature allows you to enter start and end points on
spectacular East Coast Greenway the Greenway. Remember to click “enter”
segments that are protected from motor or “return” after typing in your starting and
vehicles and suitable for all trail users. ending locations. From there, you can
Cyclists attempting multiple-day rides generate a gpx or kml file that you can
should be experienced and comfortable upload to electronic navigation devices
in navigating through cities and rural areas and/or download a PDF of turn-by-turn
and in sharing roads and bridges with cars cue sheets that you can print.
and trucks.
For navigation on the go, we recommend
You’ll find plenty of East Coast Greenway using the East Coast Greenway map on
signs along the way, but you won’t want a third-party mobile app such as Maps.
to rely solely on signage for navigation. me or Ride with GPS. The apps allow you
Frequent route updates as well as local to navigate without needing an Internet
regulations mean there may be gaps in connection, once you have downloaded
signage. It’s safer to use some form of maps for the area where you are traveling
online or paper mapping tool and treat the and uploaded the Greenway route file.
signs as confirmation that you’re on the
Find directions for downloading a KML file
right route.
of the entire Greenway at greenway.org/
An online mapping tool, map.greenway.org, route-map.

CHAPTER 1
Taking in the breeze off Long

Island Sound on the East
NEW HAVEN, CT
Coast Greenway along New
Haven’s Long Wharf. New
Haven Register photo
CHAPTER 5
Historic inventions,
multicultural flavors, and
bike-friendly culture

New Haven, Connecticut
For turn-by-turn directions and/or gpx files of the
route, go to: map.greenway.org
For an interactive Google Map pinpointing all recom-

mended lodging, dining, attractions and other sites, go
to: greenway.org/ctriguidemap
1 New Haven Green 3 William Lanson statue
2 Yale University 4 Italian district pizzerias
5 West Rock
State Park
6 Edgewood Park
5
7 Long Wharf
Nature Preserve 8
6
8 East Rock
Lighthouse Point 7
9
Park

3
2

What to know
As cities go, New Haven may be one of out in a cave at West Rock for weeks after
New England’s best hidden gems. Many signing a death warrant for King Charles I.
of us know that Yale University is located A convicted counterfeiter and an enslaved
here, with a walkable, architecturally strik- person teamed up to make the first Amer-
ing campus in the center of town. But the ican coins out of a Water Street mint. New
city is also rich in unique history, home to Haven was home to Benedict Arnold, the
five academic institutions of higher educa- Revolutionary War leader who eventually
tion in addition to Yale, and designed from defected to the British army, and to Na-
the start to be walkable. Situated on Long than Hale, a Yale graduate who served as a
Island Sound, the city is bookmarked by captain under George Washington and was
two sentinel ridges — East Rock and West killed by British troops for spying on them.
Rock— and surrounded by estuaries and The Morse Code, vulcanized rubber, Erec-
other scenic natural areas. tor Set toys, the hamburger, and metal cor-
set stays were all invented here. While he
Home to the Quinnipiac tribe, New Haven
gained notoriety for designing the cotton
has a long tradition of welcoming immi-
gin, Eli Whitney launched industrial history
grants from all over the world, as organiz-
by building a factory here to make firearms.
ers of the annual International Festival of
Arts & Ideas note. “One out of every eight
residents is foreign-born and our students
speak over 100 languages at home,” re-
ports the festival, which is now 25 years
old and offers events spanning several
weeks in June. The Ethnic Heritage Center
at Southern Connecticut State University
highlights the city’s diversity, which is also
celebrated at many local restaurants offer-
ing a United Nations of cuisines.
A good place to begin to learn about New
Haven is the town green. It’s the center
square of a nine-square grid designed by Bike tour leaders Proulx and Burrone
Puritan colonists in the 1600s as they cre-
ated the first city planned by Europeans Paul Proulx and Laura Burrone lead a doz-
in North America. The green hosts events en bike rides a year around their native city
year-round and has evolved with the times. as part of the International Festival of Arts
Once a burial ground and a public site for & Ideas. They love introducing locals and
grazing cows, the New Haven Green now visitors to the wealth of history, public art,
offers free public wi-fi. ethnic eats and more.
Proceeding from the town green, “On every “It’s a city of amazing architecture, history,
corner, there’s hundreds of years of his- culture and natural features,” says Proulx.
tory,” as Jason Bischoff-Wurstle, director “Yale is a tremendous resource. There’s
of photo archives for the New Haven Mu- stuff going on all the time, and much of it is
seum, says. New Haven’s contributions to open to the public. Movies, theater, art gal-
history are colorful and full of firsts. Two leries are top notch and many offerings are
members of the English Parliament hid free. I never lack for something to do here.”

New Haven Green and Yale University campus. Michael Melford photo
The city has a strong bike culture, with

Don’t miss
plenty of people using bicycles as a means
• Beinecke Rare Books Library, to see a
for transportation, Burrone says. “We’ve
rare Gutenberg Bible and and original
seen more bike lanes and more visibility in
edition of Audubon’s Birds of America
general for bikes in recent years.” The East
Coast Greenway route through New Haven
• Edgewood Park, designed in 1910 by
takes in much of the city’s best scenery,
Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr., the son of
traveling from the south along Long Island
the designer of New York City’s Central
Sound, then along the harbor from West
Park
Haven across to Long Wharf, into down-
town and the town green, then heading
• “Women’s Table,” a sculpture located
north from the Yale campus on the Farm-
on the Rose Walk on Yale’s campus by
ington Canal Heritage Trail.
alumna Maya Lin, the artist who also
Proulx and Burrone have designed three created the Vietnam War Memorial in
bike tours for visitors to New Haven to take Washington, DC
in scenic vistas (including East Rock and
West Rock), history, and culture. Pick one • Lighthouse Point Park, past the airport
or two or make a day of it and do all three; in East Haven, offers swimming, nature
each starts and ends at the town green. trails, boardwalk and lighthouse, and a
See tours and download maps: restored 1916 carousel.
greenway.org/newhaventours.

Local knowledge: Honoring William Lanson
around 1803 and started a quarry business.
In 1810 he took on a complicated contract:
extending Long Wharf by 1,350 feet so it
could accommodate larger cargo ships.
Lanson had flat-bottomed boats built that
could carry 25 tons of stone, which his la-
borers quarried from nearby Blue Mountain.
Close on the heels of this successful proj-
ect, writes historian Peter P. Hinks, Lanson
established a popular hostelry on Chapel
Street. He also purchased substantial acre-
age and houses in New Haven’s largely
undeveloped New Township in the 1810s
and ’20s. Many Black families settled in the
area, mixing amicably with white neighbors
and visitors
In the 1820s, Lanson won contracts to
build the retaining wall for the harbor basin
opening up from the Farmington Canal as
well as sections of the canal. Development
was picking up in New Haven. Construction
of the canal brought Irish laborers, fol-
lowed by other ethnicities of laborers and
mariners. Racial tensions grew. “Many New
New Haven officials installed this statue of William Haven residents succumbed to scape-
Lanson on the East Coast Greenway in September
2020. The Black engineer and entrepreneur built
goating their problems on the Black pop-
much of Long Wharf and the Farmington Canal. ulation, while the old elite who had upheld
Laura Burrone photo and contracted with Lanson had lost their
pre-eminence,” Hinks writes. Lanson was
an outspoken advocate for voting rights
A seven-foot bronze statue at the Lock Street and integration, but “rising white prejudic-
entrance to the Greenway’s Farmington Canal es won the day.” By the time of his death
Trail celebrates the life and legacy of William in 1851, Lanson had lost his properties and
Lanson. The 19th-century Black engineer, wealth.
entrepreneur and abolitionist built much of
At a September 2020 dedication of the
the Farmington Canal after successfully ex-
Lanson statue, New Haven Mayor Justin
tending New Haven’s Long Wharf. Lanson’s
Elicker issued a formal apology to Lanson
life story illustrates the best and worst of
for the harassment that he endured as a
American culture in the 1800s—the promise
Black man and declared September 26
of a free Black man building thriving busi-
as William Lanson Day in New Haven. His
nesses, but the scourge of racism that beat
striking sculpture stands as a reminder to
him down, resulting in him living his last years
visitors of past mistakes and as a tribute
in a poor house.
to all that Lanson contributed despite the
Lanson moved to New Haven with his family injustices he suffered.

Where to eat
Pizza. Locals tell visitors that the best pizza American restaurant to sell a hamburger.
in the world is made in New Haven. De- Lore has it the sandwich’s name comes
veloped by Italian immigrants, the local from rowdy sailors from Hamburg, Ger-
style is known as apizza (pronounced many, who clamored for the meat on a
ahh-beets) and features a thin crust and bun and named it for themselves.
charring from coal-fired brick ovens. On
Wooster Street in the city’s Italian district, Nearly as famous but meat free, Claire’s
you can check out the best known piz- Corner Copia has been offering home-
zarias: Sally’s Apizza and Frank Pepe’s. made vegetarian and vegan dishes since
Toppings are diverse. “You have to ask for 1975. The cafeteria-style eatery is across
mozzarella or it won’t come with cheese,” the street from the New Haven Green
advises Proulx. New Haveners will tell you to and the Pierre Lallement plaque.
try the white clam pie.
In the arts district, Koffee? at 104 Audubon
A few blocks west on Crown Street, the Street, one block from the Greenway, is a
iconic Louis’ Lunch has been recognized great stop for fair trade brews along with
by the Library of Congress as the first homemade pastries and sandwiches.
Local knowledge:
Lucky’s Star Bus Cafe
Find affordable lunch and din-
ner options—including the best
blackened salmon I’ve ever had—
served out of a renovated bus
parked at the corner of Dixwell
Avenue and Dudley Street steps
from the Greenway. A former bus
driver, Larry Lucky is committed
to supporting the neighborhood,
sponsoring food for people in
Larry Lucky inside his mobile cafe. Info:luckystarbuscafe.com need. — Jack Dougherty

Local knowledge: Lallement on
his invention
New Haven is birthplace of and his patent
two-wheeled bicycle illustration.
Connecticut
history.org
On November 20, 1866, mechanic Pierre images
Lallement received a patent for his
invention consisting of two wheels placed
“one directly in front of the other, combined
following each other, and driven by foot-
with a mechanism for driving the wheels,
crank,” reported the New Haven Palladium.
and an arrangement for guiding.”
But he wasn’t able to find an American
Having recently arrived in New Haven off
manufacturer. In 1876, Albert Pope bought
a steamer from France, Lallement also
Lallement’s patent and started producing
managed to find a local investor, partly by
the early bicycles at a sewing machine
riding his invention 10 miles from his home
factory in Hartford under the name
in Ansonia to the New Haven Green.
Columbia (see Chapter 3). Still, a plaque
“An enterprising individual propelled was installed on the New Haven Green in
himself about the green last evening on 2016, the 150th anniversary of Lallement’s
a curious frame sustained by two wheels patent to honor his contribution.

Looking back at New Haven from Lighthouse Point Park. Connecticut Tourism Office/Kindra Clineff photo
Where to stay
Yale University’s presence and its but filled with character is the Graduate
global visitors means New Haven hosts New Haven, formerly the Hotel Duncan, a
any number of high-end hotels, all storied place centrally located on Chapel
within walking distance of the campus, Street.
restaurants and shops.
Thanks in part to the strong local
For bike tourists and walkers traveling cycling culture, you can find a handful
on more modest budgets, consider La of Warmshowers hosts in the area; visit
Quinta Inn one block from the Greenway warmshowers.org.
on Sargent Drive. Slightly more expensive
Bike shops Getting there

Devils Gear Bike Shop, 845 Chapel In New Haven, Union Station provides
Street, New Haven, on the Greenway. access to New York City, Boston and
203-773-9288 Hartford via Amtrak (Acela Express,
Regional, Vermonter routes) as well
College Street Cycles LLC, 252 College as the MTA Metro-North Railroad New
Street, New Haven, 0.3 miles from East Haven Line and Shore Line East.
Coat Greenway. 203-865-2724
Learn about long-term parking options
in New Haven at parknewhaven.com.
Bradley Street Bicycle Co-op,
138 Bradley Street, New Haven, 0.3 miles
from East Coast Greenway. 860-337-2777

South vista from West
Rock ridge, top
(explorect.org photo);
photo opp at East
Rock Park during
annual Rock to Rock
rides for Earth Day.
(New Haven Register
photo)
Natural features
Two natural shoulders frame the city — trails running through it. It is home to rare
East Rock and West Rock — and offer plants, diverse birds, and a number of mi-
tremendous views of the city, harbor, and croclimates.
Long Island Sound and beyond. The cliffs
Closer to sea level, less than two miles
of East Rock’s ridge stand 300 feet above from downtown, the Long Wharf Nature
the city as part of the narrow, linear Meta- Preserve showcases tidal wetlands and a
comet Ridge, a series of basalt traprock stand of cottonwoods. Over 100 species of
ridges which extend from the Sound north birds have been spotted here on some 15
to the Holyoke Range in Massachusetts. acres where, despite being close to In-
The seven-mile West Rock is also part of terstate 95 and industrial sites along New
the Metacomet Ridge, with cliffs rising 700 Haven’s harbor, native plants and animals
feet above sea level. The city park is pop- have returned. Best feature: the East Coast
ular for recreation with a network of hiking Greenway runs through the preserve.

CHAPTER 2
NEW HAVEN TO
SIMSBURY
East Coast Greenway and

Farmington Canal Heritage
Trail in Farmington, CT. Rob
Dexter photo CHAPTER 5
45 MILES
History and amenities

on the Farmington Canal
Heritage Trail
3
New Haven to 5
Simsbury end
4
For turn-by-turn directions
and/or gpx files of the route,
go to: map.greenway.org
For an interactive Google Map

pinpointing all recommended
lodging, dining, attractions and 2
other sites, go to:
greenway.org/ctriguidemap
1 Lock 12 Park
2 Historic Farmington sites
3 Historic Simsbury sites
4 Pinchot Sycamore
(state’s largest tree)
5 Drake Hill Flower Bridge

1
start

Route overview
This section of East Coast Greenway and natural beauty. Two-thirds of the
follows the much loved Farmington Canal way north there is a six-mile segment of
Heritage Trail. You’ll enjoy not just a wide, the route that is on roads in Southington
paved, mostly flat surface for traveling and Plainville. This final stretch of the trail
but also history, convenient amenities, is scheduled to be built in the next few
What to know
As one of the nation’s oldest rail-trail
conversions, the Farmington Canal
Heritage Trail presents a case study for
greenway design as it passes through
communities close to shops, restaurants,
historical sites and natural sights.
Like the East Coast Greenway, the
Farmington Canal was built in phases.
Between 1825 and 1835, 84 miles of Alumnae of Miss Porter’s School for Girls, a block
canal was built from New Haven heading from the Greenway in Farmington, include Jackie
nearly due north to Northampton, Kennedy Onassis, Princess Anastasia of Greece
and Denmark, and Gloria Vanderbilt.
Massachusetts. The canal connected
farmers and other businesses in the
interior of Connecticut and Massachusetts In 1847, the first section of the “Canal Line”
with the port of New Haven. opened, mostly along the canal route
A series of 28 locks in Connecticut between New Haven and Plainville. By
provided a drop of 220 feet from the 1850, the line had been extended to the
Massachusetts border to New Haven. Massachusetts border.
On average the Farmington Canal was Rail transportation eventually gave way
36 feet wide and four feet deep with a to cars, trucks, and highways. Rail service
10-foot wide towpath — which also is the on the Canal Line ended by the late
recommended width for greenways today. 1980s, leaving the tracks abandoned like
Canal boats measuring 85 feet long were other rail beds across the country. The
pulled along by horses or mules. rails-to-trails movement took seed, with
A private enterprise, the canal wasn’t crucial funding from Congress through
generating much of a profit while at the its Intermodal Surface Transportation
same time, rail lines were gaining steam, Efficiency Act of 1991, known affectionately
literally. An English locomotive built in among trail planners as ISTEA, or “ice tea.”
1831, powered by a steam engine, ignited The Farmington Valley Trails Council
the railroad movement in the U.S. By formed in 1992 as one of the earliest
the mid-1800s, more than one hundred such organizations. The council gained
separate railroad companies were the cooperation of six town governments
operating in Connecticut. “The state was — Farmington, Avon, Simsbury, Granby,
crisscrossed by railroad lines,” says Bruce East Granby and Suffield — to fund the 20
Donald, a Farmington resident and the percent not supplied by ISTEA, and paving
state’s East Coast Greenway coordinator. of the first sections of the Farmington

Must-see historic sites
Hill-Stead Museum, a 1901 estate de-
signed by one of the first woman Amer-
ican architects is now a Farmington mu-
seum known for its Monet, Whistler, and
other famous impressionist paintings.
Stanley-Whitman House, a preserved

1720 saltbox is now a museum n Farm-
ington with self-guided tours and liv- Hill-Stead Museum
ing-history demonstrations of colonial
life. board the Spanish ship, La Amistad, before they
returned to Africa.
First Church of Christ, Congregational,
a 1771 Greek Revival church on Main Simsbury Historical Society, just west of the
Street in Farmington. Its history includes trail at 800 Hopmeadow Street. The collections
serving as an Underground Railroad include more than one dozen structures, signifi-
hub, and sheltering enslaved Africans cant regional artifacts and important period and
who revolted from their captors on- thematic collections.
Valley Greenway, now the Farmington of a person at rest.

Canal Heritage Trail (FCHT), began in 1993.
A few miles north in the town of Cheshire,
“The trail is 84 percent off road now. In check out Lock 12 Historical Park, the
2026 it will be completely finished, so 35 only preserved lock on the trail (with
years from concept to completion,” says a bathroom available, seasonally). In
Donald. In his role with the ECGA since Cheshire, because the rail corridor was
2015, he has helped to accelerate the purchased previously, the trail leaves the
growth of the East Coast Greenway in the rail bed and crosses Willow Brook and
Farmington Valley and across Connecticut its associated wetlands at two locations
by working with state and local leaders. on an elevated 12-foot precast concrete
“It’s been an enormous success. It’s a boardwalk. Find a convenient 10-space
story of making use of rights of way in the parking area, restrooms and water fountain
public domain and preserving open space near Route 68/70 (West Main Street).
in perpetuity. The trail has become a way
for people to commute and it’s become a After passing through Southington, the
town green, a place to meet and hang out route goes on-road for 7.3 miles to travel
with friends.” through Plainville. Plainville was one of the
last towns to adopt the trail concept but
In New Haven, you’ll begin your travels on now is rallying behind it. “People can’t wait
the town green. You’ll pass through a bit for the trail to be built,” Donald says. The
of Yale’s campus, then through a number final section of the FCHT is scheduled to
of affordable housing projects. Continuing open in 2026.
north, you’ll travel through the town center
of Hamden then pass close to the base of Farther north, Farmington (incorporated in
Sleeping Giant State Park, two miles of a 1635) offers a wealth of history, food and
mountain ridge resembling the silhouette drink options. Settled originally by Tunxis

The former train depot in Simsbury, on the Greenway, is now a restaurant, Plan B Burger Bar
Indians, the riverfront later attracted

English colonists. Main Street still
features stately colonial homes, some
Local knowledge:
dating back to the 1600s, built by MLK’s Simsbury summers
early merchants and traders. A few of
the homes were owned by prominent
planted seeds for career
abolitionists and served as stops on
The Greenway’s Farmington Canal Heri-
the Underground Railroad. George
tage Trail runs past the Cullman Brothers
Washington passed through the
tobacco barns in Simsbury where Martin
town during the Revolutionary War,
Luther King Jr. worked in the summer of
and French troops, under General
1944 as a teenager. King, like many other
Rochambeau, camped here en route
African American youth from the South,
to support General Washington at
came to work in Connecticut’s fields to
Yorktown in 1781.
earn money for school and his family.
The FCHT continues north, but the
Reports connecticuthistory.org, the web-
Greenway’s section of it ends in
site of Connecticut Humanities. “King’s
Simsbury. The town was incorporated
letters home to his mother and father
in 1670 by a group of settlers from
reveal a 15-year-old’s astonishment at the
Windsor. Farming and mining were
prospects open to African Americans in
early occupations, and the town
the comparatively less restrictive North. He
retains a rural feel. The town boasts
wrote of worshiping alongside whites in a
12 parks, of which the focal point
Simsbury church and of dining in Hartford.
is the 235-acre Simsbury Farms
‘I never though[t] that a person of my race
Recreational Complex. Historic
could eat anywhere,’ he wrote, ‘but we…
Simsbury center, a highly walkable
ate in one of the finest resturant[s]….’ The
area, is a jewel in the Farmington
state was not free of racism, of course, but
Valley. Simsbury is the only Silver
the lack of overt segregation, such as King
Bicycle Friendly Community in
experienced in the South, made a lasting
Connecticut, as designated by the
impression.”
League of American Bicyclists.
Sleeping Giant State Park and Farmington River valley in 1919 postcard. Sleeping Giant Park Assoc. photo
Natural features
The Farmington River Watershed covers suburban sprawl. The population has qua-
609 square miles encompassing over 30 drupled since 1950 to more than 100,000.
towns in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Connecticut’s traprock ridges run north to
Land use is mostly rural with large tracts of
south along the Connecticut River Valley.
forest and marshes but includes suburban
Traprock is basalt and diabase derived
residential and commercial development.
from lava flows 200 million years old that
Once heavily forested, farmers cleard the
once pooled in the valley. More resistant
valley for for agriculture in the early 1800s,
to erosion and weathering than surround-
drawing on the alluvial rich soil along the
ing sedimentary rocks, they now stand as
Farmington River. These days, the biggest
cliff-ribbed spines. The East Coast Green-
environmental threat facing the area is
way travels to the west of the Metacomet
Ridge, which begins in New Haven and
travels north to Massachusetts. In Sims-
bury, the ridge includes Heublein Tower,
Talcott Mountain State Park, Penwood
State Park, and the Tariffville Gorge of the
Farmington River.
Most of the trail corridor falls in the trap-
rock ridge and alluvial floodplain ecore-
gions, as identified by the Farmington
Local knowledge: Valley Biodiversity Project. Unique species
Nutmeg State’s largest tree living here include the five-lined skink,
Connecticut’s only lizard; the northern
Find the state’s largest tree, the Pinchot
leopard frog; and the American bittern, a
Sycamore, in a tiny park at the intersection
wetland-dependent bird. The purple giant
of Nod Road and Route 185 in Simsbury,
hyssop, wild rice, and the long-leaved blu-
a half mile off the Greenway. The massive
et are found here in a region that functions
trunk is over 28 feet in circumference with
as a natural corridor for migratory birds and
an average canopy diameter of more than
large mammals such as the bobcat and
120 feet.— Rob Dexter
black bear.

Where to eat
Cody’s Diner, a 24-hour old-
school joint complete with red
spinning counter stools makes a
great breakfast stop at 95 Water
Street before you leave New Ha-
ven. Not quite a mile north of the
town green, Fussy Coffee at 290
Winchester Avenue sits right on
the Greenway and offers coffees,
seasonal drinks, and breakfast
and lunch options.
Snack and dining options abound

along the trail. A few favorites
located right on the trail:
• MiKro Depot, craft beers and Zingarella in Southington on the Greenway
small plates in a former train
depot in Hamden.
• Kinsmen Brewing Compa- • Carol’s Lunch Box, Farmington diner-style
ny, enter through a gate on lunches, open 11 am to 3 pm.
the Greenway; popular stop • Jillybeans Farmstand in Farmington at Route
in Milldale for local cycling 6, offering local produce and baked goods,
clubs. open Easter to Christmas.
• Zingarella Pizzeria & Ice • Cumberland Farms in Weatogue, just south
Cream Cafe in Southington is of Simsbury, with snacks and bathrooms.
full-service Italian restaurant • Plan B Burger Bar, stylish chain housed in a
and walk-up ice cream cafe former railroad depot in Simsbury with indoor
with outdoor picnic tables and and outdoor seating.
bike racks.
Where to stay
Find a range of lodging options from no-frills motels to upscale historic inns in the
Farmington Valley:
• Farmington Inn & Suites, 827 Farmington Avenue, Farmington. 860-677-2821
Reasonably priced B&B with antique furnishings
• Hampton Inn & Suites, 301 Colt Highway, Farmington. 860-674-8488
Indoor pool, breakfast
• The Simsbury Inn, 397 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury. 860-651-5700
A quintessential colonial New England inn
• Simsbury 1820 House, 731 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury. 860-658-7658
Traditional B&B with elegant gardens.
• Green Acres B&B, 444 Bushy Hill Road, Simsbury.860-217-1692
Circa 1740s farmhouse B&B with outdoor pool, fish pond
• Residence Inn, 55 Simsbury Road, Avon. 860-678-1666
All suites plus a fitness room, outdoor pool, breakfast.

Flower Bridge. The Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge in Simsbury was built in 1892 as a metal truss
bridge spanning 183 feet and carrying a 12-foot roadway suspended 18 feet over the Farmington
River. The bridge is in its full glory during the spring and summer months, when flower boxes adorn
the pathway. Find the bridge just off the East Coast Greenway near Iron Horse Boulevard. With a
water fountain and pavilion, it makes a good rest stop. — Rob Dexter
Bike shops Getting there

The Devil’s Gear Bike Shop, 845 Chapel New Haven’s Union Station provides access
Street, New Haven, on the Greenway. to New York City, Boston and Hartford via
203-773-9288 Amtrak (Acela Express, Regional, Vermonter
routes) as well as the MTA Metro-North Rail-
College Street Cycles, 252 College Street, road New Haven Line and Shore Line East.
New Haven, CT - 0.3 miles off the ECG.
203-865-2724 Along the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail,
trailheads for parking and access include:
Bradley Street Bicycle Co-op, 138 Bradley • Hamden: Sherman Avenue, Todd Street
Street, New Haven, 0.3 miles off the ECG. • Cheshire: Cornwell Avenue, Railroad
860-337-2777 route Avenue, Jarvis Street
• Plantsville: Mastrianni Place, Summer Street
Central Wheel, 62 Farmington Ave., • Southington: Mill Street, Lazy Lane
Farmington, 3.7 miles from ECG, 860-677- • Plainville: Northwest Drive
7010 • Farmington: Brickyard Road
• Avon: Security Drive, Mountain View
Bicycle Cellar, 532 Hopmeadow Street, Avenue
Simsbury, just off the ECG. 860-658-1311 • Simsbury: Winslow Place, Iron Horse
Boulevard, Hopmeadow Street

CHAPTER 3
SIMSBURY TO
EAST HARTFORD
Mortensen Riverfront Plaza

looking towards downtown
Hartford. Erin Roll photo
CHAPTER 5
20 MILES
Nation’s insurance capital

was also birthplace of
bicycle manufacturing
start
Simsbury to East Hartford

For turn-by-turn directions and/or gpx files of the
route, go to: map.greenway.org
For an interactive Google Map pinpointing all recom-

mended lodging, dining, attractions, and other sites, go
to: greenway.org/ctriguidemap
1 Talcott Mountain 4 Bushnell Park 2
5 Mortensen Riverfront 3
2 Elizabeth Park
Plaza
3 Mark Twain and Harriet 6 Great River Park

Beecher Stowe homes

4 5
6
end

Route overview
Leaving the Farmington Canal Heritage River, and the Great River Park Trail on the
Trail in Simsbury and heading east, you’ll East Hartford side.
be on roads until you reach downtown
And the long uphill ride will be gone in
Hartford. Your biggest challenge is right
2021 when a new section of East Coast
in front of you: climbing some 370 feet in
Greenway opens, The route will follow
elevation on Route 185 to make your way
along the banks of the Farmington River
up the first north-south glacial ridge you’ll
from Eastern Simsbury next to Route 315
cross on the Connecticut-Rhode Island
then next to the river, then along Route
route.
189 connecting to the completed section
Be assured that the rest of the route of the Bloomfield Greenway and ending
is largely downhill or flat, including a in Hartford. When completed, this trail
fun stretch of the Greenway through system, known as the Hartford Connector,
Hartford’s Bushnell Park, a beautiful bike- will provide long-awaited western access
pedestrian bridge across the Connecticut for residents of the state’s capital.
What to know
There’s plenty of history and scenery to helped to strengthen the abolitionist move-
enjoy in Hartford, but it’s worth stopping ment in America in the early 1850s.
just outside the city to tour Elizabeth Continuing east, you’ll reach Bushnell Park,
Park. The 100-acre park straddles West bounded on one side by the State Capitol
Hartford and Hartford and features a vast and its gold dome (see “Local knowledge:
formal rose garden along with other green America’s first publicly funded park”). The
spaces. The park is great for runners, says East Coast Greenway runs straight through
Sandy Fry, principal planner and bicycle the park. Visiting the park at midday means
and pedestrian coordinator for the City of seeing many of the city’s office workers
Hartford. out on their lunch breaks, and chances are
Not quite a mile further and a few blocks they work in insurance. Hartford’s claim
off the Greenway, your next stop could be to fame for nearly two centuries has been
the Mark Twain House at 351 Farmington as the insurance capital of the world, with
Avenue. Here Samuel Clemens wrote his 100 or more firms located here and some
most important works, from Adventures of the largest firms headquartered here.
of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures The industry took root in the early 1800s
of Tom Sawyer to Life on the Mississippi mostly due to the city’s location. Sitting on
and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s the banks of the Connecticut River close to
Court. The 25-room American High Gothic the Atlantic Ocean, the city hosted a thriv-
home, designed to mimic a riverboat, is ing transatlantic trade industry. Merchants
stunning, and the exhibits and interpreta- worried about the risks of such trade,
tion of Clemens’ life and work are enlight- including the potential for fire at their ware-
ening. Next door to the Twain house, at houses. And while the heyday of insurance
77 Forest Street, is the Harriett Beecher agencies as giant corporations may have
Stowe house. The American author is best passed — Aetna, The Hartford, and MetLife
known for her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, all laid off workers between 2010 and 2020
which depicts the harsh conditions for — the city and state of Connecticut still
enslaved African Americans. Stowe’s novel have the greatest percentage of employ-

Local knowledge: America’s first publically funded park
The East Coast Greenway runs right ed tanneries, pigsties, a garbage dump,
through Hartford’s 50-acre Bushnell Park, and a smelly river polluted with industrial
a popular downtown site for office workers and human waste from outhouses. Bush-
on lunch break and for concert-goers on nell asked his friend and Hartford native
warm evenings. The park began as a rad- Frederick Law Olmsted to design the park.
ical concept in the 1850s. As the Industrial Olmsted was busy designing Central Park
Revolution was starting to wane, Hartford in New York City (which was purchased with
and other cities were struggling with crime, private funds), so he recommended Jacob
crowded tenements, poverty and poor Weidenmann. The Swiss architect designed
sanitation. Rev. Horace Bushnell convinced curving paths and clusters of evergreen
the city council to buy the land and turn and deciduous trees, a departure from the
it into a place for strolling and recreation. flat expanses of formal town squares or
Far from verdant at the time, the site host- central greens customary in New England..
ment in insurance of anywhere in the U.S. Places and is the world’s first two-sided
Leaving Bushnell Park, you’ll pass by the building.
Wadsworth Atheneum, the oldest contin- • The Ancient Burying Ground, 60 Gold
uously operating public art museum in the Street, is the oldest historic site in Hart-
U.S. with nearly 50,000 works of art span- ford. From 1640, four years after the ar-
ning 5,000 years. rival of the first English settlers, until the
early 1800s, it was Hartford’s first and
Other nearby downtown attractions: foremost graveyard. Anyone who died
• The Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance in town, regardless of age, gender, race,
Building, known as the “Boat Building,” ethnic background, economic status, or
is a notable Modernist office building lo- religious faith, was interred here.
cated on Constitution Plaza in Hartford, • Stone Field Sculpture is an art installa-
Connecticut. Designed by Max Abramo- tion on Gold Street next to the burying
vitz and completed in 1963, it is listed ground and across the street from the
on the National Register of Historic Atheneum. Carl Andre arranged 36 gla-

Biking into Hartford on Founders Bridge pedestrian/bike way.
cial boulders in eight rows in a triangu- floor. “It’s dwarfed now by everything
lar shape and caused a controversy by around it, but it used to be an impres-
receiving a commission of $87,000. But sive structure with 1,000 steps leading
when city leaders started plans to move up to it from the Connecticut River,
the installation, they faced a public out- symbolizing a gateway to Hartford
cry to keep it in place. when the river was the city’s super high-
• Connecticut Science Center is a dra- way,” says local Greenway ambassador
matic 9-story building made of glass Rob Dexter.
and recycled steel and topped with • Hartford Yard Goats, the Double-A
an iconic S-shaped roof, designed to affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, play at
look like a giant wave or magic carpet. Dunkin’ Donuts Park downtown — once
A glass-walled viewing area looks out the pandemic has lifted.
over the Connecticut river. Find 165
hands-on exhibits, state-of-the-art 3D The river may no longer serve as the re-
digital theater, four educational labs, gion’s superhighway, but it increasingly
and daily programs and events. draws locals and visitors to its banks. The
• City Hall, or the Hartford Municipal city built Constitution Plaza in the early
Building, is a 1915 Beaux-Arts build- 1960s as its first substantial urban rede-
ing. It’s been graced since 1973 with velopment project, “at a time when we
a fire-red “Stegosaurus” sculpture by thought it was a good idea to remove pe-
renowned American artist Alexander destrians from the street level,” laughs Fry,
Calder. the city’s bike and pedestrian planner. The
• Old State House, a 1796 brick build- plaza’s commercial tenants have changed
ing, is thought to be architect Charles greatly over the years, and the nonprofit
Bulfinch’s first public building. The Riverfront Recapture developed nearby
public can tour its impressive interior, Mortenson Riverfront Plaza, which offers
including the restored courtroom where a stage on the river banks and seating for
the Amistad trial was held in 1839; the 2,500 on a grassy terrace. The plaza con-
senate and house chambers; and a nects with a wide bicycle and pedestrian
curiosity room of treasures collected by bridge over the Connecticut.
Rev. Joseph Steward, who was allowed On the East Hartford side, enjoy the Great
to paint portraits in a studio on the third River Park Trail, which follows the river’s

edge (and is vulnerable to flooding). Look-
ing across the river, you’ll see the blue
dome of the Colt Armory, a historic factory
complex where Samuel Colt manufac-
tured revolvers. Look upstream for a sce-
nic view of the bridges spanning the river.
In 1659, Thomas Burnham purchased the
tract of land now covered by the towns
of South Windsor and East Hartford from
Tantinomo, Chief Sachem of the Podunk Colt Armory from across the river in East Hartford
in this United States Magazine illustration, 1857
Indians. As a small population of Sequins,
or River Indians, the Podunks were virtu-
pany moved its production plant here from
ally eliminated by small pox and measles
Hartford. The Greenway passes by the Pratt
brought by the colonists.
& Whitney grounds, which include a de-
East Hartford’s economy became primarily commissioned small airport and a 40,000-
agricultural, with tobacco being the main seat stadium where University of Connecti-
crop. In 1929, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Com- cut plays its home football games.
Where to eat
If you arrive in Hartford in the middle of the
day, your best bet for lunch may be to do
as locals do and buy lunch from one of the
food carts in Bushnell Park or shops around
Mortensen Plaza and dine al fresco on the
park lawns or on a riverfront bench.
Beneath the plaza, the recently opened
The Place 2 Be (5 Constitution Plaza, Hart-
ford) offers breakfast, lunch, small-plate Cannolis from Mozzicato’s. Jack Dougherty photo
dinner and drinks. There are plenty of din-
ing and refreshment choices within a few
that includes these multi-ethnic bakery
blocks of the plaza, including City Steam
and coffee stops: Sol de Borinquen, 711
Brewery with pub grub and Sunberry Cafe,
Park Street; Story and Soil Coffee 387
offering Asian deli staples.
Capitol Avenue; Mozzicato DePasquale
Local cyclist Jack Dougherty has designed Bakery, 329 Franklin Avenue, and El Trigal
a 5.5-mile “slow roll” bike route in Hartford del Peru, 685 Maple Avenue.
Where to stay
You’ll find the usual assortment of hotels in Across the river in East Hartford, the
downtown Hartford, many of them conve- Hampton Inn & Suites, 351 Pitkin Street,
nient to the Greenway. The Goodwin Hotel and Holiday Inn Hartford Downtown Area,
on 1 Haynes Street offers a plush stay in an 100 E. River Drive, both border the Green-
1800s terracotta building in a central location. way with room prices below $100.

Great River Park along the Connecticut River in East Hartford includes an amphitheater, public boat launch,
and art installations in addition to walking and biking trails. Riverfront Recapture photo
Natural features
“The city has a new appreciation for the “We’ve transformed the riverfront from
Connecticut River,” says city planner an overgrown area that was walled off by
Sandy Fry. As New England’s longest flood dikes and cut off by Interstate 91
river, it’s the source of 70 percent of Long into four public parks connected by river
Island Sound’s fresh water. The name walks,” as the organization’s website says.
Connecticut comes from the Mohegan “Our parks connect you to the Connecticut
word quinetucket, which means “beside River and are a destination for people
the long tidal river.” across the region, from runners and bikers
to rowers and paddlers.”
The Pequot tribe lived at the river’s
mouth on the coast, but Mohegans lived
in the area of Hartford and its suburbs.
Both tribes now own reservations in
eastern Connecticut where they offer Getting there
entertainment: the Mashantucket Pequots The Hartford Line, a recent option from
own and operate Foxwoods Resort Casino the state’s Department of Transportation
and the Mohegans run Mohegan Sun in partnership with Amtrak, runs 17 trains
Casino & Resort. a day between New Haven Hartford, con-
Efforts to revitalize the banks of the necting with service to Amtrak, New York
Connecticut River, on both the Hartford and City, and Shore Line East. Bicycles are
East Hartford sides, have been led since permitted as space allows.
1981 by the nonprofit Riverfront Recapture. Bus service by Greyhound and Peter Pan is
available at Union Station.

Hartford Wheel Club members. Albert Pope began manufacturing bikes in Hartford in 1878. To promote bi-
cycle touring, he invited cycling clubs to meet in Newport, R.I., and formed the national League of American
Wheelmen, precursor to the League of American Bicyclists. Connecticut Historical Society photo
Local knowledge: Hartford becomes America’s bike capital

Albert Pope was a successful shoe sales-
man in 1876 when he saw his first bicycle
at an exposition in Philadelphia. Intrigued,
he traveled to Europe to observe how
they were built, then bought the patent for
Pierre Lallement’s two-wheeled design
(see Chapter 1: New Haven). Pope start-
ed building test bicycles (known then as
velocipedes) in an empty wing of a sew-
Columbia Bicycle Model B, 1903. Connecticut
ing machine plant on Capitol Avenue in Historical Society photo
Hartford (the East Coast Greenway passes
right by it). A decade later, he was produc- ability to move supplies and products in
ing 5,000 bicycles a year under his brand, and out of Hartford. In 1880 he found-
Columbia. Over the years he worked to ed the Good Roads Movement and the
make his bikes lighter and easier to pedal, League of American Wheelmen. By the
expanding the market to women and kids. turn of the century, Pope had moved his
bicycle production plant to Massachusetts
Pope began organizing for better roads while he focused on a new product line:
to increase bicycle sales and improve his automobiles.
Bike shops
• Bicycle Cellar, 532 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, on the Greenway. 860-658-1311
• BiCiCo, 97 Park Street, Hartford, 0.5 miles from ECG, nonprofit community bike shop.
860-269-0004
• REI, 1417 New Britain Avenue, West Hartford, 3.4 miles from ECG, 860-313-0128

Biking scenic Old Main Street in South Windsor, paralleling the Connecticut River. Michael McAndrews/
Hartford Courant photo
Local knowledge: A quick bike tour along the river

If you have an extra hour or two in From Granby Street on the East Coast
Hartford, cyclist and city planner Sandy Greenway, head east for the expansive
Fry recommends taking the elevator down Keney Park, which is fun to ride through.
to the riverfront trail on the Hartford side. From Keney, pick up the Windsor
“You’ll get beautiful views of the bridges, Riverwalk to go north, then cross over
it’s a series of arches that’s really pretty to the Connecticut on the Route 291 bridge.
see from the water. Bike north about a mile Head north on Old Main Street. “I love to
to see the boathouse, where the city runs ride on that street. You pass a lot of very
an active rowing program.” old colonial-era farmhouses, you’ll see
the little old post office. You know that
With a little more time, Fry recommends the river is just over there to your left, but
a 10-12 mile loop of both sides of the river. you don’t see it, just big old farms.”

CHAPTER 4
EAST HARTFORD
TO WILLIMANTIC
Covered bridge in Andover

on the Hop River Trail. Tipa
photo
CHAPTER 5
27 MILES
Scenic travelling on
Charter Oak Greenway
and Hop River Trail
1 4
2
3
start
East Hartford to Willimantic

For turn-by-turn directions and/or gpx files of the route, go to:
map.greenway.org

dining, attractions, and other sites, go to: greenway.org/ctriguidemap
1 Wickham Park
2 Cheney Brothers Silk Mills
3 Charter Oak Park
4 Bolton Notch State Park
5 Connecticut Eastern
Railroad Museum
6 Windham Textile &

History Museum

6
5
end
Route overview
This route is nearly all on protected about mile 6 to 9 in Manchester.
greenways, including some of the oldest The rewards of your climb include
and most beloved stretches of East ten miles of the Hop River Trail, a
Coast Greenway as you head east across mostly crushed stone path passing
Connecticut. The Charter Oak Greenway through a number of dramatic stone
extends approximately 17 miles from cuts, forested areas, and eventually
East Hartford through Manchester to bringing you into Willimantic.
Bolton and includes one long hill from

What to know
Climbing up from the Connecticut River publish an updated trail map late in 2020.
Valley heading east, the Charter Oak Gre- The East Coast Greenway travels through
enway aligns with Interstate 84 for several Charter Oak Park in Manchester, where
miles with one brief tour through the cam- you’ll find bathrooms, water fountains,
pus of Manchester Community College. gardens and a “music garden” playground.
You can thank Bill O’Neill and other early The park represents the town’s commit-
greenway advocates for this. In the 1970s ment to trails, including a free bike share
O’Neill, then Manchester’s public works located here, trail maps, and access to the
director, partnered with planners at the downtown. From the park, a series of short,
Connecticut Department of Transportation stubby switchbacks takes you up a hill for
to preserve space along the highway right a mile or so to a small park with benches.
of way for a potential future trail and to de- Highland Park Market is conveniently locat-
sign the highway cloverleaf for trail access ed across the street if you need to restock
and athletic fields. on snacks and drinks at the market and
take advantage of a bathroom stop. Then
enjoy a rest on a park bench and take note
of the plaque honoring O’Neill for his trails
“Heading east from Manchester,
and greenway advocacy.
you’re in for a treat on the Hop
A gorgeous bike/pedestrian bridge over
River Trail. Enjoy the geology, the the highway, installed in 2018, carries the
quiet, the covered bridge in Charter Oak Greenway over the busy Route
44 exit ramp to connect with the Hop River
Andover, and then go eat lunch Trail. Looking east on the bridge, you can
in the old Willimantic post office.” see an enormous American flag painted on
a rock outcropping at Bolton Notch State
— Bill O’Neill, trails advocate Park. The trailhead at Bolton Notch offers a
who helped develop the port-a-potty and parking is available. Here
Charter Oak Greenway in the East Coast Greenway turns right onto
Manchester while stone dust surface for a 14-mile downhill
advocating for the national run to Willimantic.
East Coast Greenway
The former rail bed of the Hartford, Prov-
idence & Fishkill line was completed in
Note for garden lovers: A side trail soon af- 1849 by “Irish laborers using picks, shovels,
ter you start on the Charter Oak Greenway hand drills, ox drawn dump carts, and large
takes you to the 200-acre Wickham Park, amounts of black powder [to create] the
which straddles East Hartford and Man- track bed and lay the first rails. Stone for
chester and features exquisite gardens, the bridges and culverts was cut from the
ponds, an aviary, and more. many granite boulders and ledge outcrop-
pings that line the right-of-way. You can still
The local community is an active one with see the drill holes as you travel through the
a handful of running clubs and an eques- rock cuts,” as the Charter Oak Greenway/
trian group in addition to many cyclists. Hop River Trail map brochure says. The last
Local advocacy groups include Bike-Walk train ran on the rails on September 29, 1970.
Bolton, which schedules periodic trail
clean-ups, organizes events such as its Highlights of the Hop River Trail include
annual Rotary in Motion rides, and helped a covered bridge in Andover, with a small

Hop River Trail in winter. Scott Livingston photo
nearby museum and a convenient port-

a-potty; Bolton Heritage Farm, the site of
Rochambeau’s 1781 troop encampment
“The Hop is beautiful in every
(see sidebar); Squaw’s Cave in Bolton season. In the summer the tree
Notch State Park; and the namesake river, shade and granite walls keep
running alongside the trail for the second
half of the leg from Bolton to Willimantic. you cool. In the winter you can
If you have to leave a beautiful trail and
snowshoe past huge icicles. I
natural wonders and return to civilization, love going through the cuts and
entering the borough of Willimantic is a imagining all the history folded
nice way to go. The origin of the name Wil-
limantic isn’t clear. Most likely it’s derived into all those layers.”
from Pequot and Mohegan words for ce-
— Barbara Amodio, Bike-Walk
dar swamp, a feature that once existed at
Bolton co-chair and an East
the mouth of the Willimantic River where it Coast Greenway ambassador
joins the Natchaug to form the Shetucket.
The area is thought to have been home to
a mix of the wealthier Pequots and Mohe-
gans, the prosperous fishing and farming
immigrants to work in the mills, later East-
people living mostly on the coast, and the
ern Europeans and Puerto Ricans. The mills
Nipmucs (“fresh-water people”), who lived
also brought the railroad to town. Willi-
in smaller, more scattered agricultural hill
mantic became a major hub of both freight
villages stretching north through Massa-
and passenger service in the 1800s. While
chusetts and New Hampshire.
most of the old railroad buildings are gone,
In the 19th century, Willimantic became a including a grand station, you can see the
center of the textile industry and gained its Willimantic Freight House and Office on
nickname, “Thread City,” when the Amer- Riverside Drive, on the route. Prospect Hill
ican Thread Company built mills along Historic District a few blocks north features
the Willimantic River. The mills first drew hundreds of Victorian era homes.
Western European and French Canadian

Notch Pond as seen from the trail at Bolton Notch. Inset: red trillium. Sylvia Ounpuu photos
Natural features
From the Connecticut River Valley, you are can check out a few caves “large enough
heading into the state’s eastern highlands, to accommodate a human,” as the state’s
crossing the eastern border fault along the Department of Energy and Environmental
way in Manchester. The Charter Oak Green- Protection explains. The area was once the
way travels past a trailhead to the 640 acres site of an ancient transgressing sea — a
of Case Mountain Recreational Area, pop- geologic event during which sea level rises
ular with hikers and mountain bikers. The relative to the land and the shoreline moves
two-mile Schenipisic Trail here is a part of toward higher ground, resulting in flooding.
Connecticut’s 825-mile Blue Blazed Hiking Signs of this can be observed along the trail
Trail System, which also includes a short where layers of deeper sea sediments such
section of the Charter Oak Greenway. as limestone and shale are layered on top
of sandier sediment.
The area includes Case and Lookout Moun-
tains and a second-growth deciduous Flora along the Hop include pink lady slip-
forest with boulders and rock gardens left pers, mountain laurel, mosses, fiddleheads,
in the wake of glaciers. Local used to visit lichen, jack in the pulpits, red trillium, wild
the beautiful waterfall to fill jugs for house- violets, honeysuckle, columbine and yarrow.
hold water. Several vernal pools around the
Just east of Bolton Notch on the Hop River
mountains fill with snowmelt in the winter
Trail is the watershed dividing line where
and spring, then dry up in the summer.
you can see water flowing in two directions,
At the start of the Hop River Trail in Bolton eventually draining to the Connecticut River
Notch State Park, you begin following the and the Thames River, which both lead to
Hop River, a tributary of the Willimantic Long Island Sound.
River, for most of its length, crossing it twice.
Just south and east of the watershed peak,
The state park is known for interesting rock
keep an eye out for “Big Red,” a large red
types and geological formations. The Hop
oak wolf tree. In New England, wolf trees
River Trail offers perfect access for viewing
are the elderly, stand-alone trees that were
this geology, with walls of the deep rock
spared during Colonial deforestation to pro-
cuts that reveal the layers. At the top of
vide shade for livestock or mark a boundary.
the cliff notch in its marble exposure, you

Local knowledge: Cheney Silk Mills
Silk mills were once the largest employ-
er in Manchester, and the local Cheney
Brothers Manufacturers was the larg-
est producer of silk in the U.S. An entire
village sprung up around the mill build-
ings between 1872 and 1917, including a
privately built freight and passenger rail
line to serve the mills.
Cheney Brothers went the way of other
textile manufacturing in New England,
declining and eventually closing as mills
first headed to the South and then over-
Manchester History Center iis housed in the former
seas. But many of the mill buildings,
Cheney Machine Shop on Pine Street. BIll O’Neill photo
workers’ homes, and other buildings still
stand. The area was declared a National
Historic Landmark in 1978. that includes parts of the Hop River Trail and
Charter Oak Greenway traveling a three-
Much of the land and the rail trail sat town loop connecting Vernon, Bolton, and
overgrown until recent trail construc- Manchester. The southern section passes
tion and clean-up efforts. The two-mile through the former silk mill complex and
Cheney Rail Trail is part of a 17-mile loop historic district.
Must-see sites in Willimantic

• The Thread City Crossing bridge over the Williman-
tic, better known as the “Frog Bridge” thanks to four
whimsical copper frogs sitting atop concrete thread-
spool posts. Across from the busy intersection is Jillson
Square and Shaboo Stage, site of community gather-
ings and concerts.
• The pedestrian walkway over the river, a few blocks
east of Frog Bridge. It’s the only footbridge in the U.S.
that connects two state highways, as well as crosses
over three transportation modes: road, rail, and river.
• The Garden Bridge, which formerly carried Route 32
over the Willimantic before the Frog Bridge was built
a few hundred yards upstream. The older bridge has
been repurposed as a flower garden and park tended
by the community.
• Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum, featuring a
collection of locomotives and rolling stock, as well as a
reconstructed six-stall roundhouse.
• Willimantic Textile and History Museum, 400 Main
One of the copper frogs that pay Street, focuses on the city’s long history as a world
homage to the 1754 Battle of the leader in making thread and textiles.
Frogs (Google it!).

Site of the French Army’s encampment in 1781 at Bolton Heritage Farms. Reenactorinfo.org photo
Local knowledge: Rochambeau marched here

French Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste of the Rev. George Colton, on whose land
Donatien de Vimeur de Rochambeau and the troops camped.
his army marched through Connecticut
on their way to and from the battlefield of This description of Connecticut is typical
Yorktown, where America’s independence for that found in other French soldiers’ jour-
from Britain was finally won. Four divisions nals reminiscing about their time here.
of the army camped at the Rose Farm/ “You would think yourself in Europe when
Bolton Heritage Farm on what is now the you cast your eyes over the orchards,
Hop River Trail for four nights, June 22-25, the apple trees, and the fields. The land-
1781. It was their fifth camp on the way to scape is the same. This country has a very
White Plains, N.Y. healthy and salubrious climate. We have
Bolton was described in one journal as a seen old people here of both sexes who
very small town of ten or twelve houses enjoy perfect health at a very advanced
and a church and the roads being fright- age. Their old age is gay and amiable, and
ful, with mountains and very steep grades. not at all burdened with the infirmities that
Baron von Closen recorded: “We reached are our lot in our declining years. The peo-
Bolton with the greatest difficulty, since all ple of this province are very hard-working,
the roads were terrible. … Part of Bolton is but they do not labor to excess, as our
half-way up a hill, at the foot of which we peasants do. They cultivate only for their
camped.” physical needs. The sweat of their brow is
not expended on satisfying the extrava-
The officers above company grade who gant desires of the rich and luxury loving;
did not camp with the troops stayed ei- they limit themselves to enjoying what is
ther at Oliver White’s Tavern across from truly necessary. Foreigners are cordially
the campsite at the south-east corner of welcomed by these good people. You find
Brandy Street and Bolton Center Road or a whole family bustling about to make you
at Daniel White’s Tavern at the sign of the happy. Such are the general characteristics
Black Horse on Hutchinson Road. Rocham- of the people of Connecticut.”
beau himself spent the night in the home — Bruce Donald

Where to eat
For breakfast, you’ll find a
number of eateries on East
Hartford’s Main Street including
Maddie’s, 395 Main Street right
on the Greenway, a diner that
opens at 5 a.m.
Watch for a Dairy Queen on
Hartford Road in Manchester,
on a short gap in the Charter
Oak Greenway. Downtown
Manchester offers loads of Main Moose in Columbia
restaurants in addition to the Highland
Park Market by the trail. A few favorites
close by: Angry Egg, Lucky Taco, and Mul- 1909 granite building at 927 Main
berry Street Pizza. Street that once housed the city’s
post office, so you can enjoy lunch or
Before the bridge over I-84 in Bolton, you dinner in the former work room and
could take a half-mile detour off the gre- customer lobby (outside seating is
enway to visit Fish Family Farm, 20 Dimock also available).
Lane, where you can enjoy homemade ice
cream while petting the dairy’s calves. Another local favorite, a block away
at 869 Main Street is Grounded Cof-
A few miles before you reach Willimantic, fee for local and global roasts and a
the Main Moose on Route 66 in Columbia, bite to eat. One block the other way,
just off the Hop River Trail, makes a fun A Cupcake for Later tempts you with
stop. Find lobster rolls, BLT with avocados, gourmet baked goods, well earned
and gluten free options in a fun atmo- of course after your climbing from
sphere with indoor and outdoor seating the Connecticut River.
and occasional entertainment, from hay
rides to wood carving demonstrations. Among the other dining options on
Main Street: Taquitos Mexican Grill,
In downtown Willimantic, local cyclists Stone Row Kitchen + Bar (farm-fresh
recommend Willi Brew, or the Willimantic tapas), and Panaderia Pan Del Sinai
Brewing Company/Main Street Cafe. In (pastries, grinders, rotisserie chicken
its third rendition, WilliBrew occupies the and more).
Local knowledge: Connecticut’s Charter Oak

The Manchester greenway’s namesake was a majestic
white oak in Hartford, a strong and colorful symbol of
Colonial resistance to English rule. In 1687 Sir Edmund
Andros, agent of King James II, came to Hartford with an
armed force to seize Connecticut’s Charter. After hours
of debate, with the charter on the table between oppos-
ing parties, the candle-lit room suddenly went dark and
the charter disappeared. Captain Joseph Wadsworth is
An 1857 painting of Charter Oak by credited with hiding it in the majestic oak.
Charles De Wolf Brownell

Local knowledge: Town pounds
When European colonizers settled in New
England, they laid out towns with designat-
ed common land where residents could
graze their animals. It wasn’t uncommon
for animals to stray off and pillage private
gardens, to the ruin of subsistence farm-
ers. Many towns constructed town pounds,
typically a small area bounded by stone
Town pound in Andover, CT, close to Hop River Trail
walls and a gate. Pound keepers ran the
at Shoddy Mill Road and Route 6. CT DOT rebuilt this
enterprise and “haywards” rounded up pound as they widened Route 6 in the 1990s.
stray animals (typically horses, oxen, sheep,
pigs, and geese) and delivered them to the so Colonial-era town pounds remain in
pound, where their owners could recover Eastern Connecticut. In 2020, my wife and
them after paying a fine. I made a quest to find and bike to all the
By the late 1800s, farmers generally main- historic town pounds we could find near us:
tained their livestock on fenced private a dozen. In two cases, current road names
land, town pounds were gradually aban- pointed the way: Pound Road in Eastford
doned. While some were dismantled to and Old Town Pound Road in Hampton.
make way for development, a dozen or —John Hankins, bicycle tourist
Where to stay
Hotels and campgrounds are not plentiful here. Two motels close to Willimantic:
• The Inn on Storrs, 123 Storrs Rd, Mansfield Center, 860-423-8451. No frills motel 1.5
miles from downtown Willimantic and less than a mile from the trail.
• Passport Inn & Suites, 231 Willimantic Rd, Chaplin, 860-455-9588. Budget motel 4.5
miles north of downtown Willimantic on the trail.
In Manchester, the Wedgeway Bed and Breakfast, 99 Hartford Road, offers upscale lodg-
ing in a grand, 1911 home listed on the National Historic Registry. A number of experienced
Warmshower hosts live in the area; visit warmshowers.org.
Bike shops
• Farr’s Sporting Goods, 2 Main Street, Manchester, 2 miles from ECG, 860-643-7111
• Manchester Cycle Shop, 178 West Middle Turnpike, Manchester, 1.3 miles from ECG,
860-649-2098
• Pedal Power, 1171 Main St, Willimantic, one block from ECG, 860-347-3776
Getting there
In Hartford, the Hartford Line, a recent option from the state’s Department of Transporta-
tion in partnership with Amtrak, runs 17 trains a day between New Haven Hartford, con-
necting with service to Amtrak, New York City, and Shore Line East. Bicycles are permitted
as space allows.
Bus service by Greyhound and Peter Pan is available at Hartford’s Union Station.
CHAPTER 5
WILLIMANTIC
TO PUTNAM, CT
Air Line Trail in xxxxxxx.
Steve Sokoloski photo
CHAPTER 5
28 MILES
Easy traveling close to

nature on the tree-lined
Air Line Trail
Willimantic to Putnam
For turn-by-turn directions and/or gpx files of
the route, go to: map.greenway.org
For an interactive Google Map pinpointing all

recommended lodging, dining, attractions, and
other sites, go to: greenway.org/ctriguidemap
1 Goodwin State Forest 4 Putnam River Trail
2 Mashamoquet Brook State Park 5 Boxcar Children Museum
3 Pomfret Center
start

end
4 5

Newer bridge on Hop River Trail coming into Willimantic
Getting there
The Air Line Trail is accessible from most • Commuter parking lot on Route 6 near
road crossings but parking is limited. Find Route 203
larger parking areas at: • Pomfret Town Hall, Route 44, Pomfret
• Mackey’s Bridge on Route 66 and on (with EV charging station)
Bridge Street in Willimantic • Pomfret Station parking area, Railroad
• Lynch Road at Chewink Road crossing Street at Routes 169 & 44 (with kiosks
• Goodwin Education Center, Potter offering trail information and railroad
Road, Hampton history)
Local knowledge: Signs offer trail data

Air Line Trail users will find signage at each road crossing
from the Goodwin Education Center east to Pomfret Station.
Descriptive data such as section mileage, typical slope, typi-
cal cross slope, surface conditions and obstructions for each
section gives users, especially those with mobility challenges,
information about the route ahead.
The project was funded by The Last Green Valley and Con-
necticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s
Recreational Trails Program.

Route overview
Enjoy nearly 22 miles of the delightful canopy. You’re heading east and north.
Air Line State Park Trail, a rail trail that On surrounding roads that would mean
takes you from downtown Willimantic to climbing up and down a few ridges, but
charming Pomfret Center. After traveling the former rail bed offers a much easier
about six miles of roads, mostly downhill, grade.
you’ll arrive in downtown Putnam, where
Bound by an abundance of state forest
you’ll find restaurants, shops, and a stretch
land, land trust properties, wildlife
of greenway along the banks of the
sanctuaries and town-owned open space,
Quinebaug River.
the trail is “a wonderfully quiet space,
The Air Line Trail is paved for a short travelingthrough old farmlands, working
distance through the Willimantic. Quickly forests and beaver ponds that support
it enters woods and changes to a a variety of wildlife,” says local trail
stone-dust surface with a beautiful tree enthusiast Steve Sokolowski.
What to know
The Air Line State Park Trail takes its name artifacts along the Air Line Trail, says Steve
from the imaginary line drawn from New Sokoloski. The Brooklyn Road crossing,
York to Boston, as if through the air, to map about two miles west of Pomfret, is the site
the shortest route between the two cities. of the former Elliot Station. A commemo-
The new rail line was trying to compete rative rock marks the site on the east side
with the popular route, still in use, along the of the gate, just under some bushes. You
Connecticut shoreline. Building a rail line can also spot the concrete block remains
through Connecticut’s eastern highlands of a “telltale,” the long iron poles with ropes
meant, as any cyclist will tell you about hanging down that used to warn rail crews
the region, dealing with plenty of ridges of low clearance ahead, on the east side
and valleys. Construction began in the late of the trail just south of the Route 44 over-
1860s and required big cuts through the pass.
hillsides and massive fills in the valleys to A mile or so before you reach Pomfret
keep the rail bed at grade. Center, Mashamoquet Brook State Park
offers a few historical sites (see “Don’t
Changing technology brought faster train
Miss”). The rolling wooded hills in this area
engines and longer cars, both eventually
were home to two Native American tribes,
too heavy for the Air Line’s winding grades
the Nipmucks and the Narragansetts, who
and weight restrictions on trestle bridges
claimed opposite sides of the Quinebaug
over the valleys. Passenger service de-
River. They called the valley Mashamoquet,
clined in the early 1900s. Then disastrous
meaning “stream of good fishing.” The
flooding from hurricanes in 1955 washed
Pequots later succeeded the two tribes. In
out critical bridges and closed sections of
1684, Sachem Owaneco gave Major James
the line. Meanwhile, construction of the
Fitch a title to the area. In 1713, the area
interstate highway system in the 1960s
was incorporated by the General Court
sealed the fate of the rail line.
of Connecticut under the name Pomfret,
Curious travelers can spot a few railroad named after an English manor, presided

over by the Lord of Pomfret. For the next ary War fame. Located on the Quine-
181 years, descendants of the early fam- baug River, the town was home to one
ilies added homes, farms, and inns to of the first cotton mills in the country,
the top of Pomfret Hill. built here in 1806. Waterpower and rail
lines helped the textile industry to flour-
Tiny Pomfret Center is home to a co-ed
ish here until the 1955 floods ravaged
boarding high school, Pomfret School,
the town.
in the center of town. In 1894 William
Peck and his wife, Harriet, purchased Visitors to Putnam today find a lively
the Charles Grosvenor Inn and found- downtown with a range of restaurants,
ed Pomfret School. Sadly, in a scenario from casual to fine dining, and shops —
more familiar after the 2020 coronavi- including a four-story, 20,000-square-
rus pandemic, In the winter of 1897 an foot Antiques Marketplace showing
epidemic of bronchitis and pneumonia pieces from 130 dealers.
struck the school. Peck caught a partic-
ularly virulent strain of the disease, pos- The Greenway route includes the scenic
sibly from a sick student he had carried two-mile Putnam RIver Trail downtown.
in his arms to the infirmary, and died on The trail includes history displays about
January 7, 1897. the town’s railroad and mills and the
1955 flood. A 200-foot pedestrian bridge
The neighboring town of Putnam was in- is built on the foundation of a railroad
corporated in 1855 and named in honor trestle.
of General Israel Putnam of Revolution-
Local knowledge: The Air Line’s “Ghost Train”

The Air Line was built to shave time
between Boston and New York by going
diagonally across Connecticut. Its most
famous express train, The New England
Limited, was painted white and gold and
earned the moniker “The Ghost Train.”
Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem about his
trip on the Ghost Train, including these
lines:
"Without a jar, or roll or antic, Ghost Train, from University of Connecticut

Libraries Archives & Special Collections
Without a stop to Willimantic,
The New England Limited takes its way
One half the glories have not been told
At three o'clock each day,
Of that wonderful train of white
Maids and Matrons, daintily dimited,
and gold
Ride every day on the New England
Which leaves each day for New York
Limited;
at three
Rain nor snow ne'er stops its flight,
Over the N.Y. & N.E."
It makes New York at nine each night.
— Steve Sokoloski

Putnam River Trail follows the Quinebaug River in downtown Putnam. Connecticut Tourism Office photo
Local knowledge: Former Pomfret Center inn

listed in Green Book for African American travelers
It’s an unusual listing in the The Negro Motorist Green Book,
the travel guide created by Victor Green in 1936. Begun
with New York City listings, Green soon expanded his guide
to let fellow African Americans know of restaurants, gas
stations, and hotels where they would be safely welcomed
during the time of Jim Crow racial segregation laws.
The Willow Inn in Pomfret Center, on “Highway 44 ½ Mile W.
of Conn. Rts. 101 & 44,” is one of a dozen listings for Con-
necticut, but the only one outside of a city. Pomfret resident
Mary Anthony was pleasantly surprised to learn that her
small, rural hamlet had a Green Book listing. The inn would
have backed up to the East Coast Greenway’s Air Line Trail
from its entrance on Mashamoquet Road. It’s now a private
home, with no plaque or sign about its history.
Green published his guidebook annually for 30 years until

1966. It wasn’t the first or only travel guide for African Amer-
icans, but it was the best known and most successful.

Pine Acres Pond in James Goodwin State Forest. Goodwin Forest Conservation Education Center photo
Natural features
You leave the meandering Willimantic and later travels through Two Sisters
River as you head east and north away Preserve, two tracts protected by The
from its namesake city. Traveling on Joshua’s Trust. State and local forests,
the Air Line Trail, you pass by and over wildlife sanctuaries, and town open space
a number of small ponds and swamps, surround you for the rest of the route to
perfect for spotting heron and other Pomfret Center. In Putnam, a two-mile
waterfowl. At mile five the trail passes stretch of greenway follows the banks of
the Windham Atlantic White Cedar Bog the Quinebaug River.

Don’t miss: Things to do and see en route
Third Thursdays Mashamoquet Brook State Park

Downtown Willimantic, CT 276 Mashamoquet Road
Pomfret Center
Plan a three-day weekend of cycling or
walking and start it off right on a Thursday The park’s Wolf Den is said to be where, in
night when Willimantic opens Main 1742, Israel Putnam (later a Revolutionary
Street to five stages of music and other War general) shot and killed a wolf that
entertainment. Every third Thursday, May had preyed on colonists’ sheep and poultry
through September. for years. Near the den are the Table Rock
and Indian Chair stone formations. The
entrance to the park was once the site of
a cider mill, grist mill and wagon shop. The
floods of 1938 destroyed the mill dam and
pond, leaving only the grist mill, now oper-
ated as a museum by the Pomfret Histori-
cal Society.
Gertrude Chandler Warner

Boxcar Children Museum
1 South Street, Putnam, CT
In May 2021, the

newly renovated
museum is
scheduled to
reopen. Housed
James L. Goodwin Forest Conservation
in an authentic
Education Center
RR boxcar, the
23 Potter Road, Hampton, CT
museum is
dedicated to the
Just off the trail, the center makes a
life and work of
good stop for seasonal port-a-potties
Gertrude Chandler
or — when the flag is flying by the office
Warner, author
— inside bathrooms. Find trails to explore
of The Boxcar
and educational programs, gardens
Children books. Find
tended by dedicated volunteers, a car-top
a collection of original signed books and
boat launch for exploring Pine Acres Lake,
artifacts from Warner’s life and career as a
birding platform, covered picnic pavilion,
teacher in Putnam, and a re-creation of the
and youth-group camping area. It’s a great
living space created by the Aldens—the
site for snowshoeing and cross country
Boxcar Children themselves.
skiing in the winter.

Where to eat
For breakfast in Willimantic, early risers
will appreciate that the Thread City Din-
er, 931 Main Street, opens at 5:30 am six
days a week (closed on Tuesdays). Near-
by, Grounded Coffee at 869 Main Street,
offers oatmeal and bagel breakfast sand-
wiches along with its selection of local
and global roasts. Grounded Coffee also
offers “good internet, picnic table seating
outside, and bike racks,” says Greenway
ambassador Barbara Amodio. Vanilla Bean Cafe, Pomfret Center, CT
For a lunch or snack stop, the Vanilla ucts. At the Brooklyn Road gate turn west
Bean Cafe at 450 Deerfield Road in Pom- a short distance to RT 97, then head north
fret is a charming stop. The cafe serves 1 mile.
as a de facto community center, centrally
located in a restored, early 19th centu- In Putnam, choose from a range of op-
ry barn. Choose from homemade soups, tions including:
sandwiches and light dinners along with • 85 Main (American, fresh and locally
baked goods. sourced produce, vegan friendly), 85
Main Street
Just off the trail on Route 44, the Airline
Grill is open in the warmer months with • Jessica Tuesday’s (farm to fork, locally
burgers, sandwiches, and vegan options sourced cuisine), 35 Main Street
just east of Pomfret Town Hall. Sample
local spirits at the Water Cure Distillery • Elizabeth’s Farmhouse (American,
across the street. German, pizza, pub), 85 Canal Street
Also in season, the We-Li-Kit Farm Stand • Ben’s Beans Coffee Roasters, 164
features farm-made ice cream treats Main Street
(warm waffle cones!) and other farm prod-
• Black Dog Bar & Grille, on the Gre-
enway two miles from downtown, 146
Park Road,
Groceries
• Willimantic Food Co-op, 91 Valley
Street, Willimantic, a few blocks from
the route.
• Price Chopper, 251 Kennedy Drive,

Putnam, open 24 hours, a few blocks
from the route.

Where to stay
Hotels & Inns
Americas Best Value Inn
5 Heritage Road, Putnam, CT
Convenient to the trail, this is a
low-cost, servicable option. Basic
snacks served for breakfast.
Comfort Inn & Suites

16 Tracy Road, Dayville, CT
On the Greenway, three miles
from downtown Putnam with in-
door pool, hot breakfast
Bike packers headed to camp at Mashamoquet Brook
State Park
ers and dumping station with fishing, hiking,

swimming nearby. Mashamoquet Brook Camp-
ground has 18 wooded sites with composting
toilets and dumping station. Open early April
through early September.
Natchaug Forest
Pilfershire Road, Eastford, CT
The forest includes an equestrian-only camp-
ground, Silvermine Horse Camp, often used
Breakfast at Fox Hill Farm by horse groups who ride down to the Air
Line Trail. A backpacking lean-to, also used
by bikepackers, is available to reserve at the
Inn at Fox Hill Farm
boyhood homesite of General Nathaniel Lyon.
760 Pomfret Street,
Lyon was the first Union general to be killed in
Pomfret Center, CT
the Civil War.
One-bedroom cottage sits on 75
wooded acres and rolling pas-
tures, this charming country cot-
tage includes: private entrance,
large living room, kitchen, deck
with lake view, king bed and pri- Bike shops
vate bath. Pedal Power, 1171 Main St, Willimantic, CT, one
block from ECG, 860-347-3776
Camping
Mashamoquet Brook State Park Storrs Center Cycle, 1132 Storrs Rd, Storrs, CT, 5
276 Mashamoquet Road, miles from ECG, 860-429-5300
Pomfret Center, CT Downtown Putnam Cyclery, 112 Main Street,
Wolf Den Campground has 35 Putnam, CT, one block from ECG, 860-928-0011
open sites with bathrooms, show-

Cross-country skiing on the Air Line Trail (WHERE ) photo credit to come

CHAPTER 6
PUTNAM, CT TO
COVENTRY, RI
Washington Secondary
Trail in Coventry, R.I.
Ana Markasyn photo
CHAPTER 5
35 MILES
Rural traveling in
Quinebaug Valley and
crossing into Ocean State
start

Putnam, CT, to Coventry, RI
For turn-by-turn directions and/or gpx files of the route, go to:
map.greenway.org
For an interactive Google Map pinpointing all recommended

lodging, dining, attractions, and other sites, go to:
1 Quinebaug River Trail
2 CT/RI state line
3 Summit General Store
4 Bolton Notch State Park
end
3

In Danielson, look for
the East Coast
Greenway plaque on
the Quinebaug
River Trail bike-
pedestrian bridge
crossing Five Mile Pond.
The sign indicates your
remaining mileage if
you continue on the
Greenway heading
north to Canada or
south to Key West.
Route overview What to know

This is the most rural of all the East Coast From Putnam heading south, you’ll pass
Greenway segments through Connecti- fulfillment centers and other commercial
cut and Rhode Island. The first half of plants — a Staples Distribution Center,
the route is due south, roughly following International Paper corrugated packag-
the path of the Quinebaug River with the ing plant, Frito Lay distribution center,
Rhode Island state line just a few miles to and others. The sites are evidence of the
your left. The route starts off on the 1.3- logistics and transport industries that
mile Putnam River Trail. The next eight have grown here in the wake of the textile
miles or so are a combination of road and industry’s demise.
path. A pedestrian bridge across Five Mile
Trail advocates in Rhode Island and Con-
Pond leads you to the paved Quinebaug
necticut hope to connect the two states
River Trail in Danielson and a small stretch
with trail extensions from the Moosup
of Moosup Valley Trail before crossing
Valley State Park Trail another six miles
into Rhode Island.
east to the beginning of the Washing-
In the village of Summit, Rhode Island, ton Secondary Trail in Rhode Island. The
you’ll pick up the Washington Secondary trail travels on the former Providence,
Trail at its western end and travel six miles Hartford, Fishkill rail line. It feels like one
to the center of Coventry. long, nearly 20-mile multi-use path, but
it’s been built in segments over the years
by the state and the communities along
the way. It’s mostly flat but gently heads

downhill if you’re traveling west and north
toward Providence. The surface is paved,
but tree roots make some of the older
sections a bit bumpy.
The western end is more rural, offer-
ing a tree canopy and a parallel dirt and
crushed-stone bridle path, allowing
equestrians to travel the path separate-
ly. Bridge crossings offer water views of
ponds and reservoirs.
Natural features
Rhode Island may be the nation’s smallest
state, but it offers a wide range of land-
scapes, many of which you’ll see in this
section of Greenway as forest and farm-
land give way to more urban areas and
eventually coastal areas.
The western part of the state is marked
by large tracts of land owned by the “This segment is my absolute
state under the jurisdiction of the fish favorite for training. For the entire
and wildlife and forestry divisions. As you
approach Coventry, the 8,319-acre Big
six-mile stretch, there are only two
River State Management Area will be just intersections with stop signs.”
a few miles to the south. Here, tucked — Ana Markasyn
in the middle of evergreens, ponds, and
streams, is Rhode Island’s most unusu-
al landscape: a “desert.” Acres of sandy Twelve miles on Trestle Trail
dunes offer views from the hilltops and and Coventry Greenway
the occasional sighting of fox, deer, owls
Park next to the Coventry Public Library
and other wildlife. The site is actually an
at 1672 Flat River Road. The trail here is
abandoned quarry and gravel pit. The
always very clean and the pavement is
southern half of the state, as you get close
amazing. As a skater, it’s important that the
to its coastline, is known for its granite and
pavement is clear of road debris, rocks,
rock formations.
sand, puddles, twigs, leaves, and cracks
from tree branches.
Right away you’ll have a scenic lake view.
From there, head west to the end of the
trail, six miles. There’s a slight incline when
you start out, heading west, but it makes
a nice downhill on the way back. At about
2.2 miles in, there’s a scenic lake where
you can take photos of a beautiful blue sky
reflecting in the water.
Rhode Island’s “desert” in West Greenwich. RI Film &
Television Office photo — inline skater Ana Markasyn

Where to eat
For breakfast before leaving Putnam,
check out:
• Bill’s Bread & Breakfast on Providence
Street
• The Broken Crust on Kennedy Drive,
with fresh baked goods to grab and go
• Henry’s Diner on Providence Street
opens at 6 a.m.
The Summit General Store in Greene, RI, is a favorite
In Killingly just after the footbridge, George’s stop close to the trailhead. Find a deli counter, local
Galley, 55 Main Street on the Greenway, produce, post office and much more.
opens at 5 am and serves hearty, home-
made breakfasts and lunches until 2:30 p.m. Udder Delights at 1373 Main Street in Cov-
The Heirloom Food Company on North entry is a fine way to end your day’s travels.
Main Street offers vegan and vegetarian You’ll find picnic tables out front of the
fare. At the Greenway crossing of Route 101, cow-themed exterior. For dinner in Coven-
4Gs Restaurant opens at 7 a.m. for break- try, you have a range of choices: pizza and
fast, 11 a.m. for pizza and other lunch op- fast food joints, Braza Brazilian Barbecue
tions, with outside seating available. at 15 Sandy Bottom Rd, Olde Theater Diner
at 33 Sandy Bottom Rd, Seven Moons East
Things get a little sparse for the next Asian cuisine at 856 Tiogue Ave, and more.
stretch, so watch for the Cumberland
Farms service station in Moosup, just be- Where to stay
fore you pick up the Moosup Valley Trail. It
makes a good bathroom and snack stop, In this more rural area, travelers will find
including Cumby’s famous $1 coffee. several camping options in the Coven-
try area. Ahoyo Campground is right on
Five miles after crossing into Rhode Island, the East Coast Greenway with frontage
you’ll reach the Summit General Store, on Johnson’s Pond. Waters Edge Family
with a deli, at the trailhead for the Washing- Campground is also on Johnson’s Pond.
ton Secondary Trail. Another option, RIver Bend Campground,
is about halfway through today’s miles in
Oneco, CT, 23 miles south of Putnam and
14 miles west of Coventry. For hotel stays,
“What’s great about the East three miles from the Greenway you’ll find
the inexpensive chains, catering to travel-
Coast Greenway route through
ers on nearby Interstate 95: Hampton Inn
Rhode Island is that you get to Coventry-Warwick, Holiday Inn Express
see parts of the state you’ve Coventry, and Residence Inn by Marriott
Providence Coventry.
probably never heard about.
There’s a lot packed into this Bike shops
small state.” Downtown Putnam Cyclery, 112 Main St,
Putnam, 0.05 miles from ECG. 860-928-0011
— Grace Gielink, program and
property coordinator, Providence Bicycle Warwick, 150 Lambert
Preserve Rhode Island Lind Hwy, Warwick,RI. 0.5 miles from ECG
401-773-7733

CHAPTER 7
COVENTRY TO
PROVIDENCE
Washington Secondary
Trail travels over former
railroad trestle bridge in
Coventry, R.I. Lori Riley
photo
CHAPTER 5
15 MILES
Scenic greenway, then

urban exploring in a
capital city on a river
Coventry to Providence
For turn-by-turn directions and/or gpx files
of the route, go to:
map.greenway.org
For an interactive Google Map pinpointing

all recommended lodging,
dining, attractions, and other sites, go to:
1 Anthony Mill (view from Greenway)
2 Nathanael Greene Homestead
3 Bradford Soap Works
4 Cranston Street Armory
5 Providence River Pedestrian

Bridge
start
1
2

end

Route overview
Enjoy 12 miles of the Washington Second- wind your way on roads through increas-
ary Bike Path as you head east and north ingly urban areas to reach Broadway, a
to Providence. The multi-use path travels main east-west artery for the city with bike
from Coventry through West Warwick, lanes on both sides, and into downtown
Warwick, and Cranston, ending just shy of Providence.
the Providence line. From there you will
What to know
In 1996 four miles of the Coventry Green-
way were among the first stretches of trail
nationally to be designated as part of the
East Coast Greenway. Guy Lefebvre, then
director of Coventry’s parks, was an early
supporter of the ECG and used funds from
selling off ties and rails from the aban-
doned rail line to fund the early bike path
development. Gradually the Rhode Island
Department of Transportation developed
more sections of the former Hartford, Prov-
idence and Fishkill rail line. While sections Nathanael Greene Homestead. SouthCountyRI photo
of the Washington Secondary Bike Path
have their own distinct local names—Cran- once housed 726 looms and more than
ston Bike Path, Warwick Bike Path, West 30,000 spindles. Listed on the National
Warwick Greenway, Coventry Greenway, Register of Historic Places, the Anthony Mill
and Trestle Trail — you’ll experience it as -- like many old mills in Rhode Island --
one delightfully long continuous off-road has been converted into apartments. After
path. Enjoy the cooling tree cover, although the bridge, it’s worth turning off the green-
tree roots mean the ride is a bit bumpy on way and turning right to tour Anthony, one
some of the older stretches of trail. The trail of the earliest mill villages in the region
is popular here as you travel through more with dozens of small mill worker homes
populated areas, so watch for fellow cy- still standing. The Nathanael Greene
clists, runners, dog walkers and more. Homestead at 50 Taft Street is a Nation-
Traveling from Coventry to Providence, al Historic Landmark. General Greene ran
you’ll follow Rhode Island’s evolution from an ironworks forge on the Pawtuxet River
an agrarian economy to an early leader in and became a national hero as George
the industrial movement to a post-indus- Washington’s most effective commander,
trial economy. A mile into the route you’ll leading American troops of the Continental
cross the Pawtuxet River, with a great view Army against the British in the Revolution-
from the bridge of the Anthony Mill to the ary War.
left. The cotton mill, built in the early 1800s, Passing through West Warwick, the River

Anthony Mill in Coventry, seen from a trestle bridge on the Greenway over the Pawtuxt River
Point Park recreational area (Hay Street this park is the Cranston Street Armory,”
crossing) offers a bathroom stop. Check notes Eric Weis, a Rhode Island-based
out the red New Haven caboose parked transportation planner. Listed by the Na-
nearby, close to the river, as well as a tional Trust for Historic Preservation, the
trailside East Coast Greenway information building “rises like a castle on one edge of
kiosk. On Wednesday afternoons, August the park.”
through October, a farmers market oper-
Traveling the bike lane on Broadway is a
ates just south of the park.
great way to enter Providence, with the
Heading north, you will travel behind com- city’s skyline on the near horizon and doz-
mercial streets through West Warwick and ens of restaurants, cafes and shops lining
Cranston. One local business, Sundaes, has the city blocks.
wisely created a rear entrance from the
trail. With picnic tables outside, it makes a
great ice cream stop.
Not long after leaving the bike path in
Cranston, you’ll travel alongside the 10-
acre Dexter Training Grounds. Ebenezer
Dexter donated the land to the city in 1824
as a military drill field, parade ground and
park. During the Civil War, local troops
camped and trained here before joining
Union forces. Today, the park offers prime
community open space in the urban West Early postcard view of yellow brick Cranston Street
Broadway neighborhood. “The real star of Armory. GoProvidence.com image

Mural at 32 Custom House Street in Providence depicts Lynsea Montanari. a member of the Narragansett tribe
and an educator at the Tomaquag Museum in Exeter, R.I., holding a photograph of Princess Red Wing, a
Narragansett/Pokanoket Wampanoag historian and educator who founded the museum. Deirdre Bird photo
Natural features
The Washington Secondary Trail follows Providence River at the head of the
the winding Pawtuxet River, crossing Narragansett Bay estuary. The Patuxet
it a number of times. The Pawtuxet is tribe lived near the river, part of the larger
an important Rhode Island watershed, Narragansett tribe.
beginning at the Scituate Reservoir and
The river’s water quality has been harmed
emptying into Pawtuxet Cove and the
by four dams and a number of industries
and treatment plants that discharge into
the Pawtuxet. The state’s Department of
“Lincoln Almond played a Environmental Management is working on
big role in getting the state to fish passage alternatives for the Pawtuxet
adopt the concept of multi-use Falls Dam to help restore the anadromous
fish population.
paths. I think he saw that it’s
Further north, the eight-mile Providence
something people wanted. You River forms from the confluence of the
build a new highway and no Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck
one comes to the dedication to rivers in downtown Providence. The
Providence River played a key role in
pat you on the back. But if you the city’s evolution, from fishing port to
build a bike path, people are so industrial boom town to modern industrial
port and cultural center. A little further
appreciative.” downstream, near India Point Park on
— Karen Votava, R.I. resident the East Coast Greenway, the Seekonk
since 1994 and a co-founder River joins the Providence. A tidal river,
and first executive director the Providence eventually drains into
of the East Coast Greenway Narragansett Bay, which opens into
Alliance, on leadership from Rhode Island Sound and the Atlantic
her state’s governor in late ‘90s Ocean.

Where to eat
For breakfast in Coventry, stop in Dave’s Warwick makes a tempting ice cream
Marketplace at 23 Coventry Shoppers break at mile 9 or so.
Park on Rt 117. There’s also a Dunkin’
Food options multiply as soon as you hit
Donuts nearby, open at 4 a.m. Rick &
Broadway in Providence. The street is lined
Dee’s, a diner, is a few blocks off the trail
with cafes and restaurants, including Nitro
at 17 Knotty Oak Road in Coventry, open
Bar, a coffee shop inside of Dash Bicycles,
daily at 6:30 a.m.
for a little java if you need to stop for parts
You’re headed to Providence, a foodie or a repair consult. From here, choices for
town in the best sense, so you’ll want noshing and dining run the gamut from
to save your appetite for the city. Still, cheap eats to fine dining. Read more about
Sundaes right on the greenway in food options in Chapter 8, Providence.
Where to stay
Reasonably priced hotels in Providence while backpacking. Prices start at $32/
include the Hilton Garden Inn, 220 night in shared dorm or $64/private
India Street across the road from room. Walking distance to downtown
the Greenway at the head of the Providence and Brown University.
Providence River, and a Hampton Inn & • Good Will Engine Company, 41
Suites in the heart of downtown at 58 Central Street, Providence. “Shared
Weybosset Street. lodging property and lounge/cafe/
performance venue. We offer hi-style
There are no campgrounds in or
dorm or private accommodations
immediately surrounding Providence.
for budget-minded travelers visiting
The city does offer a number of hostels, Providence.” Walking distance to
including: downtown, two miles from India Point
Park.
• Providence Hostel and Guesthouse, • The Dean, 122 Fountain Street.
62 Nolan Street, Providence. “We This boutique hotel in the heart of
cater to conscientious wanderers downtown Providence offers options
of any age who still haven’t lost including hostel-like rooms with bunk
their curiosity (or wanderlust),” say beds.
the owners, three friends who met
WaterFire lights up Providence on select weekends in the warmer months. Waterfire.org/Erin Cuddigan photo

Local knowledge: Bradford Soap Works
Sniff the air as you cross the Pawtuxet textiles declined. By the 1960s, with the
River just after River Point Park in West paper industry moving to the northwest
Warwick. If the wind is right, says Eric Weis, and the textile industry moving south,
you may catch a whiff of hotel soaps, the Bradford shifted its focus to personal care
primary product of Bradford Soap Works, products. In 2002, Bradford was the first
the complex you’ll pass on either side of American soap manufacturer to receive
the trail. organic certification; in 2012, it was the
Founded in 1876, the company began by first company to work with The Rainforest
supplying flake soap to the local textiles Alliance on sourcing 100 percent traceable,
mills, then moved on to other industrial sustainable palm oil from their certified
soap applications for paper mills as plantations.
Getting there
and reservations are required. The MBTA
Parking is available for those who want commuter rail allows bikes on all off-peak
to sample the Washington Secondary trains, and allows folding bikes on peak-
Bike Path in short segments. Midway on hour trains, at no extra charge.
the trail, you can park in the lot adjacent
to Horgan Elementary School, 124 Provi- A number of bus companies — Greyhound,
dence Street, West Warwick, adjacent to Peter Pan, Go Bus — serve Providence,
River Point Park. At the western end of the linking the city with Boston, New Haven,
trail, find a parking lot on Log Bridge Road New York City and beyond. Rhode Island’s
in Summit, across the street from Summit bus service, called RIPTA, offers state-wide
General Store. service, and all RIPTA buses have a front
rack that can carry two bicycles.
The train station in downtown Providence
offers Amtrak service to points north and Long-term parking options include the
south. All of Amtrak’s Northeast Regional Biltmore Garage on Washington Street and
trains allow bicycles but limit how many the PPAC Garage on Weybosset Street.

CHAPTER 8
PROVIDENCE
Providence skyline as
seen from pedestrian
walkway over the
Providence River.
Kristine Keeney photo
CHAPTER 5
History, architecture,
arts and plenty of good
eats in state capital

1 3
2
5
4
Providence
dining, attractions, and other sites, go to: greenway.org/ctriguidemap
1 State House 5 Brown University
2 Providence Station 6 Pedestrian bridge
3 Prospect Terrace 7 India Point Park
4 Rhode Island School of Design

The East Coast Greenway runs through India Point Park, with waterfront views. visitrhodeisland.com photo
What to know
It may be the nation’s smallest state, but minorities. Nearly a century after his death,
Rhode Island packs an extraordinary Williams’ notion of a “wall of separation”
amount of character and charm per square between church and state inspired Ameri-
mile. As the capital city, Providence offers ca’s founders, who incorporated it into the
visitors plenty of history, culture, and nat- U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
ural features to explore within a compact
A tour of Providence could begin at the
footprint, easily covered by bike or on foot.
state house, 1 Capitol Hill, topped by the
Roger Williams (1603-1683) founded the fourth largest self-supported marble dome
colony of Rhode Island in 1636 while advo- in the world. A gold-covered bronze stat-
cating for a then-radical notion: the sep- ue, “The Independent Man,” stands on
aration of church and state. His belief in top of the dome, paying tribute to Rog-
religious freedom and tolerance, coupled er Williams’ spirit and initiative. Heading
with his disapproval of confiscating land down the hill, you’ll pass by Providence
from Native Americans, led to his banish- Station and cross the Woonasquatucket
ment from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. River on one of several pedestrian bridg-
He and his followers settled on Narragan- es. The bridges are part of renovations in
sett Bay, where they purchased land from the 1980s and ‘90s to re-imagine the city
the Narragansett tribe. Their new colony, center with walking paths, restaurants, and
founded on religious liberty and separation WaterFire — the lighting of 86 braziers in
of church and state, became a haven for the Woonasquatucket, Moshassuck and
Baptists, Quakers, Jews and other religious Providence rivers on selected Saturday

evenings, May through November. Blackstone Boulevard, a favorite of runners
for the stone dust path in the linear park
From downtown, you can opt to explore of the divided road, which was designed
a number of areas: the downtown historic by noted landscape architect Horace
business district; early Black history sites; Cleveland. At about 5 miles you’ll reach
the Jewelry District; East Side with the downtown Pawtucket and Slater Mill, where
campuses of Brown University and Rhode Samuel Slater launched the American In-
Island School of Design and historic homes dustrial Revolution with his water-powered
along Benefit Street; and the West Side, a mill (see sidebar). Red-brick mill buildings
diverse community that has been home to dominate the downtown and are worth
Irish, French Canadian, Italian, and Arme- exploring. Grace Gielink, program coordina-
nian immigrants. The ProvidenceWarwick tor at Preserve Rhode Island, recommends
Convention & Visitors Bureau offers walk- visiting Hope Artiste Village at 1005 Main
ing tours of each area, loops that you can Street. One of the state’s largest mill resto-
combine, especially if traveling by bike. ration projects, the Village hosts art studios,
Visit goprovidence.com. live/work lofts, retail shops, event spaces
For a favorite local vantage point, cross and the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame.
the river from downtown to the East Side Continuing north, you’ll travel through Cen-
and climb up a few blocks east, then a few tral Falls to Cumberland and the start of a
blocks north of the RISD and Brown cam- long stretch of off-road Blackstone River
puses to check out a panoramic view of Bikeway. The scenic trail, part of the East
Providence from Prospect Terrace on Con- Coast Greenway’s route north to Massa-
gdon Street between Bowen and Cush- chusetts, offers beautiful views of its name-
ing Streets. Roger Williams is buried here sake river and surrounding woods. An older
beneath a granite statue of him keeping path, it gets bumpy and cracked in some
watch over the city. sections from tree roots pushing up the
For a larger loop of the area, you can head pavement. At about 10 miles out, you could
north on the East Coast Greenway from In- detour off the path to visit Lincoln Woods
dia Point Park. Enjoy views of rowers on the State Park. Circle the lake on a 2.5-mile loop
water as you travel along the banks of the or just relax by the sandy beach area before
Seekonk River, then head north on stately heading back to the city.
Local knowledge: Not just the Ocean State

Located on native Narragansett, Niantic, and Wampanoag
lands, Rhode Island is only 48 miles long and 37 miles wide.
Despite its size, it comprises a complex range of coastal, urban,
and rural landscapes that nod to its evolving history. Widely
recognized for its 400 miles of coastline along the Narragan-
sett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, Rhode Island has deep mar-
itime roots that led to the development of its many small port
villages and grand summer estates. It’s also the birthplace
of the American Industrial Revolution, which transformed the
Blackstone River Valley into an industrialized region and mold-
ed much of the existing urban landscape of the state today. All
of this coexists alongside early colonial buildings, townscapes,
and farms. —Grace Gielink, Preserve Rhode Island

Photographers flock to the sunflowers for portraits. Photo credits,
clockwise from top: Raymond Gauthier, Chantel DaSilva, and Smythe-
Anne Bartley
Local knowledge: Ten Thousand Suns

In the summer of 2016, Adam Anderson, a of large circles, leaving paths in-between
Rhode Island School of Design landscape for intimate exploration,” Anderson writes
architecture grad, planted 10,000 sunflow- on his website. “The project will create a
er seeds on vacant land near the Green- spontaneous and unique cultural identity
way that emerged when Interstate I95 was for the citizens of Providence and its visi-
realigned. tors during the summer months.”
“Rather than using high maintenance and Five years later, the installation still stands,
energy intensive large swaths of turf grass, offering a magical — and well photo-
I propose using the bio-accumulating and graphed — site within view of the river and
habitat creating properties of Helioanthus the city’s skyline.
(aka, sunflower) planted in rows in a series
Natural features
Providence began as a port city, located at level just north of Providence.
the top of Narragansett Bay and the con-
A variety of gulls, herons, cormorants,
vergence of the Providence and Seekonk
swans and geese make their home near
rivers. The Providence River is formed by
the rivers.
the confluence of the Woonasquatuck-
et and Moshassuck rivers in downtown Rhode Island is the only state in New
Providence. The Seekonk begins where England to be formed entirely on top of
the Blackstone River, which powered the basement rock from the microcontinent
nation’s earliest textile mills, reaches sea Avalonia.

Bike shops
• Dash Bicycle Shop, 230
Broadway, Providence, 401-
453-3274, on the Greenway
• Legend Bicycle, 181 Brook
Street, Providence, 401-
383-3070, four blocks from
the Greenway
• Recycle a Bike, 1911 West-
minster Street, Providence,
nonprofit where you can
borrow tools, find spare
parts, etc. 0.4 miles from
Greenway. Limited hours so
Dash includes a coffee shop within the bike shop on Broadway
call ahead, 401-525-1822.
Where to stay
Reasonably priced hotels in
Providence include the Hilton
Garden Inn, 220 India Street
across the road from the Gre-
enway at the head of the Prov-
idence River, and a Hampton
Inn & Suites in the heart of
downtown at 58 Weybosset
Street.
There are no campgrounds in or
immediately surrounding Provi-
dence.
The city does offer a number of

hostels, including:
• Providence Hostel and Painted electrical box in downtown Providence. Deirdre Bird photo
Guesthouse, 62 Nolan
Street, Providence. “We
cater to conscientious wan- • Good Will Engine Company, 41 Central Street,
derers of any age who still Providence. “Shared lodging property and lounge/
haven’t lost their curiosity (or cafe/performance venue. We offer hi-style dorm
wanderlust),” say the owners, or private accommodations for budget-minded
three friends who met while travelers visiting Providence.” Walking distance to
backpacking. Prices start at downtown, two miles from India Point Park.
$32/night in shared dorm or • The Dean, 122 Fountain Street. This boutique hotel
$64/private room. Walking in the heart of downtown Providence offers op-
distance to downtown Provi- tions including a hostel-like room with two bunk
dence and Brown University. beds sleeping 4 people.

Where to eat
a cozy, artsy cafe for breakfast or lunch
Providence has an international reputation
with homemade pastries and tasty
for a dynamic food and restaurant culture.
snacks
The renowned culinary program at
• Any number of ethnic, student-
Johnson & Wales University has much to
oriented restaurants on Thayer Street,
do with the foodie scene here, as do artsy
the main commercial district for Brown
RISD grads and several generations of
University
immigrants bringing their cuisines to the
• Geoff’s Superlative Sandwiches is in a
area.
new location at 401 South Main Street,
Many credit the tiny Al Forno restaurant, right at the pedestrian/bike bridge
where RISD grads George Germon and over the river, but the joint has been
Johanne Killeen invented wood-grilled serving up sandwiches to remember
pizza, as sparking the city’s culinary for more than 40 years.
culture. It seems fitting to book end your • Plant City, a vegan food hall and
Greenway travels from New Haven to market at 334 South Water Street. Get
Providence with pizza, seeing as both take out here or from Geoff’s and grab
cities claim a unique take on the dish. Al a bench on the nearby pedestrian
Forno, now in its fifth decade and third bridge over the river to enjoy while
location, is the real deal. people watching.
• Three Sisters, a fun breakfast and
With so many food options, you can pick
lunch cafe with homemade ice
an area of the city and find great choices.
cream, is on the Greenway at 1074
A few favorites:
Hope Street, at the northern end
• The Grange, 166 Broadway, best
of Blackstone Boulevard. Across
local vegan/vegetarian restaurant,
the street is Lippitt Park, where a
according to one local
large farmers market takes place on
• AS220, counter-serve eatery in an arts
Saturdays from May to October.
complex in the heart of downtown with
• Silver Star Bakery, 150 Ives Street,
galleries and performance spaces
offers Portuguese, breads, pastries and
• Small Point Cafe, 230 Westminster St,
cookies, egg tarts and popovers
Getting there
Providence Station downtown, near the Long-term parking options include the
State House, offers Amtrak service to Biltmore Garage on Washington Street
points north and south. All of Amtrak’s and the PPAC Garage on Weybosset
Northeast Regional trains allow bicycles Street.
but limit how many and reservations are
The state’s T.F. Green airport is a 15-min-
required. In addition, the MBTA commuter
ute drive from downtown Providence. The
rail service allows full-size bikes on many
MBTA Commuter Rail has limited service
trains. Check the schedule for restrictions.
to TF Green Rail Station, with bikes al-
A number of bus companies -- Grey- lowed on board. Check the schedule for
hound, Peter Pan, Go Bus -- serve Prov- restrictions.
idence, linking the city with Boston, New
Haven, New York City and beyond.

Local knowledge: How Slater Mill transformed the region
The Blackstone River Valley of
Massachusetts and Rhode Island
is significant as the first heavily
industrialized region in the United
States. In 1790, the forces of capital,
ingenuity, mechanical know-how, skilled
labor, and the power of the Blackstone
River came together at Pawtucket,
Rhode Island, when Samuel Slater
successfully recreated the water-
powered cotton-spinning machines he
had worked on in England.
The development of Slater Mill
triggered a wave of industrialization
and its significance is best viewed not
just as the site of a single successful
mechanical experiment, but as the
event that sparked the transformation
of the entire Blackstone River Valley into
an industrialized landscape. —
The Blackstone River still powers the machine shop in
Blackstone River Valley Slater Mill, top, and inside, below. Blackstone River
National Historical Park Valley National Heritage Corridor photos

CHAPTER 9
PROVIDENCE TO
WARREN & BACK
East Bay Bike Path

looking northwest to
Providence at sunset
24 MILES
CHAPTER 5
Out and back on scenic
East Bay Bike Path along
the Narragansett Bay

1
start
end
Providence to
Warren and back 4
For turn-by-turn directions and/or gpx files of 5
the route, go to: map.greenway.org
For an interactive Google Map pinpointing all
recommended lodging, dining, attractions, and
other sites, go to: greenway.org/ctriguidemap
1 George Redman Linear Park
2 Ponham Rocks Lighthouse
3 Crescent Park &

Looff Carousel
4 Colt State Park
5 Herreshoff Marine Museum

Route overview saver; a proposed bike path was part of
their bill. The oil shortage of the 1970s was
From India Point Park in Providence, the one of the drivers of a bicycle boom at
14-mile East Bay Bike Path goes up and the time, and other states were looking at
over the George Redman Linear Park, a converting rail beds to trails.
bicycle and pedestrian bridge over the
Seekonk River, then on south to Bristol, It took years, however, to persuade
Rhode Island, on a scenic, mostly flat skeptics in each community along the
paved rail trail. The East Coast Greenway’s route. Members of the private Squantum
complementary coastal route from Club, perched on a rocky point overlooking
Providence follows the East Bay Bike Path the water in Riverside, didn’t want the bike
12 miles to Warren, then heads east onto path crossing its access to the club. Some
the South Coast Bikeway and through residents of Barrington and Bristol, two
coastal Massachusetts communities communities along the route, claimed that
including Fall River and New Bedford, then the path would invite looters and other bad
on to Cape Cod. influences to travel south from Providence.
Some citizens charged the path was poor
You can choose to travel to Warren and use of taxpayer money; others held out
return for a 24-mile round trip, follow hope that a rail line could be revived.
another few miles of the bike path to Bristol After years of community meetings and
for a 28-mile trip, or (in season, from late lobbying, the path’s advocates prevailed.
June to mid-October) ride to Bristol and The East Bay Bike Path, built in four phases,
catch a ferry back to Providence, docking was completed in 1992.
at India Point.
As the first multi-town bike path built in
What to know Rhode Island, it has inspired still more
construction over the last 30 years. The
Spectacular views of Narragansett Bay and state now offers more than 60 miles of
coastal marshes, historic town centers and protected multi-use trails, from the coast
state parks make the East Bay Bike Path a to the northern borders. The path offers
popular route for cyclists, runners, walkers a perfect case statement for the value of
and inline skaters. In fact, locals know they trails as it is used by bicycle commuters
will have to travel slowly due to the high heading to Providence, runners and
volume of users on beautiful weekend skaters seeking a safe place to exercise,
days in the warmer months. and sightseers enjoying the views and
the nearby attractions in Providence,
It is so well loved that it’s hard to imagine,
Bristol, and along the route. Home values
but this bike path almost didn’t get
are higher with access to the path; smart
built. The trail follows the railbed of the
businesses along the route have learned to
Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad,
cater to its hungry and thirsty travelers.
completed in 1855. The passenger line
ended in 1938. The rail line’s last owner, Favorite scenic stops include the view of the
Penn Central, discontinued the Bristol- Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, perched on its
Providence freight line in 1973, and the own tiny island, just before you pass through
state acquired the right of way in 1976. In the village of Riverside. Another don’t-miss
1980, Bristol state representative Thomas site is the Crescent Park Looff Carousel in
Byrnes and Matthew Smith, then speaker Riverside. The 1895 indoor carousel features
of the R.I. House, wrote a joint bill calling 62 carved figures and four chariots. It’s listed
for a study of bicycling as an alternative on the National Register of Historic Places.
form of transportation and as an energy The old-style amusement park also offers a

concessions stand and bathrooms. well worth your time to travel the ring
road around the park,” says Eric Weis.
In Warren, it’s worth getting off the bike
path to go one block west to check out the
Back in Bristol, the Joseph Reynolds
town’s Main Street. In 2022, a bridge will be
House, circa 1700, was used by the
built over the Kickemuit River to provide
Marquis de Lafayette and his staff as
additional off-road mileage from the East
headquarters in 1778 during the Battle of
Bay Bike Path towards the Massachusetts
Rhode Island.
state line on the Warren Bike Path.
If you travel on to Bristol, check out the
Herreshoff Marine Museum, which tells Getting there
the story of the local company that built
five consecutive America’s Cup defending The Providence trailhead of the East Bay
yachts between 1893 and 1920. The town Bike Path is in India Point Park. By car, you
was built on the territory of the Pokanoket can reach the park by Exit 2 of Interstate
Wampanoag tribe. English colonial settlers 195, with parking. Two parking lots in East
named the town after Bristol, England. Providence: Exit 4 for Riverside, merge
The DeWolf family, some of the early onto Veterans Memorial Parkway and, near
colonizers, made the town’s deep-water Mercer Street you’ll find two parking lots
harbor a center of slave trading, which was on the right.
a significant source of the town’s wealth.
A seasonal ferry runs from late June
Local Quakers, meanwhile, were active in
through mid-October, $11 one way, con-
the early abolition movement.
necting Providence, Bristol, and Newport.
Traveling another mile or so south brings A free shuttle bus from downtown Provi-
you to Colt State Park, once the estate of dence (train station, convention center, and
the owner of the nation’s largest rubber a few other stops) can take you to the ferry
company. The park offers acres of fields dock at India Point Park.
and prime spots for watching sunsets over
the bay. “Colt State Park is marvelous. It’s
“The pavement is superb, but

the path does have a lot of
stop signs. Summer evenings
and weekends draw the
biggest crowds. It’s not ideal if
you want to go fast, but it’s fine
if you don’t mind stopping and
taking in the views.”
— inline skater Ana Markasyn (and Boo), shown at a favorite sunset viewing spot on the East
Bay Bike Path: the parking lot at Mercer Street and Veterans Memorial Parkway

An estuary of Narragansett Bay. Save the Bay photo
Natural features
Narragansett Bay forms New England’s centuries of colonization. “We proudly care
largest estuary — a place where rivers and for 277 acres of our ancestral lands, much
the ocean meet. Four small rivers — the of it set aside for common use and bene-
Taunton, Providence, Seekonk and Pawtux- fit,” as the tribe says on its website.
et — empty into the bay, which then opens
to Rhode Island Sound and the Atlantic The bay and its rivers are home to more
Ocean. than 60 species of fish and shellfish, more
than 200 bird species and many marine
As North American glaciers retreated from mammals throughout the 1,704-square-
the area, the Wampanoag tribe settled on mile watershed, according to the nonprofit
the east side of the Narragansett Bay as Save the Bay. Visible effects of climate
part of territory that once extended from change in the area include the loss of salt
Boston in the north to Warren, Rhode marshes and other coastal habitats, beach
Island, in the west and eastward to Cape erosion, and increasing hurricane intensity
Cod, including Martha’s Vineyard and and frequency. The Bay rises and drops
Nantucket Island. The Wampanoag, which three to four feet every 12 hours with the
translates to “people of the dawn,” had am- tide. The tide takes about 20 minutes to
ple access to shoreline and subsisted on move up Narragansett Bay from Newport
fishing and agriculture.” The tribe continues to Providence.
its traditions and culture today despite five

Family bikes across the George Redman Linear Park, which features separated pedestrian and biking lanes
Local knowledge: George Redman’s legacy

The linear park that connects Providence
and East Providence over the Seekonk
River, as part of the East Bay Bike Path, is
named for avid cyclist and local advocate
George Redman of East Providence (at
right). A World War II veteran, Redman
dedicated much of his life to the
revitalization of the East Providence
waterfront, beginning with a shoreline
cleanup that he organized while leading
a Boy Scout troop. In the early 1980s,
Redman led a petition drive that received
more than 4,200 signatures in favor of
building the East Bay Bike Path. The link in Rhode Island’s pedestrian and
success of the path opened the door for bicycle network. It now includes a seven-
more trail development throughout the foot wide pedestrian walkway and 11- to
state. 12-foot wide bike path separated by a
five-foot median. A 14-by40-foot wide
Officially named the Washington
plaza in the middle of the bridge offers a
Pedestrian Bridge & George Redman
river overlook.
Linear Park, the bridge is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. Redman died in 2012. State officials
Once part of an interstate highway, the dedicated the bridge and park in his
Washington Bridge now serves as a vital honor in September 2015.

Where to eat
You won’t go hungry traveling
along the East Bay Bike
Path. Commercial districts in
Riverside, Barrington, Warren
and Bristol offer ample
opportunities to stop for meals,
snacks and refreshments.
About five miles down the bike
path from Providence, Riverside
offers a few snack stops right
on the bike path. Dari-Bee,
240 Bullocks Point Avenue, is
an old-fashioned ice cream
stand that includes soft-serve.
Borealis Coffee Company sits
on the bike path in the former Borealis Coffee in Riverside, right on East Bay Bike Path
Riverside train depot. Lean your
bike against the fence with the
& Market, 406 Water Street, sits on the Barrington
other bikes and sample the
River and serves up acclaimed clam cakes, lobster
small-batch roasted specialty
rolls, and chowder.
coffee; the menu also includes
local teas and pastries from Hope Street in Bristol offers a range of dining
local bakeries. Another block or options including Hope Diner, Beehive Cafe, Le
so down the bike path, Union Central, Sunset Cafe, and Leo’s Ristorante.
Burrito (326 Bullocks Point
For afternoon snacks or dinner heading back
Avenue), also backs up to the
towards Providence, the Black Duck Tavern, 31
trail and offers design-your-
Warren Avenue, East Providence, is just across the
own burritos, with indoor and
George Redman Linear Park bridge from India Point
outdoor seating.
Park. Outdoor seating is available out back.
In Warren, Blount Clam Shack
Local knowledge: They are quahogs, not clams

In Rhode Island, quahogs (ko-hog) are
what other areas call hard-shell clams. The
Wampanoags used the purple-colored
shells to make wampum for currency, and
ceremonial purposes. Try your hand at
clamming at Bristol Shellfishing & Clam-
ming at the end of Fales Road in Bristol. A
concrete ramp leads to a cobble beach on
the bay that is popular for shellfishing. Note:
non-residents over age 12 must have a
shellfishing license. New England Historical Society photo

Bike shops
Dash Bicycle Shop, on the Greenway at R.I. 401-245-9755
230 Broadway, Providence. 401-453-3274 Both shops are on the East Bay Bike Path.
Recycle-a-Bike, 1911 Westminster Street, Bristol Bikes, 267 Thames Street, Bristol,
Providence, a nonprofit where you can R.I. 401-675-2000
borrow tools, find spare parts, etc. Limited
hours so call ahead. 401-525-1822. Mission Electric Bike, 198 Ives Street,
Providence, 0.2 miles from ECG. 401-423-
Your Bike Shop, 4400
459 Willett Avenue, Riverside, R.I.
401-433-4491, and 51 Cole Street, Warren,
Mural outside of a market in Warren, R.I., on the East Bay Bike Path. Deirdre Bird photo
Where to stay
(See Chapter 7 for Providence lodging acre historic estate.
ideas). • William’s Grant Inn B&B, 154 High
Street, Bristol. 401-253-4222. Former
In Bristol, you’ll find a number of B&Bs with sea captain’s home close to Bristol’s
rooms beginning at $150: town center.
• Bristol Harbor Inn, 259 Thames Street,
Bristol. 401-254-1444. On the waterfront For a plush, high-end stay, try the Point
in downtown Bristol; tavern next door. Pleasant Inn, 333 Poppasquash Road, Bris-
• Mount Hope Farm, 250 Metacom Ave- tol. 401-253-0627.
nue, Bristol. 401-254-1745. Set on a 211-

In 1992, the second year of the East Coast Greenway Alliance, 10 cyclists rode a month-long tour of proposed
route from Boston to Washington, D.C., attracting news media and endorsements from elected officials.
Dreaming big: A brief history of

the East Coast Greenway Alliance
On the Friday after Thanksgiving in 1991, Advocating for bicycle routes in the early
eight bicycling advocates and urban 1990s “was a huge struggle,” remembers
planners gathered at a youth hostel in cofounder Karen Votava, then an open-
New York City. They had first met earlier space planner for New York City. In 1996 she
that fall at a bicycle conference at MIT and became the ECGA’s first executive director
recognized their shared interest in a novel and set up shop in Wakefield, Rhode Island.
concept: a long-distance, protected trail Transportation officials were “very negative
that would link major cities along the East toward bicycles,” Votava remembers, and
Coast. By 5 p.m. that day, the group had most bicycling advocacy organizations
mapped out a vision for the East Coast focused on sharing the road with vehicles,
Greenway Alliance and the beginnings of a not on creating protected trails.
route from Boston to Washington, DC.
“We worked really hard to demonstrate
“Everyone knew that what we were that greenways aren’t an either/or
attempting was ambitious, but you take proposition,” says King. “Both trails and the
it a bite at a time,” remembers Pat King, road serve a purpose. With greenways, we
an environmental advocate from Newton, can get more people biking.”
Massachusetts. King established the
group’s bylaws, obtained its 501(c)3 status, On the following pages find a timeline of
and served as the Alliance’s first chair. highlights in the ECGA’s history.

1991
Eight people meet at a hostel in NYC in November 1991
to establish the East Coast Greenway Alliance. They had
met earlier at a bicycling conference in Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
1996
Cofounder Karen Votava becomes first paid executive
director, initially part time. First 5 segments (56 miles) are
designated: Baltimore & Annapolis Trail (MD), Charter Oak
Greenway (CT), Coventry Greenway (RI), Delaware & Rari-
tan Canal Trail (NJ), Farmington Canal Heritage Trail (CT).
1998
At its spring meeting, the ECGA board of trustees dis-
cuss route choices, working a room-sized paper map.
Eric Weis joins the organization and stays on for 18 years,
managing everything from cartography to
communications to membership development.
2004
Seven cyclists ride the entire Greenway from Calais, ME,
to Key West, FL, in 55 days, becoming our first End-to-
Enders. They raise $75,000 for the East Coast Greenway
Alliance.
2008
Sixteen major donors bike from Wilmington, Delaware, to

New York City as part of a Close the Gaps Club tour.
2009
After 18 years of leadership, Karen Votava retires as
executive director and hands the baton to Dennis
Markatos-Soriano. He later moves headquarters to
Durham, NC, closer to Greenway’s halfway point.

2012
Alliance hosts U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin (at
right) for evening walk on the Greenway in Durham, NC,
with a crowd of 200 coming along. A record 42
Greenway segments are designated in 12 different states
for a total of more than 50 new miles.
2014
We reach the milestone of 30 percent of the route off-
road by designating 36 new Greenway segments totaling
40 miles. Groundbreakings continue on still more
segments, like this celebration in Philadelphia with
Mayor Nutter (center) at Baxter Trail.
2015
The East Coast Greenway reaches 1,000 miles signed

and nearly 900 miles on protected, off-road greenway
2017
In celebration of our organization’s 25th birthday, we host
the largest program in our history. The East Coast River
Relay begins in Calais, ME, and heads south to the Flor-
ida Keys, with 57 public events along the way and 200+
partnerships strengthened.
2018
Great year of growth as protected East Coast Greenway
miles hit 33 percent and the Alliance staff grows to 12,
with six regional coordinators working all along the route.
2020
The Greenway reached the milestone of 1,000 miles of
protected, off-road trails for 35 percent completion. In
addition, the Greenway hosted 50 million runs, rides and
walks to become the most popular park in America.

ME Calais
Bangor
Augusta
Portland
NH
Portsmouth
MA Boston
NY
Hartford
New Haven CT
Providence
NJ RI
PA New York
Philadelphia
Wilmington
MD
Baltimore
Washington DC
Annapolis
DE
Fredericksburg
VA Richmond
Norfolk
NC Raleigh
Fayetteville New Bern
Wilmington
SC
Myrtle Beach
Charleston
GA Savannah
Brunswick
Jacksonville
St.Augustine
FL
Melbourne
Miami
greenway.org
Key West

Share your miles, join the conversation!
Follow and tag the East Coast Greenway online:
facebook.com/EastCoastGreenway
twitter.com/ECGreenway
instagram.com/eastcoastgreenway
youtube.com/ECGreenway
info@greenway.org
Learn more and donate: greenway.org

Checking out Ponham Rocks Lighthouse in the Providence River from the East Bay Bike Path. Ana Markasyn photo
Traveling the East Coast Greenway between New Haven and

Providence, you’ll visit three cities rich in history and culture.
You’ll also enjoy miles of natural beauty on some of the East
Coast Greenway’s longest and oldest stretches of protected
multi-use paths. In this guide, hear from locals with their
recommendations on don’t-miss sights along with tips on
where to find food and drink, lodging, bike shops, and more.
An East Coast Greenway Alliance publication. greenway.org

East Coast Greenway Guide CT RI

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GUIDE to the

EAST COAST GREENWAY

New Haven, Connecticut, to

An East Coast Greenway Alliance publication,

Page 1 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

! many businesses along the route were still affected by the

Page 2 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Sources and Contributors 06

Itineraries & Navigation 11

Chapter 1: New Haven 13

Chapter 2: New Haven to Simsbury 23

Chapter 3: Simsbury to East Hartford 31

Chapter 4: East Hartford to Willimantic 41

Chapter 5: Willimantic to Putnam 51

Chapter 6: Putnam to Coventry 63

Chapter 7: Coventry to Providence 69

Chapter 9: East Bay Bike Path 85

History of East Coast Greenway Alliance 93

Page 3 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

New York City

For an interactive map that can create turn-by-turn directions and/or

For an interactive Google Map pinpointing all recommended lodging,

Page 4 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

New Haven to Providence: 170 miles

Page 5 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Barbara Amodio Raymond Gauthier

Page 6 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Page 7 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Page 8 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Page 9 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Page 10 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Favorite half-day runs, walks, and skates: 2-8 miles

Favorite one-day rides, runs, skates: 15-50 miles

Page 11 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

How to navigate the East Coast Greenway

Page 12 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Taking in the breeze off Long

Page 13 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

For an interactive Google Map pinpointing all recom-

1 New Haven Green 3 William Lanson statue

2 Yale University 4 Italian district pizzerias

Page 14 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Page 15 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Page 16 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

The city has a strong bike culture, with

Page 17 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Page 18 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Page 19 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Page 20 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Bike shops Getting there

Page 21 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Page 22 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

East Coast Greenway and

History and amenities

For an interactive Google Map

2 Historic Farmington sites

3 Historic Simsbury sites

5 Drake Hill Flower Bridge

Page 24 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Page 25 East Coast Greenway Guide, CT & RI

Stanley-Whitman House, a preserved

Valley Greenway, now the Farmington of a person at rest.

Chapter 1: New Haven 13

Chapter 3: Simsbury to East Hartford 31

Chapter 4: East Hartford to Willimantic 41

Chapter 5: Willimantic to Putnam 51

Chapter 6: Putnam to Coventry 63

Chapter 7: Coventry to Providence 69