From late spring through early fall, Bethel resident Christina Muller said she loves to walk trails such as the Still River Greenway in Brookfield, Putnam Memorial State Park in Redding and, occasionally, Tarrywile Park in Danbury.
Muller and her partner Paul Baggett often take their rescue dogs, Kai and Belina, along on their walks.
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“I like to get up early and hike a couple of miles before work,” Muller said, adding she particularly loves the Still River Greenway.
“I use it two to three times per week,” she said, adding that she enjoys trail walking because “it’s good exercise and it’s a great way to start the day. Walking outside in fresh air clears my mind, and it’s also a great way for our dogs to burn off some energy.”
The popularity of trails is growing nationwide, says Bruce Donald, Southern New England manager for the East Coast Greenway, a walking and biking route stretching 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida.
“There’s this real initiative across the United States to look at alternative transportation to driving, which would include walking and biking, and to a certain extent scooters, micro-mobility devices, and basically anything that isn’t a fossil fuel trip,” said Donald, who’s also on the board of Bike Walk Connecticut, which promotes safe and connected biking, and the Connecticut Outdoor Recreation Alliance, which promotes outdoor recreation.
The growth “has an enormous amount to do with the fact that everyone recognizes that we’ve got a traffic problem… a health problem… an environmental problem. In one fell swoop, this type of movement toward alternative transportation helps to solve many of those problems,” he said.
The state’s long-term goal is to connect many of the trails, Donald said. Restaurants, hotels, ice cream shops and stores along the route will benefit from the foot traffic and tourism, advocates say. That’s one reason why the state and federal government has already been willing to invest millions in the effort.
For example, the New Milford River Trail will link to Brookfield’s Still River Greenway, which will eventually connect to the Norwalk Valley River Trail, which will connect to the East Coast Greenway. The East Coast Greenway will connect with the Empire State Trail in New York, which will connect to trails in Danbury and Brewster, N.Y.
“So there’s all this connectivity around us,” he added.
Making connections
Many trails across Fairfield County are expanding — including the New Milford River Greenway. When completed, the trail will stretch 13 miles from Gaylordsville to the Brookfield Still River Greenway, said Lisa Arasim, co-founder and chair of New Milford River Trail Association, an all-volunteer nonprofit that promotes multiuse trails, bike lanes and walkways.
Five miles is already complete — from Sega Meadows Park to the northern end of Gaylordsville.
“The goal now is to complete the rest of the trail,” Arasim said. To do so, the town needs to negotiate easements with the 30 homeowners along the trail.
“I would love to have the whole thing done in like 10 years,” she said, adding the cost would be around $18 million to complete the remaining eight miles of the trail.
H John Voorhees III/Hearst Connecticut Media
The New Milford River Trail will link to Brookfield’s Still River Greenway, which will eventually connect to the Norwalk Valley River Trail, which will connect to the East Coast Greenway. The East Coast Greenway will connect with the Empire State Trail in New York, which will connect to trails in Danbury and Brewster, N.Y. Five miles is already complete — from Sega Meadows Park to the northern end of Gaylordsville.
Bryan Haeffele/Hearst Connecticu
The New Milford River Trail will link to Brookfield’s Still River Greenway, which will eventually connect to the Norwalk Valley River Trail, which will connect to the East Coast Greenway. The East Coast Greenway will connect with the Empire State Trail in New York, which will connect to trails in Danbury and Brewster, N.Y. Five miles is already complete — from Sega Meadows Park to the northern end of Gaylordsville.
The Greenway could be a huge economic driver for downtown New Milford, Arasim said.
“Our goal is to make everything connected to downtown. There’s little pop-up things that can happen along the way. For example, Sega Meadows is (gaining in) popularity. There’s an opportunity there maybe for a food truck. Or, we don’t have a bicycle repair shop anymore. Maybe there’s an opportunity for someone to make (electric) bikes available,” she said. “There’s opportunities for business there.”
Jay Annis, chairman of the Still River Greenway ad-hoc committee in Brookfield, is working to expand that nearly 2-mile-long trail north to link to the New Milford River Greenway.
A total of 171,000 people used the Still River Greenway in 2022, with a daily average of 468 people, a 3 percent increase over 2021, Annis said. “It puts the Still River Greenway in the top three for usage in the state,” he said.
But the trail is “not that long for people who want to ride bikes or people who want to hike more than 4 or 5 miles — so, (the expansion) would give added length and opportunities for people to go a lot longer distance,” Annis said.
H John Voorhees III/Hearst Connecticut Media
This is a 3.3-mile out-and-back trail near Brookfield. It takes about one hour to complete. A total of 171,000 people used the Still River Greenway in 2022, with a daily average of 468 people, a 3 percent increase over 2021.
Bryan Haeffele/Hearst Connecticu
This is a 3.3-mile out-and-back trail near Brookfield. It takes about one hour to complete. A total of 171,000 people used the Still River Greenway in 2022, with a daily average of 468 people, a 3 percent increase over 2021.
Brookfield’s streetscape project in its downtown involves bringing the Greenway north from the Four Corners in Brookfield, up to Newbury Village retirement community, he said.
“From there, we’re going to cross over. Just north of Newbury Village, we’re going to cut across over back toward the river and try to follow the river as best we can north to hook up with New Milford, who’s working on coming south,” Annis said.
The committee has a preliminary design plan for the expansion, he said, and is applying for a grant through the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to do the final design study, which will cost about $250,000. For phase one, the total construction was about $2.2 million.
Also, the committee is conducting a survey of residents to determine who uses the trail and its economic impact, Annis said. The information can be used in grant applications.
“We’re collecting data on the demographics: Who uses the Greenway? How many times do people use it? What age groups are using it? What are they using it for? For recreation? For health? For their kids? Is it mostly older people? Those are all important things to know,” he said.
Other trails are looking at expansions, too, including the Connecticut portion of the East Coast Greenway, which is 200 miles long in the state, is 54 percent complete and extends through Fairfield County, the center of the state and east toward Rhode Island, said Bruce Donald, adding by 2026, it is expected to be 64 percent complete.
He said the portions that aren’t complete are in Western Connecticut.
Also, he said the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, which bisects Connecticut, goes from New Haven up to Northampton, Mass., is 85 percent complete in the state. It’s a total of 56 miles and will be completed in 2026-27.
Norwalk River Valley Trail, other trails
H John Voorhees III/Hearst Connecticut Media
The portion of the NRVT already completed in Norwalk begins at Calf Pasture Beach, goes to the Maritime Aquarium to Oyster Shell Park, up to Stepping Stones Museum and Lockwood-Mathews Mansion and then on to Union Park. From Union Park, it returns to the riverside and runs almost two miles to Deering Pond at Broad Street. Additionally, thereâs a small section in Redding that will connect to the Ridgefield Ramble.
Bryan Haeffele/Hearst Connecticu
The portion of the NRVT already completed in Norwalk begins at Calf Pasture Beach, goes to the Maritime Aquarium to Oyster Shell Park, up to Stepping Stones Museum and Lockwood-Mathews Mansion and then on to Union Park. From Union Park, it returns to the riverside and runs almost two miles to Deering Pond at Broad Street. Additionally, there’s a small section in Redding that will connect to the Ridgefield Ramble.
One huge trail in the works is the Norwalk River Valley Trail, or NRVT. Andrea Gartner, executive director of the NRVT, said its planned route includes the towns of Wilton, Norwalk, Danbury, Redding and Ridgefield.
“It provides 55 miles of connectivity — 30 miles along the NRVT and then an additional 25 miles to get to New Milford, along the Still River Greenway,” Gartner said.
The portion of the trail already completed in Norwalk begins at Calf Pasture Beach, goes to the Maritime Aquarium to Oyster Shell Park, up to Stepping Stones Museum and Lockwood-Mathews Mansion and then on to Union Park. From Union Park, it returns to the riverside and runs almost 2 miles to Deering Pond at Broad Street.
Additionally, there’s a small section in Redding that will connect to the Ridgefield Ramble. That section has funding and is in the pre-construction stage.
“We have approximately 12 miles of completed trail. When the Ridgefield Ramble, continuation of the Wilton Loop North from Skunk Lane to Pimpewaug Road, and continuation of a small section from Chipmunk Lane to Kent Road are complete, we will be at 15,” she said.
The NRVT Wilwalk links the Wilton and Norwalk segments of The Norwalk River Valley Trail. The path travels uphill to overlook Route 7, then back to the Norwalk River and on to Wolfpit Road. The Chipmunk Lane and Quarry Pond sections opened in 2022.
Bryan Haeffele/Hearst Connecticu
The east side of the NRVT trail in Wilton extends about 2.4 miles from Wolfpit Road and Route 7 to just short of Skunk Lane. Pre-construction is underway north of Skunk Lane to eventually connect near the Cannondale train station. The west side of the trail, which is partly complete, runs from Wolfpit Road and Route 7 to Schenck’s Island, through the town center along River Road, passing Merwin Meadow Park, the school complex, and then hitting the north end of the loop in Allen’s Meadow at Olmstead Hill Road. When completed, the Norwalk River Vally Trail in Wilton will be 10 miles.
Bryan Haeffele/Hearst Connecticu
The NRVT Wilwalk links the Wilton and Norwalk segments of The Norwalk River Valley Trail. The path travels uphill to overlook Route 7, then back to the Norwalk River and on to Wolfpit Road. The Chipmunk Lane and Quarry Pond sections opened in 2022.The east side of the NRVT trail in Wilton extends about 2.4 miles from Wolfpit Road and Route 7 to just short of Skunk Lane. Pre-construction is underway north of Skunk Lane to eventually connect near the Cannondale train station. The west side of the trail, which is partly complete, runs from Wolfpit Road and Route 7 to Schenck’s Island, through the town center along River Road, passing Merwin Meadow Park, the school complex, and then hitting the north end of the loop in Allen’s Meadow at Olmstead Hill Road. When completed, the Norwalk River Valley Trail in Wilton will be 10 miles.
She added a huge employer in Wilton that is supportive of trails is ASML, a semi-conductor company, which has recently announced it’s expanding and bringing on 1,000 new employees in the next 10 years.
“As a Dutch company, they are really on board with helping us with our trail,” Gartner said. “As they continue to expand, we continue to have conversations with them about how we can build a little faster so truly, their employees have a way to get to work that doesn’t put them in a car on the road.”
The NRVT will also extend to Danbury and Sharon Calitro, Danbury’s planning director, said the city is involved in many other trails projects, too.
“We are looking at trying to connect the end of the Maybrook East Branch line, which is on the west side of Danbury,” she said. “It ends at Farrington Woods park, but it goes into New York State so we’re looking at connecting that trail into Tarrywile. Tarrywile connects the Ives Trail and now there is planning work underway for the Naugatuck River Valley Trail to connect to that.”
Awarding grants
To create a trail, funding is a crucial element. The New Milford River Trail, NRVT, and Still River Greenway have all received CT Recreational Trails Grants at one point, mostly for feasibility and design, Donald said.
He added much of the construction costs will likely be federal programs like Transportation Enhancements Act funds administered through Connecticut Department of Transportation.
The section of the NRVT in Ridgefield and Redding runs north from Route 7 and Simpaug Turnpike to the Redding border near Fire Hill Road. The hike starts at a pond, then heads up into wooded hills. The trail extends north from Fire Hill Road to Picketts Ridge Road. Once in Redding, this section of the trail follows an old wood road deep into the woods.
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The Danbury trail section will pass through Tarrywile Park, a 722-acre park. The park, once an active dairy farm and fruit orchard, is now home to 21 miles of hiking trails, two ponds, a lake, and several picnic areas.
Bryan Haeffele/Hearst Connecticu
The section of the NRVT in Ridgefield and Redding runs north from Route 7 and Simpaug Turnpike to the Redding border near Fire Hill Road. The hike starts at a pond, then heads up into wooded hills. The trail extends north from Fire Hill Road to Picketts Ridge Road. Once in Redding, this section of the trail follows an old wood road deep into the woods.The Danbury trail section will pass through Tarrywile Park, a 722-acre park. The park, once an active dairy farm and fruit orchard, is now home to 21 miles of hiking trails, two ponds, a lake, and several picnic areas.
Additionally, through the Connecticut Recreational Trails Program, the state recently awarded $9 million in grants to plan, build, expand and improve a total of 50 multiuse trails across Connecticut, including $243,000 to build a section of the NRVT in Wilton and $270,400 to plan and design a new multiuse recreational trail for pedestrians and bicyclists that will connect Old Greenwich and the Waterside area of Stamford on the East Coast Greenway.
Most recently, on June 28, the Friends of the NRVT, partnering with the Western Council of Governments received a $4.5 million grant for the planning and engineering work for numerous sections of an approximately 55-mile multi-use trail between Norwalk, Wilton, Redding, Ridgefield, Danbury, Brookfield, and New Milford. The grant is part of a federal initiative under RAISE (Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) to invest $1.5 billion in the upcoming fiscal year.
Gartner said projects like building universally accessible trails in nature are “truly public/private partnerships” and everyone should be contributing what they can to those projects, in their communities.
Benefits
Advocates say there’s lots of benefits to trails. Arasim said she describes the New Milford River Greenway as “a trunk of a tree with a lot of branches coming off. This is connecting to a lot of businesses from one end of the town to the other.”
She added trails offer the ability to enjoy nature “and to do it in a way that’s safe. You’re off the roads in most of the cases, such as River Road (in New Milford), which is a quiet, dirt road.”
A fawn stops for a moment at Tarrywile Park in an area leading up to a section of the Ives Trail in Danbury, Conn., Wednesday, June 11, 2014.
Carol Kaliff / Carol Kaliff
The City of Danbury led the development of the Ives Trail Greenway, a regional trail of about 20 miles that links open spaces in Redding, Bethel, Danbury, and Ridgefield. The trail begins in Redding open space, passes through Terre Haute in Bethel, through Wiedel Meadows, Tarrywile Park, and Wooster Mountain State Park in Danbury, and on to Pine Mountain and Bennett’s Pond in Ridgefield.
Bryan Haeffele/Hearst Connecticu
The City of Danbury led the development of the Ives Trail Greenway, a regional trail of about 20 miles that links open spaces in Redding, Bethel, Danbury, and Ridgefield. The trail begins in Redding open space, passes through Terre Haute in Bethel, through Wiedel Meadows, Tarrywile Park, and Wooster Mountain State Park in Danbury, and on to Pine Mountain and Bennett’s Pond in Ridgefield.
Trails attract people from in and out of the area, which can add business to the area.
“You’ve got locals using this trail system and that supports bike shops and restaurants,” said Donald, adding in some places around the state, there’s “breweries right on the trail and other businesses, like ice cream.”
Additionally, he said houses built along a trail “sell for more money.
“The trail itself, because of that, and because of the new businesses, adds to the tax base of the town that it’s built in,” he said. So you can see the ripples — the economic ripple effect of building these trails and it’s a big deal for the communities.”
Trails support ecotourism because visitors will come from out of state and spend money at a restaurant or hotel, he said.
Gartner said trails has lifelong health benefits for all.
“One day, you’re going to hit a Connecticut trail running, walking a dog, pushing a stroller, rehabbing back to strength, being able to get outside in nature because of accessibility or commuting. I have been told by many people … how the trail has improved their lives and in some cases, saved their lives,” she said.
“The idea of connectivity to surrounding towns holds a high appeal for many,” she added. “Networking connected communities to one another will change how we live.”
