Charter Oak Greenway

The Charter Oak Greenway offers more than 16 miles of paved pathway through Hartford and its eastern suburbs. At first glance, the trail looks as if it is simply a highway side path, but the journey from east to west takes trail users through a variety of experiences, including college campuses, community parks, forests, commercial areas, a peaceful riverfront, and a vibrant city center.

On its eastern end in Bolton, the greenway connects to the Hop River State Park Trail, which spans 20 miles largely through dense woodlands. Both trails are part of the expansive East Coast Greenway, which will one day connect multiuse trails from Maine to Florida.

From that trail junction, the Charter Oak Greenway heads west through Manchester. A short distance into your ride, you'll descend into the Birch Mountain Brook stream valley. Here along a tree-lined path, with the bubbling brook flowing beside you, you may forget that I-384 is just over the ridge.

Less than 2 miles from the Porter Street trailhead, you arrive at Charter Oak Park, a lovely community park in Manchester providing access to restrooms, water, ball fields, tennis courts, a pavilion, and gardens. This intersection with the town provides an opportunity to find trailside amenities and a bite to eat. Proceeding west from Charter Oak Park, the trail passes through handsomely appointed residential and commercial communities. You’ll need to navigate a 0.5-mile on-road portion of trail along Hartford Road and Bidwell Street before leaving the road to enter the campus of Manchester Community College.

Photos: Matthew Lupoli