November 07, 2001 (East Letterbox)

Length:             Bolton to Columbia; 13.5 miles

                            Bolton to West Letterbox; 4.5 miles; Bolton to East Letterbox; 13 miles

                            Bailey Road in Andover to West Letterbox; ½ mile. 

                            Kings Road in Columbia to East Letterbox; ½ mile

                            Bolton to Valley Falls Rail Trail Letterbox, 3/4 miles or Drive-by.                          

Difficulty:         Easy. Flat rail trail with stone dust surface all the way to the West Letterbox and currently ending at Burnap Bridge Road as of  April, 2008.

                            Moderate. Flat rail trail with crushed stone surface, but occasional sections of trap rock starting from Burnap Bridge Road to its end in Columbia.

                            Mountain bike recommended.

The Hop River Rail Trail is part of an old abandoned railroad bed that goes from Willimantic to Bolton, where it becomes the Valley Falls Rail Trail and goes into Vernon, with a spur into Rockville (see Rockville Spur Trail). The Valley Falls section consists of stone dust, while the Hop River section is stone dust and crushed stone with occasional sections of trap rock (left over from the railroad beds). A lot of new work has taken place along the Hop River section; new bridges, new stone dust installed and new drainage, so I find more improvements every time I ride it. Be sure to check back for updates. Along the trails you will see plenty of reminders of its history, such as old telephone poles, old railroad ties and an occasional old granite whistle stop marker (big W carved into the stone). In Bolton, you have an opportunity to collect an additional Letterbox. Check out the Valley Falls Rail Trail Letterbox for its reference to Freja Park. For more information check out EAST COAST GREENWAY .

Starting from Freja Park; From the small wooden bridge over the stream, turn right onto the stone dust trail. After passing through a high rock cut, you will come to the Bolton Notch Parking Lot after about 3/4 miles, which sits just below I-384. Next, you’ll be passing through a tunnel underneath I-384. You emerge in a rock lined gorge that soon gives way to steep drops on both sides of the trail as it travels along the berm built by the railroad.. You travel alongside a hilly ridge with Route 6 below in the distance. Next you'll cross over Steel Crossing Road at about 2 3/4 miles and then pass through another rock cut 3/4 mile ahead. You cross over Bailey Road at about the 4 mile mark. After about 4 ½ miles the trail crosses over a  small wooden bridge. After crossing the bridge, turn left and walk down the granite steps of the embankment. At the bottom, turn around and find the Hop River Rail Trail West Letterbox hidden behind some rocks, underneath the last granite step. Back on the trail, you may continue onwards. You pass by the Andover Fin, Fur & Feather Club along the left. You then cross over Burnap Brook Road at 5 1/4 miles.. Here, you can take a quick side trip down to Burnap Brook. A beautiful brook, flowing through a scenic gorge, which then flows through an old stone tunnel underneath the rail trail. Just take the trail to the right, after you cross over the road. Note; as of April, 2008, this is where the stone dust section currently ends. I'll update the clues as they continue extending the stone dust. The trail then becomes rougher, with some sections of trap rock making biking tough. After about 6 ½ miles the trail runs parallel to Route 6 and your in Andover Center. You pass through the parking area of Protech Services Center and will come to a halt above Route 316 where the original bridge was removed. 

If you wish, you can continue on to Columbia, at an additional 7 miles. You can go down the steep embankment or take a detour around it from the Protech Services parking area. Center Street is next to the Protech parking lot. You may also park at the end of Center Street to access the trail. Head down Center Street to Route 316 and cross over. You can access the trail behind the old Andover Town Hall along Route 6. There is a brand new tunnel that passes underneath Route 6, as well as many new bridges built along this section. After about 8 miles, you will finally see the Hop River along your left. There’s a couple of short sections with some rough trap rock, but forge ahead, because you pass through a beautiful area with the Hop River on your left and a scenic pond on your right. The trail then crosses over a wide section of the Hop River after about 10 ½ miles. This is a brand new bridge that was completed in the spring of 2002, using the original iron trestle as its base. After about 12 miles you’ll pass through a gravel pit that has filled in with water. We spotted about a dozen wild turkeys off in the underbrush. You pass underneath the Route 6 expressway and at about the 13 mile point you come across two sets of power transmission lines. If you look to your right you can see the Hop River and Route 66. Between the two sets of transmission lines, you will notice an old railroad telephone pole on your right. Pass by this pole and go to the next pole up on a small ridge. Take a compass reading of 116 degrees and look behind the large oak tree. Under a pile of rocks is the Hop River Rail Trail East Letterbox. The trail continues on for another ½ mile until you come to Kings Road. Another bridge crosses over the Hop River, but, as of April, 2008 it is not passable.