Windsor Locks Canal Hike on May 18, 2024

[David Ostafin]

Join us for an easy hike (flat & paved) along the Windsor Locks Canal in Windsor Locks, CT on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 11:00 a.m.  We will meet at the South parking area on the Windsor Locks Canal & State Park, off Canal Bank Road, in Windsor Locks, CT, at 10:30 a.m. for a prompt departure at 11:00 a.m.  Park at the last parking lot, designated for the Canal Trail hikers.  The rain date is the next day, May 19.

ABOUT THE HIKE:  The paved canal trail, between the old canal and the Connecticut River, spans 4.5 miles from the parking lot in Windsor Locks to the parking area North in Suffield.  The full 4.5 miles and back (total 9 miles) is deemed too long for our group.  Therefore, the plan is to walk about 2 miles North, then return South to the Windsor Locks parking area.  The return point is the old Aqueduct (original masonry 1827-1829) where there is a wooded area along the Connecticut River with scenic views which we can explore for great waterway and aqueduct photos.

The trail features scenic and historic views of the old canal, with many original structures, as well as the sights and sounds of the passing trains.  In addition, along the trail there is a protected area for bald eagles.  The rapids of the shallow river (which required the construction of a canal in this area) provides the perfect habitat for the eagles to find their preferred fish meal.  Eagles can be sighted year-round on the trail, hovering over their nesting area or brooding in their nest.  Bald eagles, the national symbol of the USA (and featured on many US coins), returned to Connecticut in 1992, after a 50 year absence.  They are protected by Section 26-934 of the Connecticut General Statutes as well as by the federal Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940.  Along the trail one sees posted signs stating:  "EAGLE NESTING AREA (No Access Beyond this Point)."

ABOUT THE CANAL.  Work on the canal began in 1827, with a crew of 400 men who were mostly Irish.  It was fully operational in 1829.  Famed British novelist Charles Dickens travelled on the canal on February 7, 1842 during his visit to the USA.  The canal allows deep-keeled watercraft to bypass the area of the Connecticut River with shallow rapids.  Today's paved trail lies atop the old towpath, the walkway by which animals, usually mules, hauled the freight barges by rope, North and South, along the canal waterway.  The coming of the railroads (beginning in the 1840's) spelled doom for America's canal system as the preferred mode of transporting freight, just as, in the 1950's, the motor vehicle and the highway infrastructure would, in turn, displace the railroad.  The Windsor Locks Canal was no longer functional by the 1970's.  Displaced modes of transportation have given rise to many of today's best hiking trails, whether rails-to-trails or, as in this case, canal-to-trail.

DIRECTIONS:  From I-91 North, take Exit 42, then a left at the end of the exit ramp.  Then take a right on Bridge Street to Canal Bank Road..  You can use "25 Canal Bank Road, Windsor Locks, CT" as a GPS address.  Once on Canal Bank Road, drive past two parking lots (for the nearby apartment), to the last parking area specifically designated for hikers of the Canal Trail.  Meet at the sign:  "Windsor Locks & Canal State Park."

NOTE:  Dogs on leash are welcome on the trail.  As always, read our Disclaimer, dress appropriately, and bring ample water for a 2 to 2.5 hour hike.  Use bug spray to ward off ticks.  There is a "portalet" in the parking area.

AFTER HIKE SOCIAL:  The optional after-hike social will be at Skooter's, located about an 8-minute drive from the parking area via the highway.  The address is:  50 Ella T. Grasso Turnipke, Route 75, Windsor Locks, CT 06096."  This restaurant is modeled on 1950's (and early 1960's) diner, with the associated decorative motif, replete with photos of James Dean, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, etc. and with a constant background of music of Dion, Little Richard, Ricky Nelson, etc.  The restaurant also features a fully-functioning 1961 AMI CONTINENTAL jukebox (the proprietor claims this is the actual jukebox used in the movie "Ghost," starring Patrick Swayze).  To view the menu (and read about the establishment of the restaurant theme), access the website at: http://skootersrestaurant.com.

Giovani Querido and David Ostafin