STANLEY LOOP TRAIL:
NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: August 22, 2025
Length: Stanley Park Loop Trail; Stanley Quarter Park Section; 1.5 miles
Stanley Park Loop Trail; AW Stanley Park Section; Easy. 1.5 mile Loop.
Stanley Quarter Pond Loop Trail; 0.7 miles
Difficulty: Stanley Park Loop Trail; Stanley Quarter Park Section; Moderate. Hilly paved trail. Some small hills at AW Stanley Park.
Stanley Park Loop Trail; AW Stanley Park Section; Easy. Paved trail with a slight hill.
Stanley Quarter Pond Loop Trail; Easy. Flat paved trail.
Directions:
To Start from AW Stanley Park [Northern Section]; From I-84 take exit 37 to Fienemann Rd and head right, South. Take your first left onto Alexander Rd. This brings you to Stanley Rd. North Entrance into AW Stanley Park straight ahead. Turn right along Stanley Rd. Pass by the Central Entrance and turn left into the South Entrance. Parking lot on your right across from the pool complex.
To Start from Stanley Quarter Park [Southern End]; From Route 9 Southbound, take exit 38 to Ella Grasso Blvd and head right, West. Come to Stanley Rd & Eddy Glover Blvd.
Turn right up Stanley Rd and turn immediately left into the Stanley Quarter Park East parking lot.
Continue straight along Eddy Glover Blvd and turn right into the Stanley Quarter Park South parking lot.
The Stanley Loop Trail connects Stanley Quarter Park North, to AW Stanley Park. Also, in Stanley Quarter Park you can access the Stanley Quarter Pond Loop Trail. This trail also includes an Exercise Loop.
Stanley Park Loop Trail:
Starting from the intersection of Stanley Road & Eddy Glover Blvd [Southern End]; Map Board. 0 Mile Marker. Mile Markers every 0.1 miles.
Note; Southeast, across Stanley Rd is Central CT State University where you can explore their campus along many paths.
The wide, paved Stanley Loop Trail travels underneath the large Stanley Quarter Park sign and across a pedestrian bridge over Bass Brook. You quickly pass by a Spur Trail on your right.
Note; This brings you to the Stanley Quarter Park East parking lot.
The trail continues West, to an intersection next to a small pond.
Note; On your right is the narrow, paved Stanley Quarter Pond Loop Trail.
Continue across the stone bridge over the Bass Brook spillway.
Note; On your right is the narrow, paved Stanley Quarter Pond Loop Trail.
Bare left up to a Picnic Circle and the Stanley Quarter Park South parking lot. Basketball courts, picnic pavilion, Porto-Potty and playground.
Note; This is the start of the Stanley Quarter Pond Loop Trail. See Below.
Continue West, along the wide paved trail, past the playground and across the Park entrance road. Cross another stone bridge over Bass Brook before traveling past a ball field & Skate Park. The trail enters the woods and travels up hill at 0.4 miles. The trail turns North and crosses Blake Rd at 0.8 miles. The trail then levels out before turning Northeast and traveling down hill past Holmes Elementary School. It then exits out to Stanley Rd after 1.5 miles. Cross the road where the trail now travels East, alongside the AW Stanley Park; South Entrance road. No Mile Markers located in this Park as of May, 2024. Pass by a sports court, parking lot and ball field before the trail turns right.
Note; Check out the old stone building to your left.
The paved trail briefly narrows as you cross a dam and spillway for Lower Pond and Bass Brook. The trail then winds North, through the woods with a couple of hills. Only brief views of the pond. Come to an intersection at 2.2 miles.
Note; A Spur Trail travels North, out to Village Square Dr.
The trail now turns West, up a steep hill. After the trail crests look left to spot an old stone building. I'm guessing an old pump house. The flat trail now travels South, through a canopied picnic area out to a parking lot at 2.6 miles. Head right, East, along the AW Stanley Park; North Entrance road past a playground and more parking. Turn left, South, along an old road past some stone buildings where you'll pick up a stone-dust trail. Pass by a ball field, the AW Stanley Park; Central Entrance parking lot and the swimming pool, bearing right back out to Stanley Rd after 3 miles. You can return back to the intersection of Stanley Road & Eddy Glover Blvd, the way you came, for a 4.5 mile Loop.
Note; If you wish to avoid the steep hill climb past Holmes Elementary School, along the Stanley Loop Trail, you can return via a BIKE LANE. Travel left, South, along Stanley Rd (all downhill) and continue straight along at the next intersection. Pass by the Northern Entrance for Stanley Quarter Park and the Stanley Quarter Park East parking lot before returning to the intersection of Stanley Road & Eddy Glover Blvd for a 3.8 mile Loop.
Stanley Quarter Pond Loop Trail:
Starting from Stanley Quarter Park South parking lot [Southern End]; Basketball courts, picnic pavilion, Porto-Potty and playground. Starting from the Picnic Circle follow the paved Stanley Quarter Pond Loop Trail left down a ramp to the pond. Then continue straight to a Map Board. Cross over a small stone bridge as the wide paved trail travels North, along the pond. Fitness Circuit along this Loop. Come to an intersection at the Northern End of the pond.
Note; Straight, this paved trail travels North, past tennis courts out to Stanley Rd and a BIKE LANE.
Continue right as the now narrow trail, Loops South, back alongside the pond. You then briefly join the Stanley Loop Trail.
Note; Left, East, the Stanley Loop Trail travels past the Stanley Quarter Park East parking lot and out to Stanley St.
Continue right, across the stone bridge over the Bass Brook spillway and bare right along the pond. This will return you to the ramp, back up to the Picnic Circle after a 0.7 mile Loop.
HH
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