During the 1990's, construction on a trail, following the route of the original rail line was begun. The first sections were completed in northern Hamden and southern Cheshire, followed by extension southward in Hamden and northward in Cheshire. Around the same time, in the northern part of the state, efforts led to construction of a paved surface for recreation along the route of the old canal and rail road in Farmington, Avon, and Simsbury.
Today, the Farmington Canal Heritage Greenway covers a route of approximately 84 miles from New Haven, CT to Northampton, MA. Over half has been developed as a paved trail for non-motorized recreation and commuting.The Farmington Canal Greenway is one of the most popular multi use parks in the state. Many portions of the former Farmington Canal/New Haven to North Hampton Railway have been converted to greenway paths. This series of caches will take you through the Cheshire and Hamden parts of the greenway. Plans are to continue the trail North from Cornwall Ave, but is held up due to a land dispute. Eventually this will just be a stop off in a trail than extends from New Haven Harbor to the Massachusetts line. See the posted website for pics and history.
This cache will take you to the restored Lock 12. Check out the workings of the lock. You can operate the lock gates to see how they worked. Make sure you check if the Lock 12 Museum is open. It is the building directly in front of you as you cross the wooden bridge. It has many interesting artifacts and information on the canal.
Be advised that the Lock-keepers house is a private residence and off limits but all other areas are open to public use.
BRING A PENCIL OR PEN
Bring your bike, your roller blades, your running or walking shoes or even your cross country skies, there is something for everybody here. Please use extreme discretion when retrieving these caches. The canal is well traveled at all times of day. The least amount of traffic is school days early in the morning to before noon.
Hints are are a giveaway, so use only if needed.