This riverside city in central Connecticut is famous for being “the insurance capital of the world”. It’s also steeped in a rich history, with some of the oldest schools, parks, newspapers, and museums in the nation, and home to the Mark Twain house, where the Connecticut Yankee penned some of his most famous works. Since the days of Twain, Hartford has experienced somewhat of an economic decline, and lacks some of the infrastructure that promotes running and destination travel in other cities. But there are some good places for running in Hartford.
The best places to run in Hartford include the Riverwalk along the Connecticut River, and the greenery of downtown’s Bushnell Park and Elizabeth Park. Visitors can enjoy runseeing Hartford with a historic tour around downtown’s most interesting sights, or do as the locals do and run a circuit around the Reservoir system of West Hartford. Trail runners should also take note of Connecticut’s extensive state park system, with miles of trails — including the 60+ mile Metacomet Trail — within easy reach of the city.
This riverside city in central Connecticut is famous for being “the insurance capital of the world”. It’s also steeped in a rich history, with some of the oldest schools, parks, newspapers, and museums in the nation, and home to the Mark Twain house, where the Connecticut Yankee penned some of his most famous works. Since the days of Twain, Hartford has experienced somewhat of an economic decline, and lacks some of the infrastructure that promotes running and destination travel in other cities. But there are some good places for running in Hartford.
The best places to run in Hartford include the Riverwalk along the Connecticut River, and the greenery of downtown’s Bushnell Park and Elizabeth Park. Visitors can enjoy runseeing Hartford with a historic tour around downtown’s most interesting sights, or do as the locals do and run a circuit around the Reservoir system of West Hartford. Trail runners should also take note of Connecticut’s extensive state park system, with miles of trails — including the 60+ mile Metacomet Trail — within easy reach of the city.
The best places to run in the tony towns of Connecticut's Gold Coast: Norwalk, Darien, Stamford, Greenwich, & New Canaan. Lovely park, neighborhood, & waterfront routes!
There are lovely places to run on the Connecticut coastline along Long Island Sound. We've got recommended routes for Stonington, Mystic, East Lyme, Madison, Milford, New London, and Westport. Coastal spots, state parks, bike paths!
Wonderful running in the Westerly area: classic beaches to historic homes and beautiful waterside roads. Here are two great runs on Misquamicut Beach and pretty roads around Weekapaug. Can also connect to Watch Hill.
Nice running opportunities in these popular visitor areas. We've put together a 6-mile 'Mystic Loop', a run to Stonington Point, and trails in Barn Island Wildlife Management Area and Bluff Point State Park.
Lovely running in these historic waterfront towns. Hammonasset Beach SP has a bike path, beach, and nature trails by marshes; our Madison tour features historic Middle Beach Rd.; and our Guilford loop has the Town Green and wharf views.
Two running treats in the interior Weston/Wilton/Ridgefield triangle. Devil's Den, run by the Nature Conservancy has 20 miles of mainly wooded trails. Weir Farm, home & studio of the renowned impressionist, has gorgeous grounds and trails for running.
Nice running on the ground of this Victorian-era estate in Danbury and adjoining 722-acre Tarrywile Park. The park has trail running on 21 miles of trails, including two ponds, a lake, a castle, and some hills.
We've mapped 10+ routes in the scenic Litchfield Hills, including the extensive Farmington Canal Heritage/Farmington River Trails, several easygoing trail runs, and pretty rural roads in Kent, Norfolk, Barkhamsted, Litchfield, and Salisbury.
This coastal city on the northern edge of Long Island Sound is also home to famed Yale University. Running highlights include East Rock, the Yale Campus, some great waterfront options, and historic neighborhoods.
Two good running options in Bridgeport: Seaside Park, with a scenic, 5 mile out and back path along Long Island Sound; and the Pequonnock River Trail, a mult-use path that runs for 14 miles from Bridgeport through Trumbull and Monroe.
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