Farmington Canal Rail To Trail Assoc

I’ve been walking, cycling and running on the canal trail for 10 years. It is a treasure in our area. Absolute best place to run. In a few places you may have to cross a road but there are clear crosswalks and it’s usually low traffic streets. But there are stretches of multiple miles with no road crossings. There are multiple parking locations along the trail so you can switch up where you start your route from. Sometimes I park at Stop and Shop in Hamden, go for a run down towards New Haven and then do my shopping after. Other days I drive up and park near Sleeping Giant and run north into Cheshire. Sometimes I set out right from my house and head to the nearest entrance. Anyway you slice it it beats dodging traffic on the roads or getting shin splints running on concrete sidewalks! They even plow the snow off in the winter so this is a year round resource.

Very easy bike path to get to from the Omni hotel in New Haven for 20k pre-​race jogs. Takes about 3 to 4 minutes to slowly jog there and then you can finish with drills and strides on the New Haven Green less than a block away from the hotel. Take Temple St. through the New Haven Green park, left on Grove St., right on Hillhouse Ave. and you will see the bike path to your left.

Love love love. A peaceful getaway. Another New Haven gem. Covered by the greenery and scenic landscapes. The trail is most tranquil after Putnum Ave. Going the direction towards new haven is different with more city distractions. Great shortcut for commuters.

Who doesn’t love the Farmington Canal? I love to bring my 3 dogs here to walk and the occasional bike ride when my bike tire’s don’t decide to go flat on me. The one complaint I have is there should be more trash cans throughout the trail, due to having to carry the dog droppings with you for a while before you can toss it. I also think the people who frequent this trail (Cheshire people mostly) are very rude. In the Meriden red bridge canal, people smile, wave and will allow their dogs (if they are dog/​ppl friendly) to play with your dog. Ppl on this canal are rude, don’t even look at you, and some scream when they are behind you so you can move to which ever side. I am only giving this 4 stars due to the trash bin issue. Overall, beautiful canal just the people suck !

I love running this trail! There’s enough people on it to make you feel safe but not too crowded that you’re tripping over one another. People run, walk, walk their dogs, bike, even roller blade. Big fan of this trail.

My favorite bike trail. I love to start by the Hamden plaza and work my way down till I’m exhausted. It is beautiful in every season. Trail is great for causal walks, biking, picnic, and more. A true hidden treasure.

Good trail. Let the funding continue please and connect Cheshire to Southington!
The following will review different parts of the trail:
Best to walk the dog: Plantsville Main St to W. Center St
Your four legged friend will meet many of his/​her own kind on this 1 mile stretch of pavement. Southington even plows it in the winter — not good for cross country skiers but great for dogs and sneaker clad dog walkers!
Best for bicycle Hartford county: Granby, CT to Southwick MA
You won’t have to dodge very many pedestrians and the route is very rural and scenic with farms and lakes. There are minimal road crossings, so this is an ideal stretch for speed training. We saw a very large coyote in the spring, so be warned.
Best for bicycle New Haven county: Cornwall Ave, Cheshire to Dixwell Ave, Hamden You will have to dodge a fair amount of yoga moms and oblivious stroller pushers, but once past the Brooksvale area you should be clear to pedal away!
Most in need of repair: Brooksvale area — tree roots like whoa!
Best to avoid: south of Dixwell Ave Hamden
Million dollar tunnel or not, this is a scary stretch.

I’m a big fan of accessible natural places in the city. Hamden does an exceptionally great job at maintaining their park system, and the trail is a good example. There are adorable little spots along the way with benches and manicured spaces that I love. I’m also one of those dorks that gets the warm fuzzies watching families being active together outdoors, and on a beautiful day, there’s no shortage of training wheels and baby carriers. All that being said, there have been incidences of muggings on less-​populated days and areas, so use the buddy system and stay alert. But I’ve never felt threatened; take that as you will. All in all, the trail is one of the assets that makes me very happy to live in Hamden!

Watch the streams for wood ducks. There are lots of female wood ducks with little ones in tow right now. Today we saw three females and two clutches of ducklings. Haven’t seen the males for a few weeks now. Great shady spots along the trail when it is a hot humid day (like today). Happy 4^th of July!

Love this trail!

I run this starting at Cornwall/​Willow in Cheshire, and I’m a huge fan. It’s usually pretty quiet but with enough people as to not feel like you’re going to be kidnapped. Enough parking lots around the route that it’s never been an issue to find a spot. The places where it crosses the roads are well marked and cars are pretty good about letting runners/​bikers cross. I recommend!

As far as recreation paths go, this one is pretty nice for a short bike ride. It’s paved, so personally, I think it’s not great for jogging, but it isn’t incredibly long either, as yet, so it makes for sort of a short ride. Maybe 12 mi at most, back and forth, out of Hamden, past Sleeping Giant and on north. It crosses a few quiet roads and even though there are stop signs for the trail-​users, traffic invariably stops for you. It’s definitely a place to zone out, enjoy the green and the fresh air. UPDATE: A note from the locals suggests that path-​users should be aware of surroundings, as there are incidents of crime on the path. So don’t zone out too much.
The trail has more dips and swells than a rails-​to-​trails trail, but it doesn’t have any real changes in elevation. The «canal» element means that it’s a bit buggy. .. and there is a well-​placed water fountain! I can’t figure out how the distances are marked (it looks like they have multiple systems going) but maybe someday it will all make sense to me…
There’s a great route — pretty, low-​traffic, with good shoulders — from town to the southern tip of the trail, at
.
The trail is pretty heavily used, though, especially in the after-​work hours (less so on a summer weekend!) so you have to watch out for walkers, joggers and in-​line skaters. UPDATE: And people who park their ass in the middle of the path to chit chat. And kids who stop and don’t know any better.
As always, it helps if bicyclists pass on the left and hail when passing!
The address here for the Association is not where you’d start the trail, I don’t think. But there are a few places throughout Hamden where you can pick it up. There are lots of signs around and there’s a map at the website.