Non-Vehicular Trail Map

 Bike  Walk Avon CT is a volunteer organization made up of area residents and businesses  whose mission is to advocate for the promotion, expansion and  maintenance of safe and attractive paths for non-motorized  transportation within our community. 

 The town of Avon was settled in 1645 and became known as the Northington section of Farmington.  In 1825, the city of New Haven was encouraged by the success of the Erie Canal, and began construction of the Farmington Canal  with the hopes that they could successfully compete with the bustling Hartford river port. The canal  facilitated passage of goods from New Haven in southern CT to Northampton in central MA .  

Avon was ideally located at the intersection of the Albany Turnpike (connecting Hartford, CT with Albany,NY) and the Farmington Canal.  Hoping to partake in the industrial boom of the time, the town became incorporated in 1830.  The canal was completed in 1835, however never turned a profit, therefore by 1850, it's approximate route became the railroad passage known as the "Canal Line".  This rail line was active in town until 1987. 

In the mid 1980's, the national rails to trails movement was getting traction under the guidance of the Rails-to-trails Conservancy. In 1987, a group of CT volunteers formed the Farmington Canal Rail-to-Trail Association and began their work with local governments to  convert of the rail bed into the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail (FCHT).