We’re delighted to bring you a story from Riverfront Recapture, a non-profit which manages trails, parks, events, and community spaces in Hartford and East Hartford, with the goal of connecting people to the Connecticut River! We first began working together through our CT Trail Census program to collect trail use data on their urban trails. We continued to collaborate on five recently published trail posts on CT Trail Finder: Riverside Park Wooded Trail, Hartford Riverwalk, East Hartford Riverwalk, and two popular routes through these connected trails. Riverfront Recapture trails also connect to the East Coast Greenway, Connecticut River Paddler’s Trail, and others, and they are working to expand trail connectivity to additional communities along the river valley.
Riverfront Recapture has been removing barriers to river access since 1981 and constructing paved, multi-modal trails between parks that feature gazebos, art installations, playgrounds, boat launches, fishing piers, picnic areas, a boathouse, an outdoor fitness area, and more. Such barriers have included landfills, highways, and railroad tracks. Another major challenge they face each year is flooding, as the trails and parks occupy the CT River’s flood plain. That’s why everything about the trails and facilities is built to be resilient in the face of floodwater. Along with riverfront improvements, quality of the water has also increased, providing safer access to paddling and better habitat for returning wildlife – look for herons, egrets, and more!
Today, many use the riverfront trails not only for recreation, but also to commute or take a break during a workday downtown. Accessible connection to the river includes paved trails, ramps, and seasonal elevators. Park rangers are on-site every day of the year to maintain safety and Riverfront staff work hard to clean and maintain the parks year-round (even clearing snow in the winter) to make trail users feel welcome. Riverfront Recapture also holds events in their parks and trails to encourage community gathering at the riverfront, including 5ks, marathons, concerts, and free fitness classes!
Enjoy a trail on the magnificent Connecticut River, courtesy of our dedicated friends at Riverfront Recapture! Find out more about their trails on cttrailfinder.com and on their website.
