Length:                  Heritage Riverfront Trail; 2 miles                               

Difficulty:              Difficult. Many steep hills and a lot of on-road sections.

To start from the Upper Falls parking lot [Northern End]; Take Route 2 into Norwich. Follow Routes 2 & 32 south past Backus Hospital and take a right onto Lafayette St. Bear right on Sherman St. Look for the sign for Upper Falls Heritage Park on your left. Take the dirt road to the end and park around the circle.    

To start from the Yantic Falls Overlook parking lot [Upper Section]; Take Route 2 into Norwich. Follow Routes 2 & 32 south past Backus Hospital and take a right onto Lafayette St. Turn left on Sherman St, then right down Yantic St. Just past the sign for Yantic Falls Indian Leap will be a dirt parking lot overlooking the falls.

To start from Howard T. Brown Park [Southern End]; Take Route 2 into Norwich. Follow Routes 2 & 32 south past Backus Hospital and down to the Norwich Harbor. A parking lot is located in the Howard T. Brown Park.

The Heritage Riverfront Trail follows the Yantic River South through areas of historic homes, mill villages, and mill buildings to the Thames River. A public park and docks are located at the Southern End of the trail, at the Howard T. Brown Park, which overlooks the Norwich Harbor. For more information visit; HERITAGE RIVERFRONT TRAIL .

Starting from the Upper Falls parking lot [Northern End]; The old power house now houses a museum. Check out the dam and Canal that fed the power house. Unfortunately, you can't access the next park directly from here, so you need to return to the park entrance for an on-road section. Travel right, East, along Sherman St, cross a bridge over the railroad tracks and hang a right, South, down Yantic St. Pass by Yantic Falls Overlook parking lot, before coming to Uncas Leap at Yantic Falls after only 0.4 miles. These are some impressive falls over a dam. 

Note; A pedestrian bridge crosses the Yantic River, just above the falls. Behind you, a railroad trestle crosses the river. The trail across the dam takes you up to Monroe St (stairs). 

Follow the sidewalk, East, down Yantic St and you'll come to Uncas Leap Heritage Park, where you'll find an overlook of the falls and a deep gorge. Very unexpected find in the middle of Norwich. Looks as if it belongs in NH. Continue down the hill, passing by the Fall Mill Apartments (lived there for a year in the 80's) and you'll come to a cu-de-sac, where you'll pick up the paved Heritage Riverfront Trail, as it follows a large sewer pipe and stone retaining wall South. Check out the interpretive signs located along the trail. You'll pick up Yantic St again briefly and then head down, then up the trail to Tyler St. Travel on-road along Tyler St (residential) to its end, then turn right and follow Sturtevant Ave downhill, back to the paved trail. This section travels alongside the Yantic River and passes below a large black pipe at about 1.1 miles. You'll have to travel on-road again by heading left up Maple Grove Ave to Washington St (Routes 2 & 32). Turn right and follow the sidewalk down to a brown sign "shoreline access" just before a church. Hang a left and head downhill back to the paved trail at 1.4 miles. Your back along the river as you travel underneath the West Side Blvd bridge, then the W Main St bridge. Across the river is the Marina At American Wharf. Pass by the Norwich Marina parking lot (picnic tables and Porto-Potty), before coming to Howard T. Brown Park. Parking lot, pavilion, boat launch and docks along the Thames River. The trail then ends after 2 miles.