It’s a Walk… Walk
Evergreen Walk, South Windsor
January 2023
Walk enough urban trails around Connecticut and you’ll get cynical about these things too. On the one hand, it’s great that this and other similar trails exist at all, but on the other hand, I can’t help but thinking the only reason they exist is because the developer got some extra perk for promising some sort of “nature preserve” and walk or something.
I have no knowledge of anything like this happening here, but do know it’s happened elsewhere in the state. And for what it’s worth, whatever commercial entity associated with the Evergreen Walk developers paid for this trail – as I’d be willing to bet South Windsor didn’t pay for it – they got a decent return on their investment.
The trail is pretty nice. About 3/4 of it is perfectly cleared and covered in uniform chunky mulch. There are solidly made bridges over streams and mucky areas.
The craziest part of the whole thing is that under the mulch, they laid out a thick plastic matting. For like a mile! What sucker had to do that? Why did they feel the need to do that? That’s crazy.
You can make this a loop trail, and I suggest that you do. It’ll be just over two flat miles, and will take in little artificial holding ponds created by the massive development, handsome hills and hillocks of extra fill… created by the massive development, as well as an impressive sea of asphalt required for Costco and dozens of other businesses here.
(Hey, I said I was cynical at the outset. Don’t get mad at me.)
You can park at Costco near the northern end, but I’d suggest doing what I did and park in the much quieter lot of the Cambria Hotel and hiking clockwise. I won’t pretend I researched this trail at all before starting out, but now that I’ve made the effort, I stand by my decision.
There’s even a helpful little sign here – no such such sign exists up near Costco.
The first half mile here seems to have been shifted a bit due to even more, newer development. This bit isn’t “mulch-paved” but it’s pretty clear and easy to follow.
All I could think about was how miserable this walk must be during muggy and therefore buggy times of the year. There’s a lot of standing water back here, and it’s low-lying and suburban. Bleh.
Fortunately for me in January, I had no such issues as I made my way towards the western edge of the property. After 10 minutes or so, a path of sorts veered off west and I followed it for a bit. I believe that will take you out to Clark Street and if you want, you can then connect to Wapping Park for some more trails.
Around some more little ponds with some ducks and this is where the trail turned into a manicured experience. I even came upon some other walkers just as the trail enters the woods and becomes much more of a trail rather than a walk.
I must again mention that there’s black plastic under this thing. On hills, this means that over time, the mulch will slide off of it, leaving a black plastic path that will get torn up and just sort of dissipate into tatters. Who made this decision?
I’ll admit, it looked super nice in mid-January 2023. It was very pleasant to walk on. I won’t be re-hiking this ever again in my life, but I’m sure someone will read this in the future and comment below as to the state of things.
I crossed well-made bridges and made my way through the woods. As I crested the one little hill here, I was reminded of where I was as a massive wall stood before me, shoring up the Costco gas station. I wonder if rock climbers view these fake rock walls as things to climb.
There’s a shortcut cut-through up to the gas station if you aren’t a purist. Me? I’m a purist. I continued north along the trail, passing a massive dead white oak trunk before popping out onto the road near some health clinic just off of Deming Road. People in cars stared at me.
Justifiably I suppose.
From here, I followed the sidewalk and crosswalks past Costco, around the curving access roads, past the townhouses and daycare and whatever else is back here behind the fancier shopping areas of Evergreen Walk.
I’m interested in the old rusted bridge here though. Surely this was salvaged from somewhere. It’s completely out of place, but it’s also perhaps the most interesting thing on this entire walk. I liked it.
Around to the Cambria Hotel and back to my car. The Evergreen Walk… Walk provides those people in the town houses a cool place to get some fresh(ish) air and I like that you can get over too Wapping Park if you wish. I’m all for any urban(ish) trails like this, no matter how or why they exist.
Just chill out with the weird black plastic nonsense. Thanks.
CTMQ’s South Windsor Town Trails
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