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In March, at the start of the pandemic, trail usage throughout the state increased by a whopping 77 percent compared to the same time last year. Trail use was up by more than 50 percent April through June.
In March of 2019, there were 97,131 people counted on Connecticut's trails. In March of this year, there were 172,099 people.
A further breakdown of the University's data - the "COVID-19 Trail Impact Report" - showed that some trails have become more popular than others.
Trails that surged the most in popularity include:
- Hop River Trail in Bolton and Vernon
- Farmington Canal Heritage Trail in Hamden (use went up 177 percent) and Cheshire
- Air Line Trail in East Hampton
- Norwalk River Trail in Wilton
- Shoreline Greenway Trail in Madison
The heaviest used trails include:
- Naugatuck River Greenway in Derby - there were nearly 5,000 more travelers hiking this trail just in March
- Still River Greenway in Brookfield
- Hop River Trail in Vernon
Use down
Only one trail in the study declined in use: the CTFastrak Trail in New Britain, which is largely used for commuting.
What's happening
Most of the trails participating in the study recorded increases in traffic over 100 percent in March, according to researchers.
“I will tell you that from my own observations, usage has increased dramatically in the past week when the weather has been good," said study volunteer Jack Walsh, who surveyed hikers at the Naugatuck Greenway Trail in Derby in New Haven County. "There are many people using the Greenway who have either never been there or very seldom. The newer users represent many more families with children than before."
The report also noted that hikers were also more likely than in previous years to use less-traveled trails.
“As some popular trails reach a social distancing limit, users are opting for less busy trails, the report said. “Other trails may be reaching limits constrained by visitor parking capacity and temporary closures.”
Both the DEEP and the CFPA have used their social media presence and the hashtag #CTTrailsLessTraveled to advocate underused hiking areas, perhaps increasing traffic further.
Researchers noted that the study did not account for some external factors, including weather conditions that may have been better in 2020 than they were in 2019, or changes in amenities or trail lengths.
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