Summer Plans? Explore New Haven to Boston on the East Coast Greenway.

• New Haven to Providence Itinerary
• Boston to Cape Cod Loop Intinerary
• Providence to Boston Route

With an eye on safety and accessibility for trail-goers of all ages and abilities, the nonprofit East Coast Greenway Alliance is encouraging interested long-distance and day-trip travelers to explore the nearly developed 250-mile stretch of the East Coast Greenway from New Haven, Connecticut, to Boston, in 2024.

With record-setting media coverage of inspirational long-distance Greenway adventures in recent years, interest in through-travel of the East Coast Greenway is at an all-time high. However, at this time the Alliance is strongly encouraging travelers to focus on exploring the most developed portions of the Greenway route, including the 250-mile stretch between New Haven and Boston.

Working alongside local partners to advocate for continued development of the route from Maine to Florida, the Alliance will continue to roll out more and more protected miles of the East Coast Greenway route each year with a goal to have all 3,000 miles in good shape within 10 years. 

“The United States is facing a safety crisis, as the number of deaths of cyclists and pedestrians has grown to multi-decade highs due to a mix of larger vehicles and distracted drivers. With this in mind, the East Coast Greenway Alliance is focusing our recommendations for long-distance travel on our most developed sections, starting with the amazing 250 miles between New Haven and Boston,” Executive Director Dennis Markatos-Soriano said.

“Featuring mainly protected pathways and minimal vehicular traffic, this stretch is ideal for a day trip or multi-day adventure. Travelers will enjoy the best of what a fully connected East Coast Greenway can be. While we are currently encouraging long-distance travel on this 250-mile stretch, our team remains focused on building a safe future for all to enjoy active transportation and recreation up and down the East Coast.”

The East Coast Greenway’s current route is an in-development, work-in-progress that connects 1,100 miles of completed, traffic-free segments of the Greenway. To date, more than 60% of the Greenway’s interim route remains housed on roadways. Whenever possible, the interim route is located on low-traffic roadways; however, high-stress segments do exist.

Approximately two-thirds of this 250-mile route is housed on traffic-free greenways, while the rest is routed on low-traffic, on-road connections. This route features some of the most scenic and well-established stretches of the entire East Coast Greenway, including:

• The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, Simsbury Greenway and Bloomfield Greenway to the Charter Oak Greenway, Hop River State Park Trail Air Line State Park Trail, Quinebaug River Trail and the soon-to-be completed Moosup Valley Trail in Connecticut

• The Trestle Trail, Washington Secondary Trail and Blackstone River Bikeway across Rhode Island

• The newly configured spine route in Massachusetts, which features the Southern New England Trunkline Trail, Upper Charles Trail and Mass Central Rail Trail, along with the Charles River Bike Path and Dr. Paul Dudley White Bike Path in metro Boston

The Alliance has compiled a detailed itinerary of the route between New Haven and Providence, highlighting the culture, history and natural beauty between the two cities, as well as Ride with GPS route information.

The digital “Guide to the East Coast Greenway: New Haven, Connecticut, to Providence, Rhode Island, by Bike or on Foot,” is available for purchase for $10. Included in are suggestions for amazing local restaurants, overnight accommodations, bike shops, historic sites, natural attractions and more.

From Providence, long-distance travelers interested in continuing to Boston can do so via the inland spine route or the Boston to Cape Cod loop. The 80-mile spine route is the most direct route between Boston and Providence but features more on-road riding. The coastal route via Cape Cod is more than 150 miles but features more protected pathways and concludes with a ferry ride from Provincetown into downtown Boston.