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New Haven and Northampton Canal Greenway
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New Haven and Northampton Canal Greenway
The New Haven and Northampton Canal Greenway (NHNCG) is a proposed and partially completed, paved rail trail and non-motorized commuter route along the former right of way of the New Haven and Northampton Railroad. It currently has 63 miles (101 km) open, and when complete it will be 81.2 miles (130.7 km), running between Northampton, Massachusetts and New Haven, Connecticut. The NHNCG name is an effort to unify and promote a regional trail name for the individual trails that it comprises. The New Haven & Northampton Canal Greenway Alliance (NHNCGA) represents seven nonprofit trail groups that advocate for the individual trails. As of 2025, 15 of the 16 municipalities through which the trail runs have officially supported the unified NHNCG name. The NHNCG is a part of the greater New England Rail-Trail Network.
The NHNCG consists of the following trails, from north to south:
The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail (FCHT), is a 56.5-mile (90.9 km) multi-use rail trail located in Connecticut. Sources vary on if the FCHT includes an additional 24.7-mile (39.8 km) in Massachusetts.
The FCHT was built on former New Haven and Northampton Company (NH&N) (later New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad) railbed, which was constructed along the route of the Farmington Canal in Connecticut. In Massachusetts, trails exist along the Hampshire and Hampden Canal.
The sections from New Haven to Tariffville totaling 47.6 miles (76.6 km) are part of the East Coast Greenway, a 36 percent completed trail intended to link Maine with Florida.
In 1821, a group of New Haven businessmen convened to construct a canal in Connecticut, much like the Erie Canal that was under construction in New York. It took ten years to complete and was open for use in 1835. Twelve years later, rail became more cost-efficient, and a rail bed was put down to follow the same route as the canal.
The line changed hands throughout its lifetime, from the NH&N, NH, Penn Central, Conrail, and finally Guilford, who abandoned the line in segments throughout the 1980s. The Connecticut Department of Transportation purchased most of the line from Guilford for railbanking purposes. In 1991, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) provided states the ability to utilize federal funds to finance the conversion of derelict railroad corridors into rail trails.
The FCHT runs from downtown New Haven, Connecticut, to either Suffield, Connecticut or Northampton, Massachusetts, closely following the path of the original Canal and Route 10.
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New Haven and Northampton Canal Greenway
The New Haven and Northampton Canal Greenway (NHNCG) is a proposed and partially completed, paved rail trail and non-motorized commuter route along the former right of way of the New Haven and Northampton Railroad. It currently has 63 miles (101 km) open, and when complete it will be 81.2 miles (130.7 km), running between Northampton, Massachusetts and New Haven, Connecticut. The NHNCG name is an effort to unify and promote a regional trail name for the individual trails that it comprises. The New Haven & Northampton Canal Greenway Alliance (NHNCGA) represents seven nonprofit trail groups that advocate for the individual trails. As of 2025, 15 of the 16 municipalities through which the trail runs have officially supported the unified NHNCG name. The NHNCG is a part of the greater New England Rail-Trail Network.
The NHNCG consists of the following trails, from north to south:
The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail (FCHT), is a 56.5-mile (90.9 km) multi-use rail trail located in Connecticut. Sources vary on if the FCHT includes an additional 24.7-mile (39.8 km) in Massachusetts.
The FCHT was built on former New Haven and Northampton Company (NH&N) (later New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad) railbed, which was constructed along the route of the Farmington Canal in Connecticut. In Massachusetts, trails exist along the Hampshire and Hampden Canal.
The sections from New Haven to Tariffville totaling 47.6 miles (76.6 km) are part of the East Coast Greenway, a 36 percent completed trail intended to link Maine with Florida.
In 1821, a group of New Haven businessmen convened to construct a canal in Connecticut, much like the Erie Canal that was under construction in New York. It took ten years to complete and was open for use in 1835. Twelve years later, rail became more cost-efficient, and a rail bed was put down to follow the same route as the canal.
The line changed hands throughout its lifetime, from the NH&N, NH, Penn Central, Conrail, and finally Guilford, who abandoned the line in segments throughout the 1980s. The Connecticut Department of Transportation purchased most of the line from Guilford for railbanking purposes. In 1991, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) provided states the ability to utilize federal funds to finance the conversion of derelict railroad corridors into rail trails.
The FCHT runs from downtown New Haven, Connecticut, to either Suffield, Connecticut or Northampton, Massachusetts, closely following the path of the original Canal and Route 10.