Things To Do on an eBike in New London County
New London County rides are state-park rides on the shore, plus the south end of the Air Line in the inland towns.
The four routes below each come from DEEP. Shops are on the eBike shops in Mystic and eBike shops in Groton pages, among others.
Where to ride in New London County
New London County has four documented riding options: Bluff Point State Park and Coastal Reserve, Haley Farm State Park, Rocky Neck State Park, and the Colchester Spur and Lebanon sections of the Air Line State Park Trail.
A shoreline path and salt marsh near Groton in New London County.
Compared with Middlesex County, where the Air Line begins at Portland, New London County's share of the trail is the Colchester Spur and the Lebanon stretch farther east.
1. Bluff Point State Park and Coastal Reserve
Bluff Point is an 800-acre wooded peninsula in Groton. DEEP says its trails are popular with walkers, trail runners, mountain bikers and horseback riders, and describes a 3.45-mile unblazed multi-use gravel loop to the bluff along the Poquonnock River.
Distance: 3.45 miles for the Bluff Point Loop, per DEEP; start: 55 Depot Road, Groton; surface: Flat gravel fire road for the loop, with rougher trails elsewhere in the park.
eBike access: DEEP's park page says that because of the Coastal Reserve designation, access to the bluff is by foot or non-motorized vehicle only. The state's park rules bar motor vehicles, including motorized bicycles, from the reserve. Neither source names electric bicycles, so call the park at (860) 444-7591. Etiquette and planning: The park is open 8 a.m. to sunset, and the signage asks everyone to stay on the trails because the area shelters rare species. Managing source: DEEP, Bluff Point State Park.
2. Haley Farm State Park, Groton
DEEP describes a 272-acre former farm with an expansive web of trails that are especially popular for mountain biking, and says nearly a mile of the Haley Farm Bike Trail winds through it. A bridge over the railroad tracks leads to Bluff Point.
Distance: Nearly one mile for the Haley Farm Bike Trail, per DEEP; start: 24 Haley Farm Lane, Groton; surface: Paved, gravel and packed earth, per DEEP, with a 0.8-mile wheelchair-accessible stone dust trail.
eBike access: The park page says the trails are non-motorized multi-use and does not name electric bicycles. The state's park rules predate the electric bicycle statute, so treat a Class 2 as a question for the park. Etiquette and planning: DEEP calls the bridge over the railroad tracks a pedestrian bridge, so walk the bike across it. Managing source: DEEP, Haley Farm State Park.
3. Rocky Neck State Park, East Lyme
DEEP says the campground's many paved loops and the path to the beach make it easy to get around on two wheels. It describes a five-mile network of paths, bridges and boardwalks, all multi-use, that welcome walkers, runners, roller-bladers, birdwatchers and cyclists.
Distance: A five-mile trail network, per DEEP; start: 244 West Main Street, Niantic; surface: Paved campground loops and a path to the beach, plus trails and boardwalks that DEEP does not further describe.
eBike access: DEEP's park page lists cyclists among the multi-use trail users and does not name electric bicycles. The park is open 8 a.m. to sunset, and (860) 739-5471 is the office. Etiquette and planning: Boardwalks and bridges are shared with walkers, so slow down. Managing source: DEEP, Rocky Neck State Park.
4. Air Line State Park Trail, Colchester Spur and Lebanon
DEEP's southern section runs 31 miles from Portland to Windham, with a 3.6-mile Colchester Spur, and the New London County parts are the Colchester and Lebanon stretches. Trailhead parking in Colchester includes Route 149 near Route 2, Bull Hill Road and River Road, and Lebanon has parking on Leonard Bridge Road and Chesbro Bridge Road.
Distance: The Colchester Spur is 3.6 miles; DEEP's headline for the whole trail is fifty miles; start: Route 149 near Route 2, Colchester; surface: Not published by the managing source.
eBike access: Admission is free according to the DEEP page, whose office number is (860) 295-9523. The page does not address electric bicycles, and the statute keeps a Class 3 off multiuse trails. Etiquette and planning: DEEP's page carries closure alerts, and its biking page listed the trail as partially closed on October 2, 2026. Managing source: DEEP, Air Line State Park Trail.
Planning a New London County ride
Haley Farm and Bluff Point sit side by side, linked by a bridge, so a rider can see both in a single stop.
Half-day and full-day eBike plans
Half day: Ride Rocky Neck's paved campground loops and beach path, then ride its multi-use trails.
Full day: Ride Haley Farm and cross to Bluff Point for the 3.45-mile loop, after confirming the park will allow your bike.
What not to ride
Pachaug State Forest's enduro trail: DEEP's Pachaug page describes a 58-mile enduro trail for registered street-legal motorcycles, not bicycles.
Bluff Point dunes and beach: DEEP asks visitors to stay on the trails because of the rare species, so leave the bike off the dunes.
When to ride New London County
Check conditions with the land manager before a New London ride in the shoulder seasons, since snow and mud can linger on trails.
Shop hubs
7 towns in New London County have listings in the directory. A town page gives the address and phone for every shop in that town.
- eBike shops in New London (3)
- eBike shops in Groton (2)
- eBike shops in Ledyard (1)
- eBike shops in Niantic (1)
- eBike shops in Mystic (2)
- eBike shops in Stonington (1)
- eBike shops in Norwich (1)
Rental and tour operators
Rental options appear next. Phone each business to learn whether it stocks electric bikes and supplies helmets.
Coastal Current E-Bike Rentals🚲 Rentals
Connecticut eBike rules snapshot
Connecticut defines an electric bicycle in General Statutes section 14-1 as a bicycle with operable foot pedals and an electric motor of under 750 watts that is Class 1, Class 2 or Class 3, and it excludes a dirt bike or an all-terrain vehicle. Public Act 26-24, effective October 1, 2026, changes "fewer than" 750 watts to "not more than" 750. In Class 1 the motor engages only while the rider pedals and cuts out at 20 mph; in Class 2 it can propel the bike by itself and cuts out at 20 mph; in Class 3 it again needs pedaling and cuts out at 28 mph. The same section leaves electric bicycles out of the motor vehicle definition, so a bike that fits needs no license or registration. Public Act 25-159 says a motorized vehicle whose throttle can exceed 20 mph without pedaling, or one made to be reconfigured out of the definition by a switch, app or software change, does not count as an electric bicycle, and a seller must give buyers a written notice of that.
The riding rules are in section 14-289k as Public Act 25-159 rewrote it, effective October 1, 2025. An e-bike rider has a bicyclist's rights and duties and may ride wherever bicycles may ride unless a local ordinance says no. Class 3 bikes are kept off bicycle trails, bicycle paths and multiuse trails and paths. A Class 2 may not be ridden on a nonmotorized trail with a natural-surface tread unless a local ordinance allows it, and the 2025 act removed Class 1 from that ban. The online chapter page still showed the earlier wording when we read it on October 2, 2026, so we cite the act. No one under 16 may ride a Class 3, and a violation of the section is an infraction. Under section 14-289l, the manufacturer attaches a conspicuous label stating the bike's classification, maximum speed and motor wattage.
On helmets, subsection (f) of section 14-289k says no person may ride or sit as a passenger on an electric bicycle without a helmet that meets one of the named bicycle-helmet standards, with no age or class exception. A separate rule, section 14-286d, covers any child 15 or younger on a bicycle or e-bike on a highway or in any park. The statute says failing to comply with that child rule is not a violation or an offense, though an officer may warn a parent, and a rental business must provide a helmet to anyone under 16 who has none. Sidewalks fall under section 14-286: a rider must yield to pedestrians and sound a signal before passing, and sidewalk riding is barred wherever a local ordinance says so. The basics are in our Connecticut eBike laws guide, and a trailhead sign or town code overrides them.
State land adds its own layer. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's state park rules (Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies section 23-4-1) open trails to non-motorized multiple use unless posted closed and limit Blue-Blazed hiking trails to hiking, and DEEP's trail use page lists foot, mountain bike and horse use. Those rules were last revised in 2017, before the electric bicycle statute, and we found no DEEP page that says outright whether a Class 1 or Class 2 may use a given state park trail. DEEP's biking page tells riders to check with park staff if they are unsure which trails are open to bicyclists, and that is the question to ask before a ride.
A town can write its own rules. Section 14-289 lets a municipality regulate bicycles and electric bicycles by ordinance, and the legislature's Office of Legislative Research reported in 2024 that Greenwich and West Hartford restrict bikes on certain sidewalks (OLR report 2024-R-0154). Connecticut abolished county government in 1960, and since 2022 the Census Bureau has used the state's nine planning regions as county-equivalents (Federal Register notice). This directory still files each shop under the eight old counties, and a ride may cross several towns with different ordinances.
Where a trail sign, a town ordinance, a land manager or a park office says no eBikes, that rule controls. Each route below cites the group that manages it, and any fact we could not confirm is marked as unpublished.
DEEP's state park rules say motor vehicles, including motorized bicycles, are restricted to roads, lots and campsites, and bar them at the Bluff Point Coastal Reserve. The rules predate the electric bicycle statute, which leaves e-bikes out of the motor vehicle definition, so the two sources do not settle the question on their own.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Bluff Point loop?
DEEP gives 3.45 miles on a multi-use gravel path, with a network of rougher trails elsewhere in the park.
Are bicycles allowed at Haley Farm State Park?
Yes. DEEP says the trails are non-motorized multi-use, and nearly a mile of the Haley Farm Bike Trail winds through the park.
Is Rocky Neck good for biking?
DEEP lists cyclists among the users of its five miles of multi-use trails and says the campground's paved loops and beach path are easy to ride.
Can an eBike use the Air Line Colchester Spur?
DEEP lists the Colchester Spur as 3.6 miles of the Air Line's southern section and does not address electric bicycles, so ask the office before you ride.
Is there a helmet age limit for eBikes in Connecticut?
For e-bikes, no age limit applies, because the helmet duty in section 14-289k(f) covers every rider and passenger. For ordinary bicycles, section 14-286d reaches children 15 and younger, and the statute says breaking that rule is not a violation or an offense. See the Connecticut eBike laws guide.
Does a Connecticut eBike have to carry a label?
Yes. Section 14-289l has manufacturers and distributors mark each electric bicycle with its class, top assisted speed and motor wattage, and it bars changes that alter the classification without replacing the label. A Class 3 must also have a speedometer.
All shops in New London County
Want the full shop list? The New London County eBike shops page has 11 listings in 7 cities.