The Charter Oak Greenway is named after Connecticut's state tree, the Charter Oak. The section passing through Manchester was part of an interstate highway planned in the 1970's. Thanks to local advocacy, creative thinking and DOT cooperation, the recreational areas, trails, and woodlands within the highway cloverleaf and right-of-way could be preserved. It took about 25 years from concept to construction of the Manchester - East Hartford section, and the connection to the Hop River State Park Trail was completed in 2018.
Most of the Charter Oak Greenway consists of paved paths away from motorized traffic; some sections are along minor roads (e.g. crossing I-384 on Bidwell St bridge). There are many other parks including playscapes, picnic areas etc. as well as restaurants and port-a-pots along the trail when you need a break on your adventure.
There is a stretch of trail from the entrance to Manchester Community College on Bidwell to the trail entrance just east of 672 Hartford Road which is still sharing the road with motorized vehicles. At this time, the route can be traveled by using a sidewalk for pedestrians and on-street by cyclists. A project is underway to complete this gap.
Visit the Charter Oak Greenway and Hop River State Park Trail pdf brochure and map.
CT Department of Transportation maintains the trail from
- East Hartford/ Manchester town line to Bidwell Street (including the Manchester Community College campus) and
- Keeney Street to South Main Street.
The Town of Manchester maintains the trail from
- Bidwell Street to Keeney Street and
- South Main Street to the Bolton/Manchester town line.
Please contact the correct organization depending on the section of trail.
There are many access points between East Hartford, Manchester and Bolton. Click on any parking icon or the "directions" tab to get custom parking directions.
Parking areas at Veterans Clubhouse, the Commuter Parking Lot, Charter Oak Park, and Bolton Park & Ride offer wheelchair accessible ingress.
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