Posted By auntie on April 28, 2015

5 miles; groton and new london, ct

i always wanted to see what this pedestrian walkway along the goldstar bridge between groton and new london was like, and since i had a fairly long wait in store at my groton car dealership’s service department for a recall fix, now i know. it’s a long-assed bridge—very loud from the roadnoise, and very narrow, making it an adventure every time a cyclist or motorbike came by. and it’s both ways, so i had to keep looking over my shoulder. still, it was pretty cool.

start of the bridge

the very start of this walkway from the groton side is rather hard to find. i spent an hour on google earth the night before making sure i knew where it was, and when i got there i was still a little bit unsure, as it looks like a sidewalk that goes into somebody’s yard. but i braved it anyway, and sure enough, it loops around and starts over the bridge.

cranes on the groton side

there’s really not much to see while you walk, as you’re looking north on the thames river and not towards the ocean, and there is such a substantial anti-suicide barrier that you can only really catch narrow glimpses through the bars.

the city line

the highest point on the bridge is over what i presume is the middle of the river, where the cities of groton and new london meet.

new london end of the walkway

this is the new london end of the walkway, which is at least marked with some signs, unlike the groton end. and even though both ends have signs at the bridge which pretty clearly prohibit motorized vehicles, of course i was almost mowed down by a guy on a motor scooter…

i have not added this to the hikefinder. here, however is the location of the groton “trailhead.” and for grins, here is the new london trailhead.

Categories: Connecticut, Walks and Hikes
Tags: 5–7 miles, CT, Groton CT, New London CT