HOP RIVER RAIL TRAIL LETTERBOXES:

WEST: ANDOVER, CONNECTICUT

EAST: COLUMBIA, CONNECTICUT

-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-

Planted:             September 26, 2001 (West Letterbox)

                            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; ˝ mile. 

                            Kings Road in Columbia to East Letterbox; ˝ 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.

Directions:

To start in Bolton: The trail runs along the east side of Bolton Notch Pond, then under the junctions of Routes 6, 44 and I-384 in Bolton Notch. There is a parking lot located off of I-384 westbound only. It's tricky to reach though. From Routes 6 & 44 in Bolton Notch, enter I-384 westbound. Just past the "Middle Turnpike" highway sign, look for a brown "Boat Launch" sign on the right. Take this sharp right turn off the highway down a dirt road. This brings you to the parking lot that is located next to the trail as it passes underneath I-384. You may then travel left down the trail through the rock cut for 3/4 miles to the small wooden bridge that takes you to Freja Park (see  Valley Falls Rail Trail Letterbox ). It is also possible to drive alongside Bolton Notch Pond and park next to Freja Park to start your journey. 

To start at Bailey Road in Andover: Take Route 6 past Andover Center towards Bolton and make a left onto Bailey Road. This road is located directly across from the road to the Channel 3 Country Camp. Where the road turns from paved to gravel is where the trail crosses over. Park here and take the trail south towards Andover Center.   

To start at Kings Road in Columbia: Take Route 66 to Flanders Road (located between Route 6/66 junction and Willimantic, near the U-haul rental business). Take a Left down Kings Road and park by the yellow gate at the start of the trail.

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 ˝ 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 ˝ 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. 

Note; they are currently building a new bridge over Route 316 and have already rebuilt the abutments. However, as of April, 2008, the new bridge has still not been installed. Check back for updates.

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 ˝ 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 ˝ mile until you come to Kings Road. Another bridge crosses over the Hop River, but, as of April, 2008 it is not passable.

HH

CLICK HERE FOR MAP

 

WEST LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON

APRIL 2, 2008

EAST LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON

APRIL 2, 2008

 

TO EMAIL A VERIFICATION

CLICK HERE

 

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WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER

 

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