New England National Scenic Trail

In 2009, Congress designated about 200 miles of hiking trails in Massachusetts and Connecticut as a National Scenic Trail. This is New England's first nationally-designated trail since the Appalachian Trail was established in 1968.

Now, the New England Trail covers 215 miles from Long Island Sound across long ridges to scenic mountain summits in Connecticut and Masssachusetts. The trail offers panoramic vistas and close-ups of New England's natural and cultural landscape: traprock ridges, historic village centers, farmlands, unfragmented forests, quiet streams, steep river valleys and waterfalls.

There are more than 100 public roads cross the New England Trail, and there are trailhead parking areas at or near many of these crossing. Detailed trail maps are available from Appalachian Mountain Club and the Connecticut Forest & Park Association (www.ctwoodlands.org). Direct access by bus is available at several points and train service is available in Guilford.