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The Moosup Valley Trail is situated within the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor and parallels the Moosup River for much of the way as it winds through the scenic, rural Connecticut countryside. It travels along the old railbed of the Moosup Sterling Line, part of the Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad. The trail is also part of the East Coast Greenway, and will eventually run from Hartford, Connecticut to Providence, Rhode Island. Future plans call for a connection of the Moosup Valley Trail with the Airline Trail through the towns of Plainfield and Killingly, CT. The trail is opened for it's entire length with varied surfaces, but no major obstacles. The hard-packed dirt and gravel sections are rough and more suitable for mountain bikes. The trail starts in the town of Moosup by crossing the Moosup River on a renovated railroad bridge. Here, it is smooth, wide and paved. In about a mile, after the Barber Hill Road Bridge it becomes a graded dirt and gravel surface. Mountain bikes are more appropriate on this section. A new bridge was recently completed to carry the trail over Providence Road in Sterling and the next 0.75 miles east to Spring Lake Road has been paved. From Spring Lake Road to the Rhode Island state line, the trail surface is once again dirt. The Moosup Valley Trail continues into Rhode Island as the 10 mile, unimproved Trestle Trail, a multi-use trail that is operated by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental. Management.
Historical Notes: Plainfield, Connecticut was an industrial heavyweight during the 19th and early 20th centuries due to its location within the Moosup and Quinebaug River Valley. The rivers provided power to mills throughout town. In addition four railways from Hartford, New York, Boston, and Providence intersected in the town.
For more information: Department Of Environmental Protection Phone: (860) 295-9523
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Family Friendly
Trail
Description
