The Captain John Bissell Trail provides pedestrian and bicycle access between Windsor and East Hartford, ending at its intersection with the East Coast Greenway.
The western end of the trail begins at a parking area in Windsor Meadows State Park. The trail crosses the Connecticut River, parallel to but safely separated from I-291. It then splits from the highway and continues on quiet South Windsor roads for about one mile before crossing CT-5 (take caution here!). The on-road segments contain views of farmland, schools, churches, and local businesses. The on-road section continues east on Chapel Road for another 1.8 miles until its intersection with Clark Street. Here, the paved trail reappears and remains parallel to Chapel Road.
Once the path crosses Tolland Turnpike, it ducks into the forest and then shortly joins back up with I-291, from which it remains safely separated. When the trail reaches Manchester, turning right leads to Wickham Park, while crossing CT-44 leads back into the forest and across a bridge over the Hockanum River (shared with but separated from vehicle traffic). Then it loops under I-84, goes through a tunnel, and connects to the Charter Oak Greenway at its east end.
Take Exit 35B for CT-218 toward Windsor/Bloomfield. Turn left onto CT-218 East. In half a mile, turn right onto CT-159 South/Windsor Avenue. Then, in a quarter mile, turn left onto East Barber Street. In half a mile, turn left into the parking area.
Take Exit 34 for CT-159/Windsor Avenue. Turn left onto Meadow Road and then right onto Windsor Avenue. In half a mile, turn right onto East Barber Street. Continue another half mile and then turn left into the parking area.
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