Ballahack Preserve loop from Colchester

05:05

70.5km

880m

Cycling

Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: October 15, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

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16.2 km

Ballahack Preserve

Nature Reserve

20.4 km

Viewpoint

38.5 km

Stone Wall in Machimoodus State Park

Highlight • Monument

Machimoodus State Park is known for having acres of forests and trails that make their way down to the banks of the Salmon River. The trails are generally easy to follow and pretty easy footing. There aren't a lot of hills, and the hills that are there are nothing to write home about.

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42.0 km

Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge

Nature Reserve

44.3 km

Gulf Road

Highlight (Segment) • Viewpoint

Gulf Road is a dirt road that deteriorates into a trail along the Salmon River. The road is on State Forest land, but you'll likely see some private property signs in the woods. As long as you stay on the path, you are on the right track and on public lands. There are sporadic views of the river, but this trail is mostly in the trees.

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50.8 km

View of the river from the Air Line State Park Trail (Southern Section)

Highlight (Segment) • Viewpoint

The Air Line State Park Trail in Connecticut is a rail trail and linear state park that is a part of the East Coast Greenway. There are several sections including: South (25 miles from East Hampton to Windham), North (21 miles from Windham to Putnam), Thompson addition (6.6 miles from Thompson to the Massachusetts state line), and an additional 3.6-mile spur to Colchester. Recognized as a national recreation trail by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2002, it offers scenic routes for hiking and biking. This southern section of the trail near East Hampton is a gravel crushed trail that is great to ride on its own, or to access singeltrack in the nearby Salmon River Forest.

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