Length:             Hop River Rail Trail; 20.8 miles

Difficulty:         From Manchester to Coventry; Easy. Flat rail trail with a stone-dust surface.

                            Willimantic section; Easy. Flat paved trail.

To start from the Colonial Road parking lot in Manchester [Western End]; From I-84 take exit 63 to Route 30. Head east to Route 83 (Oakland St) and head right. Turn left on Sheldon Rd into the industrial park. Turn right on Colonial Rd and the parking lot will be immediately on your left.

To start from the Church Street parking lot in Vernon [Western Section]; Take exit 65 off of I-84 in Vernon to Route 30. From the westbound exit take Route 30 west and from the eastbound exit take Route 30 east. Cross over the interstate via the Dobson Bridge which turns into Washington Street. Immediately after crossing the bike path, turn left onto Church Street. The parking lot will be a little ways down on your left.

To start from the Bolton Notch parking Lot in Bolton [Center Section]; There is a parking lot located off of I-384 westbound only. It's tricky to reach though. From Routes 6 & 44 in Bolton Notch, enter I-384 westbound. Just past the "Middle Turnpike" highway sign, look for a brown "Boat Launch" sign on the right. Take this sharp right turn off the highway down a narrow road. This brings you to the parking lot that is located next to the trail as it passes underneath I-384. 

Starting from the Colonial Rd parking lot in Manchester [Western End]; A Map Board and Porto-Potty located here. 

Note; Future plans call for connecting to the Cheney Rail Trail further West in Manchester. Nothing started as of  2024. To connect on-road head right out to Sheldon Rd, then head left on-road (Not recommended for kids on bikes). Cross Route 83 and continue straight on N School St (low traffic). Cross Route 83 again to Main St, cross the RR tracks and the stone-dust Cheney Rail Trail begins on your right next to Farrs Sporting Goods after 1.3 miles.

As you start out along the stone-dust Hop River State Park Trail you'll spot some of the old RR tracks still in place along your left as you head Northeast into the woods. Mile Markers are located every 0.25 miles along the Manchester section. You cross the town line into Vernon at almost 0.7 miles. Another set of Mile Markers are located on your right and originate from the Church St parking lot. This is a forested residential corridor, but still fairly isolated. After crossing Taylor St look right to spot the old telephone poles left over from the RR days. Cross Elm Hill Rd at 1.4 miles and you'll come to the first of numerous informational signs located along the trail. This was the site of the old Talcottville Depot Station. The next section is more isolated as you travel through several rock cuts. Pass by an informational sign about the old Dobson Mill as the trail turns East. 

Note; A dirt path leads down to the Tankerhoosen River past old mill remnants, including an old power canal. A dam (Dobsonville Pond) creates a scenic waterfall through a gorge here.

A high berm takes you to Dobson Rd at 2.1 miles. You'll pass by several informational signs along with an old RR switch before coming to the Church Street parking lot at 2.4 miles. This was the site of the old Vernon Depot. Picnic tables, Map Board, Porto-Potty and a pavilion are all located here. This is where the 0 Mile Post originates from heading both East & West every 0.25 miles along the Hop River State Park Trail. The 0 Mile Post also begins here for the Rockville Spur Trail which splits off when you reach Phoenix St at 2.5 miles. See; Rockville Spur Trail . Continue straight across Phoenix St and up a to a high berm with steep drops on either side. Imagine the labor that went into building this for the railroad so as to keep the grade fairly level. You pass over Tunnel Rd which, as you can see, passes through a narrow stone tunnel below the trail. The trail turns South. At the [2 Mile Post], 4.4 miles, you'll encounter a bike rack and trail markers. 

Note; This is part of Valley Falls Park. The trail on your left originates from the park, crosses the rail trail and heads right up the hill through a grove of Mountain Laurel to a scenic overlook. Nice side hike. If you head left down this trail just a short ways you'll come to a scenic overlook of the pond at Valley Falls, along with some benches. See; VALLEY FALLS PARK  for more information and the Map below. For the history of Valley Falls See; VALLEY FALLS .

Continuing along the trail you'll pass an old cement RR Mileage Marker once used by the railroad. The trail is now built into the hill with steep drops to your left and A high rock wall to your right. At 4.9 miles you come to the first of two stone culverts that pass underneath the trail. In the springtime, the streams are quite a site as they run down from the hill above. You’ll discover some old railroad ties still lined up on your left, just waiting for some new track. This was the site of the Clubhouse Siding You pass the Bolton town line and then the last of the wooden mile posts [3.5 Mile Post] at 5.9 miles. Railroad Brook flows just below the trail to your and soon right alongside the trail. Signboards describe the brook restoration project that took place here. The trail is a bit rough here, as gravel is used, because of the occasional flooding of the trail. You come to a  wooden footbridge crossing the brook at 6.4 miles and a sign that tells about the Railroad Brook Fish Habitat Restoration Project. Cross the dirt road and travel through a long deep rock cut (check this out in the winter when it's full of huge icicles). This brings you to the Bolton Notch parking lot at 6.7 miles. An informational signboard located here. This was the location of the Bolton Station.  

Note; You can connect to the Charter Oak Greenway from this parking area. Head up the entrance road where you'll pick up the paved Charter Oak Greenway as it travels West, alongside Bolton Notch Pond and out to the Route 44 Commuter Lot off of Route 44. 

Next, you’ll be passing through a long tunnel underneath I-384. You emerge and travel Southeast through a long rock cut. Spot the old stone bridge abutments as you exit this rock cut. The trail now travels through a forested corridor along a berm with lots of brooks passing underneath. Very scenic. You'll cross Steel Crossing Rd at about 8.8 miles where you'll find another parking lot and Map Board. You briefly cross the Coventry town line where you'll pass through a massive rock cut before traveling along a high berm with steep drop offs. This takes you past a new set of Mile Markers [9.5 Mile Post] [9.7 miles on my odometer?] as you cross the Andover town line. You'll pass Bailey Rd at about the 10.1 mile mark. You briefly pass through a section of Bolton before entering Andover again. After passing by the [10 Mile Post] look left to spot an old RR Whistle marker. After about 10.5 miles the trail crosses over a  small wooden bridge. After crossing the bridge, turn left and walk down the granite steps of the embankment. At the bottom, turn around and find the Hop River Rail Trail West Letterbox hidden behind some rocks, underneath the last granite step. Back on the trail, you'll quickly pass what could be an old granite RR Mileage Marker on your right. You'll find another leftover from the RR days located just before the [10.5 Mile Post] and a bench. Look right for two old iron rails bent like an upside down L. The RR would have two of these side by side to hold extra rails along the tracks. After 10.9 miles you'll pass by the Andover Fin, Fur & Feather Club so don't be alarmed if you hear gunshots coming from the woods. You then come to the Burnap Brook Road parking lot at 11.3 miles. 

Note; Here, you can take a quick side trip down to Burnap Brook. A beautiful brook, flowing through a scenic gorge, which then flows through an old stone tunnel underneath the rail trail. Just take the trail to the right, after you cross over the road. 

Cross Wales Rd followed by Shoddy Mill Rd where the trail then runs parallel to Route 6 in Andover Center. You'll then pass by the Center Street parking lot (site of old Andover RR Depot & Yard) on your right where you'll find a Map Board, BIKE STATION, picnic table and information sign.  After traveling over Staddle Brook you'll cross a covered bridge over Route 316 at 13 miles. This bridge was installed to replace the original RR bridge that was removed many moons ago. After crossing Route 316 the trail passes behind the old Andover Town Hall, which is now the Andover Historical Society and through a rock cut. Cross a small bridge over Merritt Valley Rd followed by Lake Rd and another bridge over a stream before the trail travels through a tunnel underneath Route 6 at 14.1 miles. The trail travels through the woods along a berm where you'll will finally see the Hop River along your left. Pass by another old cement Whistle marker on your right at 15 miles and you'll soon cross Parker Bridge Rd at 15.3 miles. Your now in Columbia at the [15 Mile Post]. This next section has been developed with a wide hard packed smooth brown base. This is a very scenic section with views of the Hop River on your left and a scenic pond on your right. The trail then crosses the Hop River along a wooden RR bridge and enters Coventry after about 16.5 miles. Cross Hop River Road which has a small parking area. Travel through a narrow tunnel underneath Pucker St at 17.7 miles. You travel underneath the Route 6 expressway at 18.7 miles. Next you'll travel underneath two sets of power transmission lines before heading through a long rock cut and coming to Kings Road after 19.2 miles. 

Note; The rail bed continues straight, East, where an old RR trestle crosses the Hop River, but, as of 2023 is not passable. Construction scheduled for 2024 to replace the old RR trestle.

In order to bypass the closed bridge turn left on-road along Kings Rd (low volume traffic), then right along Flanders River Rd. "East Coast Greenway" signs are posted along this route. Immediately after crossing over the Hop River look left to spot a short paved path heading down into the woods (signs point to this path) at 19.7 miles. 

Note; Plans are now underway to widen the old culvert under Flanders River Rd to connect to the bridge over the Hop River. Construction scheduled for 2024.