Hidden Gems of Connecticut

BOLTON, CT — This week's hidden gem in Connecticut is a recreational hub that connects the north central and eastern parts of Connecticut for hikers, walkers, cyclists and runners.

Welcome to the bridge at Bolton Notch.

The bridge spans the Route 44, Route 6 and Interstate 384 interchange at the Notch. It's part of the Charter Oak Greenway and Hop River State Park Trail systems, which are also intertwined with some local trail systems.

To the north is the Vernon Rails-to-Trails system, which travels through Valley Falls Park and into the historic Rockville section of town. To the west is Manchester and the Cheney Rail Trail with its historic mansions. To the South is the Airline Trail that penetrates into a few eastern Connecticut hamlets. To the east is the Eastern Connecticut Gateway and the University of Connecticut.

Bolton Notch has a large parking area.

All but an 8-mile stretch of a spur that connects Manchester and Vernon is part of the East Coast Greenway. To se it all in perspective go to map.greenway.org.

There is an historic aspect to the trails accessed at the Notch. For example, part of the Hop River trail was used by Rochambeau's army in 1781 during the Revolutionary War while on its way to the Hudson River and eventually Yorktown.

A somewhat eerie but interesting view is atop the hill at Bolton Notch and the ruins of the old Bolton Drive-In Theater. The drive-in opened in 1953 and showed movies until it closed in 1986.

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The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Connecticut. Other columns in this series for 2021 include:

• Civil War Drum
• Civil War Powder Keg
• Mile 4, Manchester Road Race
• The West Hartford Armory
• The Capitol's Nooks and Crannies
• Wickham Park Aviary
• 55 West Main, New Britain
• Fox Hopyard Golf Course
• The Dodd Center For Human Rights at UConn
• Manchester Ropes Challenge Course
• 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm
• Fuego Picante Food Truck
• The Amistad
• 9/11 memorials
• Club Champion Golf Fitters
• New England Civil War Museum and Research Center
• Avery's Soda
• Salt 2.0 Restaurant
• The Grave of Jonathan, The Original Husky
• Golden Gavel Auction House
• Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut
• The Cogswell Temperance Fountain
• The Old State House
• BouNom Bakery
• Union Pond Park/Jay Howroyd Fitness Trail
• The Submarine Force Museum/USS Nautilus
• The UConn Dairy Bar
• Grove Hill Cemetery, Vernon
• Backwoods Smokin' BBQ
• The Ranch House
• Connecticut State Police Museum
• Berlin Historic District
• Connecticut Parachutists Skydiving Club
• Tail Winds Ice Cream Shop
• The MLK Mural
• The Hilltop Restaurant and Bar
• Fork & Fire
• Lena's Italian Kitchen
• The Benedict Arnold Trail
• Swank Pearce
• Vernon Depot Historic Park
• Farr's Sporting Goods
• Robs Drivin Diner