The Norwalk Health Department has three free guided walks left on its fall calendar, each on a Monday morning along the Norwalk River Valley Trail, and anyone can join. They are part of NorWALKer, the department's program to get more people in the city walking, and they come with something to take home: 17 mapped walking routes covering neighborhoods across Norwalk.

The last three walks of the fall

The walks start at 10 a.m. and are run with the Norwalk River Valley Trail, the multiuse trail that follows the Norwalk River. Each one is a chance to meet neighbors and learn how to get around on the trail. The remaining dates and meeting points:

  • Monday, November 16: the Riverside trailhead north of Casatelli's Marble and Tile Imports, 34 Riverside Avenue.
  • Monday, November 23: the Oyster Shell Park playground, 95 North Water Street.
  • Monday, November 30: the Mathews Park Gate House, 295 West Avenue.

The walks have run on Mondays through October and November, rotating among the same three starting points along the trail.

17 neighborhood routes, in English and Spanish

For walking on your own schedule, the Health Department worked with the Norwalk Recreation and Parks Department and the city's planning staff to map 17 walking routes across Norwalk. Each map offers between one and four loops, and the back of every map carries historical information about the neighborhood it covers.

The maps come in English and Spanish. Digital copies can be downloaded from the NorWALKer page on the city's website, and printed copies are available on request.

What NorWALKer is

The program brings city officials, community partners and residents together around three goals: making Norwalk easier to walk, pushing for safer infrastructure for people on foot and on bikes, and encouraging people of every age to build more walking into the day. The Health Department launched its fall push in October, which is Pedestrian Safety Month, and pairs the walks with safety education for walkers, cyclists and drivers.

That safety work runs with the Norwalk Bike/Walk Commission, whose meetings are open to the public on the first Monday of each month from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Residents can learn about projects in progress there and raise safety concerns about their own streets.

Lead a walk of your own

The Health Department is also looking for residents and partner organizations to start or host walking groups in their own neighborhoods. Jahliah Green, the department's community health promotion specialist, coordinates the program and can be reached at jgreen@norwalkct.gov.

NorWALKer community walks: Mondays, November 16, 23 and 30, at 10 a.m., free. Walking maps and walking group information are at norwalkct.gov/3913/NorWALKer.

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