Community Corner

Hidden Gems of Hartford And Tolland Counties

The latest Hidden gem is a major hub for hikers, cyclists, walkers and runners.

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The Bolton Notch trail hub.
The Bolton Notch trail hub. (Chris Dehnel/Patch )

BOLTON, CT — This week's hidden gem 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.

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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.

Heading to Manchester at Bolton Notch. (Chris Dehnel/Patch)

Bolton Notch has a large parking area.

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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.

The ruins of the former Bolton Drive-In. (Chris Dehnel/Patch)

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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 Hartford and Tolland counties. Do you have a favorite "hidden gem" in the area that you wish to see featured in this column? Email your ideas to tim.jensen@patch.com.

Other columns in this series:

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