Willimantic R. Trail wins national designation

WINDHAM, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut's Willimantic River Water Trail is among dozens of trails nationwide designated by federal officials as a national recreation trail.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Jonathan B. Jarvis, director of the National Park Service, designated 54 trails on Thursday. It adds nearly 1,400 miles to the National Trails System .

The Willimantic River in northeastern Connecticut offers canoe and kayak launches from Stafford to Windham.