Planted: September 26, 2001 (West Letterbox)

November 07, 2001 (East Letterbox)

Length: Bolton to Columbia; 13.5 miles. Bolton to West Letterbox; 4.5 miles, to East Letterbox; 13 miles

Bailey Road in Andover to West Letterbox; mile. Kings Road in Columbia to East Letterbox; mile

Bolton to Valley Falls Rail Trail Letterbox, 0 miles; Valley Falls Letterbox trailhead, 2 miles

Difficulty: Moderate. Flat rail trail with crushed stone, but occasional sections of trap rock. Mountain bike recommended.

Directions: To start in Bolton:

The Hop River Rail Trail is part of an old abandoned railroad bed that goes from Willimantic to Bolton, where it becomes the Valley Falls Rail Trail and goes into Vernon, with a spur into Rockville (see Rockville Spur Letterbox). The Valley Falls section consists of stone dust, while the Hop River section is stone dust and crushed stone with occasional sections of trap rock (left over from the railroad beds). A lot of new work has taken place along the Hop River section; new bridges, new stone dust installed and new drainage, so I find more improvements every time I ride it. Along the trails you will see plenty of reminders of its history, such as old telephone poles, old railroad ties and an occasional old granite whistle stop marker (big W carved into the stone). In Bolton, you have an opportunity to collect two additional Letterboxes. Check out the Valley Falls Rail Trail Letterbox for its reference to Freja Park and just two miles down the Valley Falls trail, is the trailhead to the Valley Falls Letterbox.

Take the trail to the right alongside Bolton Notch Pond and soon youll be passing through a tunnel underneath I384. You emerge in a rock lined gorge that soon gives way to steep drops on both sides of the trail. You go alongside a hilly ridge with Route 6 below in the distance. Most of this section is all new stone dust. You cross over Bailey Road at about the 4 mile mark. After about 4 miles the trail detours around an old railroad bridge of iron rails over a stone embankment. This bridge is currently being rebuilt. After you reach the other side, youll notice how the stones form steps down the embankment. Walk down the steps to the bottom, turn around and find your prize hidden beneath the stones. Back on the trail, you may continue onwards. You pass by the Andover Fin, Fur & Feather Club along the left. You then cross over Burnap Brook Road. Here, you can take a quick side trip down to Burnap Brook. A beautiful brook, flowing through a scenic gorge, which then flows through an old stone tunnel underneath the rail trail. Just take the trail to the right, after you cross over the road. After about 6 miles the trail runs parallel to Route 6 and your in Andover Center. You pass through the parking area of Protech Services Center and will come to a halt above Route 316 where the bridge was removed. If you wish, you can continue on to Columbia, at an additional 7 miles. You can go down the steep embankment or take a detour around it from the Protech Services parking area. Center Street is next to the Protech parking lot. You may also park at the end of Center Street to access the trail. Head down Center Street to Route 316 and cross over. You can access the trail behind the old Andover Town Hall along Route 6. There is a brand new tunnel that passes underneath Route 6, as well as many new bridges built along this section. After about 8 miles, you will finally see the Hop River along your left. Theres a couple of short sections with some rough trap rock, but forge ahead, because you pass through a beautiful area with the Hop River on your left and a scenic pond on your right. The trail then crosses over a wide section of the Hop River after about 10 miles. This is a brand new bridge that was completed in the spring of 2002, using the original iron trestle as its base. After about 12 miles youll pass through a gravel pit that has filled in with water. We spotted about a dozen wild turkeys off in the underbrush. You pass underneath the Route 6 expressway and at about the 13 mile point you come across two sets of power transmission lines. If you look to your right you can see the Hop River and Route 66. Between the two sets of transmission lines, you will notice an old railroad telephone pole on your right. Pass by this pole and go to the next pole up on a small ridge. Take a compass reading of 130 degrees and look behind the large oak tree. Under a pile of rocks is the prize you seek. The trail continues on for another mile until you come to Kings Road. Another bridge crosses over the Hop River, but, as of this date it is not passable.