In 1873 a railroad route between Boston and New York City was constructed. It was the shortest most direct route possible, like a line in the air. There is no other reason such a railroad would link Putnam, Willimantic and East Hampton Connecticut. Most rail trails have a coordinating entity, like a state park or land conservancy, this one does it. It appears to be built and maintained by the towns it travels through. Hence, there is always someone in the middle who doesn't follow along. I found this out after biking 23 miles from East Hampton to the Willimantic River where there was no passable bridge. So I turned around and rode back. Original plans were to continue on to Thompson and spend the night. As a result, I didn't travel beyond the Willimantic River and no idea what that portion of the trail is like.
It was a colorful ride. Foliage was a bit past prime but still very nice. The trail had some unique infrastructure. The two original 1000+ foot trestles were replaced long ago by filling them in with stone and dirt. They are called viaducts but resemble earthen dams (without a lake).
Not many folks were out in the rain so I had the trail to myself most of the time. I sure was hungry by mid-afternoon. I had planned to eat in Willimantic but never got there and there were no other services along the trail.
Someday I'll finish riding this trail and perhaps the spur to Colchester as well.
More Photos of this ride
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