Windsor Locks Canal Trail State Park

What a great walking/​biking trail! I was visiting Connecticut and had a couple hours to burn before I needed to make it to the airport and found this trail, on Unilocal actually :) and really enjoyed my time here. When I got to the trail there were several cars in the parking lot on a Friday afternoon around 1 pm and several people were also fishing. The trail is right by the water which makes it really pretty. And the awesome thing about the trail is that on BOTH sides of it is water! Trees also line both sides of the trail making it really nice. In the fall time I can only imagine how gorgeous it is with the all the leaves changing colors. I only walked about 1 mile out but it was so relaxing and peaceful hearing the water current flow. Would highly recommend this trail!

What a beautiful fall day. Couldn’t stay home and didn’t want to ride the sidewalks in my town, as lovely as this town is. So we attached our bikes to my carrier and drive 10 minutes down the road. Unloaded car and got the bike trail. It’s along the CT river and so beautiful. People were out walking jogging fishing. And of course, biking. It was simply, perfect. So beautiful. So relaxing. So mind clearing. So worth driving to from wherever you are.
Thinking maybe I shouldn’t share this slice of heaven so it doesn’t become crowded. But who really reads this anyways?

Live close by but new nothing of this great walking spot until I read about it on Unilocal.
Was able to walk it for about 2 hours yesterday morning. Several people were at the water line fishing. It’s a nice flat and paved trail ideal for biking.
It’s not the most ‘gorgeous’ walk ever but it was pleasant and had lots of peacefulness to it.
What’s not to love about walking alongside a river anyway.
I’m not sure that I’d feel comfortable walking it alone during hours when not many people are around. You can definitely feel isolated out there when others aren’t around.
I’ll definitely return with my bike and a friend.

This is basically one long paved trail from Suffield to Windsor Locks (and vice versa). It’s 11 mles and entirely flat. The view is the Connecticut river, partially obstructed by trees. There are definitely much better state parks/​hiking trails to explore if you want good views. It’s not particularly beautiful, but it is serene. It’s usually not crowded and you’ll see the occasional couple or two crossing your path, but I’ve been alone for stretches at a time.
This is a great place to run or go for a bike ride. It’s flat so it won’t be particularly challenging, and even though it’s not a super exciting path, it’s definitely more entertaining than running on a treadmill or using a stationary bike. I have seen families fishing at the end in Suffield, but can’t comment on the haul since I have never participated.

Great place for a hike or bike ride. October foliage was stunning. Wanted to stretch my legs during a long drive so I quickly did a Unilocal search and happily found the canal trail. Pretty low key on the Wednesday I went. Few other walkers and one or two bicyclists. Nice views of the river, the canal and some farms. I would love to walk the entire canal trail sometime. Great for relaxation.

A great place to go biking or take a walk next to the river. This will be a place I will defiantly come back too!

This is a wonderful walking and or biking trail connecting Windsor Locks and Enfield. There are many good fishing spots and scenic views of the CT River along the trail.

I was looking for a spot to get a couple of miles in to avoid Friday afternoon rush hour traffic and this popped up when I typed «Parks» into my handy dandy Unilocal App.
Located along the Connecticut River — the Windsor Locks Canal Trial runs parallel to it. I am not really sure how long it is but the portion I ran on was well paved and flat — two things this runner truly appreciates.
I saw several people walking, riding their bikes and even a couple of individuals trying their luck with the fishing pole. I would love to come back in the summer and fall to check out some of the wildlife that some of the other reviewers notice.
One safety note I will mention is that the parking lot is off the main road and I did not notice any lighting around so just keep your eyes and ears open if you plan on heading down closer to dusk.

This is a great trail to walk or bike on. No traffic, no distracted drivers talking and texting, etc.
Now, however, it is closed to protect nesting eagles. I can understand this but in fact the trail is not closed on the Suffield side. Why??? Why only close the trail on the Windsor Locks side? You can take your bike starting on the Suffield entrance and bike all the way to the end of the trail in Windsor Locks. Furthermore, the trains haven’t been prohibited from running. At lest a half a dozen times a day very loud, rumbly trains pass up and down along the side of the trail. Trains don’t disturb the eagles?
Is it the parking on the Windsor Locks side that disturbs the eagles? Since the trail is entirely open sans a Windsor Locks entrance, I suggest a small 3-​foot entrance be allowed so walkers and bikers can enter from the WL side. People can park their cars in the WL plaza a short distance from the trail.

My family and I enjoy coming here several times a year when the trail is open. It is very tranquil and we enjoy watching the change in the foliage throughout the spring, summer and fall. We always look for signs of wildlife. There are always plenty of birds. As the weather gets warmer, turtles can be seen basking on the fallen tree logs in the canal. In years past, we have observed beavers building dams in the canal. The path is paved but not level, although it is not difficult to walk or bike on it. I would recommend coming here to anyone.

I ended up on this trail somewhat accidently while biking south on CT-​159/​190 in Suffield. I had heard that you could not cross the CT-​190 bridge into Enfield, but there was a bike route sign at the intersection that pointed left across the bridge, so I thought something had changed and I was misinformed. I ignored the no pedestrian/​bicycle sign until I noticed the bike trail on the side of the bridge, and then decided to cross over to take the path. The short of it is, the trail entrance is difficult to find and the bike trail sign at that intersection is deceptive, but if you get on the trail, you can cross the CT-​190 bridge or continue down along the river on the Windsor Locks Canal Trail.
There were parking lots on both ends of the 4.5 mile trail. They are roughly at the end of Canal Rd in Suffield (near the CT-​159 & CT-​190 intersection) and Bridge St in Windsor Locks just before Main Street (CT-​159 & CT-​140 intersection) past an abandoned factory. I feel both are somewhat obscure, so I’d recommend getting the directions from the state website.
It was very secluded, quiet, and scenic. People were out, but it was not crowded and at several points I felt alone. There were no amenities along the trail and the trail was bumpy on a road bike. The trail is maybe 10 feet wide, so biking 3 wide feels like a tight limit. There is water on both sides of the trail (the river and the canal). A couple times I heard loud splashes in the canal, but missed whatever fish/​animal caused it. Several people were fishing in the canal and out for casual walks or bike rides with their family. Any large bumps were marked with yellow spray-​paint and only once did I notice the edge of the trial collapsed towards the canal. I could see this being a very buggy area at times of the year, but that was not my experience. It seems ideal for a nice easy/​flat walk or bike ride and people on the trial were friendly.
I’m rating 3 stars because I found it difficult to get on the trail and it was too bumpy for my road bike. If I knew where I was going or was not using my road bike, I would have rated it 4 stars.

The entrance to the trail can be deceptive looking as it may look gated. Overall, it was quiet paved walk along the CT river on one side and canal on the other. Everyone on the trail were super nice and said hello on the way. The trail was blocked half way past the king’s island by the aqueduct because of bald eagle mating season according to park ranger until july 1^st.
It was long but quiet and enjoyable trail. I would love to find out how far it goes when I can interrupt the eagles.

The Windsor Locks Canal Trail is an interesting little trail — you have the Connecticut river on one side and the canal on the other — each a stone’s toss away from the trail itself.
The paved trail is good for walking, biking, roller blading, you name it, although it can get a little uneven in places. It’s raised above the water level, so you pretty much have to stay on the trail and don’t have many options to explore off it (although I have yet only been down a little ways walking — from the parking on Canal Rd heading toward Windsor).
There are some spots near the parking area where you can get close to the water and there is even a small area with sand like a mini beach.
It’s popular with all kinds of people — individuals, couples, families, people walking dogs. Everyone was very nice and smiled and said «Hi» on the way by.
If you’re biking please be courteous and warn walkers — there’s not much room for maneuvering and a fall off the trail could land you in the water or some harsh thorns.