Putnam River Trail — Arch Street northward return
Connecticut · Greenway
Join the main east-bank trail by the Arch Street footbridge and follow it north along the Quinebaug to Miller Park/Providence Street, approximately 1.8 miles, then retrace. Stay on the paved river path; do not add the future Air Line connection or ordinary-road links.
Plan your ride
- Location
- Putnam · Connecticut
- Ride length
- About 3.6 miles return
- Ride format
- Out and back
- Surface
- Asphalt main river trail
- Road crossings
- Yield to walkers and slow at junctions. Stop and look at every street crossing; do not use traffic lanes to bypass a closure.
- Elevation
- Local ramps, street crossings and gentle/rolling grades; no surveyed maximum-grade promise.
- Starting location
- Putnam River Trail public Arch Street footbridge access, Kennedy Drive, Putnam, CT
Town’s original Arch Street–Miller Park 1.8-mile trail, retraced.
Approximate mapped named park/river-trail reference, not a precise gate or parking pin. Written Directions uses the manager-named public access; do not treat the marker as driving instructions.
Putnam River Trail — Arch Street northward return — detailed guide
Source review: 2026-10-22. A dated source review does not guarantee current-day conditions.
A selected outing on a documented improved bicycle route. Follow the stated public start and course.
Start and parking
Start: Putnam River Trail public Arch Street footbridge access, Kennedy Drive, Putnam, CT.
Town identifies five public access/parking areas along Kennedy Drive. Use the currently signed public river-trail space nearest Arch Street; no private marketplace or YMCA parking permission is implied.
Ride and distance
Selected ride: About 3.6 miles return. Format: Out and back.
Ride: Join the main east-bank trail by the Arch Street footbridge and follow it north along the Quinebaug to Miller Park/Providence Street, approximately 1.8 miles, then retrace. Stay on the paved river path; do not add the future Air Line connection or ordinary-road links.
Town’s original Arch Street–Miller Park 1.8-mile trail, retraced.
Surface and effort
Asphalt main river trail. Local ramps, street crossings and gentle/rolling grades; no surveyed maximum-grade promise.
Crossings and shared use
Yield to walkers and slow at junctions. Stop and look at every street crossing; do not use traffic lanes to bypass a closure. Yield to pedestrians, keep right, and slow at blind corners. Stop at barriers; never use a traffic-road detour to bypass a trail closure.
Hours, costs and access
Use daylight and obey posted trail, park and parking hours. Follow current public visitor-parking terms; reserved activities and events have separate conditions.
Reviewed 2026-10-22. Town describes the original 1.8-mile river trail separately from later southern extensions of 2,640 and 1,950 feet. Those additions are not part of this northern return. It expressly identifies asphalt and bicycle use. This is a source review, not a same-day inspection. Recheck the linked manager before travel.
Map and Directions
Use the named public start and its posted parking signs. The map reference identifies the facility or selected trail area; it is not a surveyed parking stall or navigable route line. Bicycle and e-bike rules can differ; only ordinary bicycle use is established unless noted.