Vernon Rails-to-Trails – Hop River State Park Trail

After dropping off the car at Meineke for an oil change on Saturday, I headed for the Trail which is right between a church parking lot and Pedal Power, my bike store. I hadn’t ridden the trail in a few years so I was looking forward to a good ride as this is one of the most scenic bike trails in the region. The route to Willimantic is 18.3 miles one way, so off I went on my biking adventure. I was not to be disappointed as it was a beautiful cool morning that day and the trail was virtually free of bikers that early in the morning, more runners but not crowded at all. The trail begins with a gradual 3 degree ascent from Church St. in Vernon until you reach the town of Bolton then a gradual descent and a flat stretch from there through the towns of Bolton and Andover until you reach Willimantic. Formally the trail was a local railroad line which passed through the area; thus it had to be chiseled out in places through very hilly rock ledge which provides a beautiful panorama as you peddle through the rock sided cavernous parts of the trail. There is a canopy of foliage covering the trail with very few spots of direct intense sunlight thus if you chose to ride or run in the heat of the day it wouldn’t pose a big problem. The scenery is breath taking the entire way, with rocky hilled areas, verdant forests, streams and waterfalls. There has been a hugh improvement in the condition of the trail between Andover and Willimantic as that area at times was impassable and necessitated by-​passing a stretch of the trail and reconnecting further on. The trail is now perfect the entire way affording visitors a wonderful scenic view with plenty of opportunities to see local wildlife and enjoy one of the best bike rides in the area.

Nice place for a run, walk, or bike ride. It is a beautiful trail but we usually end up bringing the kids to the connecting Valley Falls Park instead and use those trails down there since there are less bicyclists. That way they can run around and we do not have to worry about them getting in the way. Still it is an amazing trail, and both me and my wife love going for a run there.

One of my favorite places to ride my bike. The landscape is beautiful, and the trail is fairly well maintained. If you keep an eye out, you can see remnants of the trail’s history as a rail line along the way, too. The terrain is very gradually hilly, which makes it great for long, enjoyable rides. I definitely recommend checking it out in the fall, when you can see the amazing display of the leaves changing.

Another reason I love living in Vernon! Rails to trails is the best place to run, walk, ride your bike, exercise your dog, or even horseback ride (seen it a couple times lately). I trained for a half marathon a couple of years ago by exclusively running on these trails. The terrain varies so it definitely was the perfect place to train.
The section of Rails to Trails in Vernon is only about 5 miles but the trails extend to Manchester in one direction and all the way to Willimantic in the other direction. In Vernon there are multiple parking areas to access the trails. There is one between Phoenix and Washington Streets and also one at the park and ride/​Sacred Heart Church parking lot off Route 30.
Happy trails to you!

I find it difficult to believe there is not a review for this fabulous trail on Unilocal.Allow me to introduce you to a free adventure right in your very own backyard (metaphorically speaking, of course).
For those not in the know, Rails-​to-​Trails Conservatory is a non-​profit «whose mission it is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.» (The aforementioned is quoted from their website — see the link above.) There are Rails-​to-​Trails located all over the country, and we happen to have a very lovely segment in Vernon. The Hop River Trail is over 15 miles in length, part of which runs through Vernon, and a 4 miles spur which branches off to the north near the intersection listed above (see:
). I have not experienced the entire trail or the spur yet, but from what I experienced on my walk yesterday (from the parking location listed above heading west — a little over 2 miles one way) I’m a fan!
This is a multi-​use trail, good for walking, bike riding, horseback riding, or cross country skiing. The trees lining the path create a lovely canopy and are home to many squirrels, birds, and other wildlife. The path itself is dirt with finely crushed cinder — perfect for just about any bike tire. The path is flat and level (at least the part I was on) and there are no motorized vehicles. In other words, this is a great place to ride your bike is you don’t want to deal with cars. (That said, the trail does cross streets every so often, and hubby and I almost got hit by two cars that refused to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk). I have not ridden my bike here yet, but I plan on doing it soon. I am a very reluctant bicyclist, and even I feel confident enough in my abilities to tackle this. (In other words, this would be a great place to bring the kiddies who are just learning to ride.)
Whatever your mode of transportation, get thee outside and enjoy the beauty of nature on this treasure of a trail!