Connecticut Trail Finder is a free, interactive mapping site designed to help Connecticut residents and visitors find hiking, walking, snowshoeing, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and paddling trails across the state. Our goal is to help people get out, be active, and explore our state’s treasures. Detailed trail description pages allow users to view the trails, get essential information, submit trip comments and photos, and a whole lot more. Users are able to track trail experiences, noting trails that they have completed, their favorites, or ones they want to visit.
CT Trail Finder is for public use. We only ask that you give CT Trail Finder credit. Each trail post includes .kml and .gpx map files that contain the trail lines and points of interest for that trail system. This mapping is done by CT Trail Finder folks with input and contributions from trail managers and organizations. Website users may download and use these mapping files provided they credit CT Trail Finder for any public or commercial uses or projects, map viewers, websites or apps, etc. Here is a suggested citation for a trail post web page:
CT Trail Finder. "[post or page name]." A project of the UConn CT Trails Program, UConn CLEAR, and UConn Extension. [Link], accessed [date].
Also, please share with us how you are using the information and data! Email trails@uconn.edu and let us know. CT Trail Finder mapping is a lot of work and showing its value helps us continue and grow. Thank you in advance.
Trail maps are great and essential part of outdoor navigation; however, trying to find comprehensive sources on what trails exist in any given area can be challenging. CT Trail Finder will bring together extensive and up-to-date information about trails in one convenient location. Search tools will help users quickly find the right trail for a Sunday afternoon stroll or short-list a handful of trails to be explored during a week-long vacation. We can edit online trails data when notified by trail managers so that they show up on the website instantaneously. The ability of trail managers and CT Trail Finder account holders to post announcements and trip reports helps users know what to expect or entice you to choose one trail over another.
We highly recommend bringing a trail map when going out on trails. The CT Trail Finder platform connects users to the trail manager where they can find out what paper maps are available.
We know we don’t have all the trails yet and we are working on adding new trails all the time. If you want to send us a suggestion, use our contact form. We will try to add the new trail as soon as possible. Because we work with trail managers, the process may take a bit of time.
If you manage publicly accessible trails in Connecticut, we would love to add you to the site! Visit UConn's CT Trails website to learn more or email us at trails@uconn.edu and we will get the process started!
A key advantage of digital maps is that, unlike paper maps, they can be easily updated to reflect changes on the ground. We can update trail postings whenever the conditions on the ground change. Just email us your changes and we will get them on the site ASAP.
For temporary closures, there is a trail status option we can toggle to partially open or closed. We also can set alerts that explain closures. For example, if a specific trail within a network is closed during a bird breeding season, we can set the trail system status to Partially Open with an alert describing which trail is closed and for how long. Our goal is to help trail managers get important trail management messages out to the trail users.
No. We have nothing against apps, but we have deliberately chosen to focus our resources and energy on creating and sharing the best available trails information via this mobile-friendly website. If location services are enabled on your mobile device, you will see your location on the Trail Finder maps.
The site is administered by the UConn's CT Trails Team through generous support from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
CT Trail Finder was designed and built by the Center for Community GIS with programming and technical support from Aptuitiv. CCGIS and Aptuitiv have built and continue to maintain and grow multiple trail finder applications for states and regions across the U.S.
If you don't see your question answered here, please feel welcome to Contact Us.
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