WINDHAM AIRLINE TRAIL LETTERBOX:
WINDHAM, CONNECTICUT
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Planted: September 7, 2003
Length: Windham Airline Trail; 4.3 miles
Willimantic to Letterbox; 1.7 miles
Tuckie Road to Letterbox; 1/4 mile
Difficulty: Easy. Flat rail trail; Paved; 2.3 miles, Stone-dust; 2 miles
Directions:
To start from Willimantic; Take Route 66 (Main Street) through Willimantic to Jackson Street (across from the Frog Bridge). Just as your heading north on Jackson Street, turn right on Union Street. The Farmers Market is on your right and a parking lot next to the trailhead is to your left.
To start from Windham; From the Routes 6 & 66 junction in Windham, head west on Route 66 towards Willimantic. The first road you come to after the on/off ramp to Route 6 will be Tuckie Road on your left. Turn down this road and you will see the trail to your left. There is a professional building complex here with parking lots. Note; you must take the trail as it heads back across Route 66 to reach the Letterbox.
While you are in Willimantic, be sure to check out the "Frog Bridge", the Jackson Street Bridge that crosses over the Willimantic River. It has large spools of thread for columns with large frogs on top of them. The spools represent the thread that the nearby American Thread Company used to make and the frogs represent the Windham Frog Fight (See; WINDHAM FROG FIGHT for story). Also, be sure to check out the old mill buildings that have been restored, along with the Garden on the Bridge (a restored bridge over the Willimantic River that is now designed for pedestrians, the Windham Textile and History Museum and the nearby park overlooking the river. These are all accessed from the trailhead by going to the Frog Bridge and then turning left down Main Street.
Starting from Willimantic; The trail heads northeast along the old Airline Railroad Line. After crossing over Milk Street, you pass through a residential area until you come to Ash Street after 3/4 miles. USE CAUTION here as there is no cross light. Just shy of a mile you cross high above the Natchaug River on a newly reconstructed railroad trestle. The trail is now more secluded and lined with Pine trees. You'll pass by an auto dealers lot and then the back side of the Sports Bar. Just past this building the trail turns sharply to the right .Stop here. On your right is a parking lot for the Sports Bar and other businesses in a plaza that runs alongside Route 66. You may park here for an easy Drive by. To your left is a metal fence that runs alongside the trail. At this corner of the fence is a small path that runs into the woods. Take 8 paces (1 pace = 2 steps) down this path and you will see a Cedar tree to your left. Behind this tree, under a flat rock, is the Windham Rail Trail Letterbox. Continue up the trail to where it crosses Route 66 via a cross-light. It then passes by the Windham Professional Park parking lot on the right and heads up a small hill alongside the off-ramp to Route 6. After descending the trail on the other side you come to the end of the paved trail at 2.3 miles. This section is stone-dust as it follows the old Airline Railroad bed. There is a large swamp to your right as you pass a gate and travel along the straight rail trail on a berm. Pine trees provide plenty of shade and tranquility through this stretch. At around 3 miles, there will be many wetlands off your left side as this is part of the Joshua Trust's Windham Atlantic White Cedar Bog. You next have to cross over Route 203 at 3 3/4 miles. Again, USE CAUTION as there is no cross-light. You follow along another berm until you cross an old railroad trestle. Here the trail winds through woods and ledge until it ends at 4.3 miles at the Chaplin town line. The Airline Trail continues northeast, but is rough in spots and requires a mountain bike.
HH
LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON
SEPTEMBER 6, 2009
TO EMAIL A VERIFICATION
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT LETTERBOXING