The Connecticut Trails Blog is a place where Connecticut Trails faculty, staff, and partners discuss the things that are important to them, whether it’s work-related or in the broader, global, community. Any opinions expressed in our blog posts are those of the author and not the opinion of Connecticut Trails or the University of Connecticut.
- CT Trail Symposium 2025 RecapWritten by Laura Kelly They’ve done it again – the 7th annual CT Trail Symposium was a wonderful day as expected! There’s nothing like connecting in person with our trails community. Hearing about all of the innovative and passionate work our colleagues are doing to improve trail opportunities around Connecticut for everyone was truly invigorating. […]Posted on October 10, 2025
- CT Trail Finder Badges Inspired by UConn StudentsWritten by Laura Kelly In May of this year, a new module was launched on CT Trail Finder: Earn Badges! With a free account, users can add trail logs to their profile. Users can now earn digital badges when adding trail logs that match the badges’ criteria. Badges can be earned for a multitude of […]Posted on September 23, 2025
- Shout-Out to Jack Walsh and the Derby Greenway!This is the fascinating story of the Derby Greenway brought to you by one of its longest-and-strongest advocates. Many thanks go to Derby’s own Jack Walsh – co-Chair of the Naugatuck River Greenway Advisory Committee, Chair of the Derby Greenway Committee, and former Valley United Way President/COO, Derby Park & Recreation Commission Chair, high school […]Posted on August 15, 2025
- Shout-Out to Trail Census Volunteer Barbara!It’s a treat for us to shout out Trail Census star volunteer Barbara Amodio! Barbara is an East Coast Greenway Alliance CT Ambassador and a founding member of Bike Walk Bolton, a volunteer organization advocating the expansion of safe, practical and accessible trails in their community. Starting in 2012, Barbara bicycled sections of the East […]Posted on June 13, 2025
- Shout-Out to Fairfield Conservation Department!We would like to recognize Fairfield Conservation Department! This department was the first of its kind in the state, with open space areas that provide views of forest, lake, river, salt marsh, and more. I spoke with director Tim Bishop, who is interested in updating and modernizing Fairfield’s open space trail maps so that more […]Posted on June 4, 2025
- Shout-Out to Westport Conservation Department!A warm shout-out goes to Westport Conservation and Parks and Recreation Departments! The CT Trail Finder team is proud to work with them to create a digital guide to the open space area trails managed by the town and partners (shout-out to Aspetuck Land Trust)! A sincere thank you to Colin Kelly, Conservation Department Director, […]Posted on June 2, 2025
- Shout-Out to the Still River Greenway Committee!It’s our pleasure to highlight the managers of the Still River Greenway, a multi-use paved trail along the Still River in Brookfield, CT. Many thanks go to Jay Annis, Still River Greenway Committee Chair, longtime Brookfield resident, and outdoor recreation enthusiast, for speaking with me. Following a Brookfield resident survey in 2001 that revealed a […]Posted on June 2, 2025
- Shout-Out to Quiet Corner NEMBA!We’re pleased to feature an exciting new partnership! On CT Trail Finder, Quiet Corner New England Mountain Bike Association (QCNEMBA) helped publish Pomfret Forest, an extensive multi-use trail system directly off the Air Line State Park Trail in Pomfret, that they have designed with mountain bikers in mind. Many thanks to Christian Smutnick, QCNEMBA Vice […]Posted on May 30, 2025
- CT Trail Symposium 2024 Recapby Laura Kelly The 6th annual trail symposium was a fantastic day! Manchester Community College was a great host. The campus is beautiful – if you’re ever wandering that way (it’s right off the Charter Oak Greenway!), it’s worth visiting. The theme of the day was “Trail Toolbox: Sharing Tips, Tools, and Triumph’s on Connecticut’s […]Posted on October 23, 2024
- Shout-Out to Joshua’s Trust!We want to shout out our partnership with Joshua’s Trust! The land trust organization has been operating since 1966 preserving land in Northeastern Connecticut, with many team members, volunteers, and stewards pouring their hearts and souls in. A special shout-out goes to Paul Pribula – mapping whiz, former JT board member, and current volunteer steward […]Posted on October 9, 2024
- Shout-Out to Farmington Canal Heritage and River Trails!We want to shout out Farmington Canal Heritage Trail and Farmington River Trail managers and volunteers for all their work with CT Trail Finder! The time, care, and miles they have put in to keep trail info up-to-date, easy to access, and helpful has been invaluable to us and trail users alike. A special shout-out […]Posted on October 2, 2024
- Welcome Laura!We have a new team member! Laura Kelly is the new CT Trails Program coordinator, supporting CT Trail Finder, CT Trail Census, and the CT Trails Program. She is finishing up her master’s degree in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment with a focus on trail use levels, access, and the perceived quality […]Posted on October 2, 2024
- The 2023 Trail Use Count Data ReportThe 2023 Trail Use Count Data Report is complete and posted on the CT Trails website. Read about the 2023 counts at 23 long term locations along with 12 short-term locations including takeaways and trends.Posted on June 6, 2024
- Welcome Emily!We are excited to announce that we have a new intern here at UConn CLEAR and the CT Trail Program! Emily Markelon is an environmental studies and journalism student at the University of Connecticut, planning to graduate in the fall of 2024. She is the Twitter and Facebook chair for UConn’s chapter of Her Campus, […]Posted on April 5, 2024
- My 2023 Trail Symposium RecapThe 2023 Trail Symposium was an immersive experience with multiple events over multiple days. Written by Emily Wilson World Trails Film Festival, Tuesday This is the second time that I have had the privilege of viewing the he World Trails Film Festival. The series of short films combines stories with scenery and music that together […]Posted on November 5, 2023