TRAILS COUNCIL TO HOLD 16TH ANNUAL TRAILS-IN-MOTION TOUR ON JUNE 1, NATIONAL TRAILS DAY

The Farmington Valley Trails Council will hold its 16th annual Trails-in-Motion bicycle tour event on June 1st in conjunction with National Trails Day. The event helps to promote public awareness of the rails-to-trails initiative in the Farmington Valley, attracting new and existing fans of the multi-use trail system. The northern part of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail now has 38 continuously paved miles from southern Farmington through Westfield, MA. The Farmington River Trail is complete from southern Farmington to above Route 44 in Canton and has 10.2 miles of paved trail. All events will start and finish at the Iron Horse Boulevard and Mall Way parking lot in the center of Simsbury, CT. Once again, the Town of Simsbury, local police, local retailers, and other area organizations will be providing goods, services and prize items. This family-oriented event is designed for trail users of all abilities, and is fully supported until 3:00 pm. The signature events are the 10-mile tour (10:30 am), the 30-mile tour (9:30 am), a 50-mile tour (8:30 am) and a 62-mile (metric century) tour at 8:00 am. All tours utilize the trail system and allow participants to enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery in the Farmington Valley, with the longer tours going all the way into Massachusetts. Walkers, runners, and inline skaters are also welcome. Light snacks (energy bars, bagels, fruit, and drinks) will be provided at the start. There are several rest stops along the way. A number of door prizes await participants at the finish including a new bicycle. All entrance fees go directly to construction, beautification and maintenance of the trails and may be tax deductible. Trails Council President Bruce Donald noted, “We are proud every year to show off the finest trail system in New England and let both veteran users and brand new participants know how much we love it. I am still surprised that there are people in our area that have not been on the trails and this is a great way to introduce yourselves to the best amenity Connecticut has to offer.” Take advantage of early registration discounts up to May 1st by using the Website or by mail. To register, or for more information please see www.fvgreenway.org.