Norwalk River Valley Trail Prepares to Expand in Ridgefield

The Norwalk River Valley Trail (NRVT) is preparing to bring its well-loved trail to the historic Town of Ridgefield. The NRVT is in the process of building a 30 mile long trail from Long Island Sound in Norwalk to Danbury’s Tarrywile Park. Portions of the trail currently exist in Norwalk and Wilton, with new trail in Redding this spring.

The “Ridgefield Ramble” section of the NRVT will be consistent with other portions of the trail: a 10 ft. wide crushed stone surface that is handicap accessible. Everyone will be able to use the trail –those in wheelchairs, parents with baby strollers, little kids learning to ride their bikes, along with serious hikers and cyclists.

The first section of the proposed “Ridgefield Ramble” will begin at Rt.7 and Simpaug Turnpike and traverse 1.6 miles to connect with the 1.2 mile long NRVT Redding Mile. This trail runs from the lovely pond near Rt. 7, along the Norwalk River and up into Berkshire foothills. The final section of this trail goes through a centuries old sheepfold (two low stonewalls) before connecting to the Redding NRVT at Bobby’s Court, giving trail users a 2.8 mile long section to enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDnXcm4ZAd4

NRVT is in the final approval stage of a State of Connecticut $2.3mm construction grant. When completed, this grant will cover the entire construction cost to build the 1.6 mile long trail.. To trigger this grant, the NRVT must raise $180k funds for to complete the trail design and engineering. This new fundraising campaign recently received a tremendous donation. Wonderful new supporters of the trail, Jane and David Ott of Darien, have stepped forward to kick-off the Ridgefield Ramble campaign with a major donation of $50,000, to help us “Build More Trail”. With this leadership donation, the NRVT can begin pre-construction work that includes surveying, permitting, environmental assessments, and engineering plans required by State and Town.

"I am very excited about the approval from the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance that will hopefully soon allow the development of the Ridgefield Ramble part of the NRVT.  The final decision will be brought to the voters on May 11th, 2021 and we need to thank the NRVT for its pledging of the necessary dollars to bring this project to fruition.  A no-cost open space trail for the people of Ridgefield," said Rudy Marconi, Ridgefield First Selectman.

Beth Merrill, NRVT Executive Director said, “The NRVT is thrilled to have the support of the Otts, who are true believers in the value of the NRVT for Fairfield County With this generous donation, we can initiate final planning for this important first section in Ridgefield.”

If you’d like to help by donating or volunteering for the NRVT Ridgefield Ramble, please visit www.nrvt-trail.com.

About Friends of the NRVT

Friends of the NRVT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, dedicated to the creation of a thirty-mile, multi-purpose, soft surface trail running through the “Heart of Fairfield County” from Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, through Wilton, Ridgefield and Redding, terminating at Rogers Park in Danbury. http://nrvt-trail.com/

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Submitted by Norwalk, CT

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