Hockanum River Trail Guide
Trail at a Glance
The Hockanum River Trail is a linear park of loosely or unconnected sections of trail along the river totaling about 15 miles.
The word Hockanum comes from the Native American word “Hocquaun” meaning a hook-shaped or crooked river.
Highlights
Coming soon!
Section List
- Meadow Hill
- Town Hall
- Elm Street
- Martin Park
- Hillside Street
- Olde Roberts
- Chipper Drive
- Laurel Marsh
- Verplanck
- New State
- Hilliard
- Hackett
- Adams Mill
- Pitkin
- Union Pond
- Oakland -★★- 1.5 miles – Tight and narrow along the river in many spots
- Dart Hill South -★★- 1.5 miles – Largely stone dust path with occasional trail passing behind an industrial park and mansions
- Dart Hill North -★★- 1.4 miles – Twisting trail with a couple nice views of the river
- Franklin Street Trail (separate trail) -★★- 0.6 miles – Short out and back with marsh views
- West Road Trail (separate trail)
- Windemere Avenue
From the Vernon Town site,
“River park planning exploded across the country during the late 1960s and 70s, as part of our country’s efforts to clean up its waters and bring people back to their local rivers. And that same thinking is behind the story of the Hockanum River Linear Park in Vernon.
In 1970, the Manchester Conservation Commission spearheaded the concept of a river trail park along the entire length of the river. In August 1970, the Vernon Town Council approved a resolution enabling the Town of Vernon to join the four-town river park planning effort. In Vernon, the Conservation Commission took the lead role, and organized a subcommittee called the Vernon Hockanum River Linear Park Committee.
A river park along the very polluted, sometimes odorous, Hockanum River was a hard sell to local decision-makers. Very little progress was made towards creation of the river park in the four towns until 1988, when the Connecticut State Legislature appropriated $5.0 million to fund “a river park, a ribbon of green, along the entire length of the Hockanum River.” Vernon’s share was $1.05 million.
The Vernon Hockanum River Linear Park Committee was revitalized. With the Director of Parks and Recreation, the Committee began the work of purchasing land along the river as it became available. The landscape architectural firm, Johnson & Richter, was contracted to create a detailed master plan for the river park.”
