Mattabesett Trail - Bluff Head - Lone Pine

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The Mattabesett Trail is one of the three original Blue Blazed trails in CT. It joins with The Metacomet and Menunkatuck to form Connecticut's portion of The New England National Scenic Trail. The Mattabesett alone traverses 50 miles along traprock ridges through the Connecticut River valley.

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Hiking The Menunkatuck Trail

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The Menunkatuck Trail, Guilford CT

The Menunkatuck Trail is the first/last leg of The New England National Scenic Trail. It extends North from Long Island Sound at Guilford Harbor to a junction with the Mattabesset Trail in North Branford. The 16 mile trail crosses through The Cockaponsett State Forest, Tiimberlands Preserve, and Nut Plains Woods. Other sections are along roads through Guilford town center. There are several good parking areas, and the trail may easily be split into three segments.

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Trail Biking The Pequonnock Valley Greenway

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Pequonnock River - Pequonnock River Greenway in Trumbull CT

The Housatonic Railroad Trail is a paved bike and pedestrian trail which is the defining feature of an ambitious civic plan called The Pequonnock Valley Greenway. When complete, the greenway and trail will extend from Newfield Harbor at the heart of Bridgeport and extend through Trumbull & Monroe to Newtown. Currently this trail consists of disconnected legs with individualized names. The Berkshire Rail Spur Trail is an 8 foot wide paved trail extending from the Bridgeport Multimodal Station to Post Road alongside Housatonic Avenue. The Primary leg of the trail is paved in some places and crushed stone in others. This is the Pequonnock Valley-Housatonic Rail Trail that navigates 9 miles of wooded park land in Trumbull from Tait Road to Maple Drive. The final stretch of the trail begins 2 blocks down Maple Dr. in Monroe and is named The Monroe-Housatonic Railroad Trail. My very first post on this blog was focused on this last bit of trail between Monroe and Newtown. Today, I will focus on the section in Trumbull.

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A Ride on The Air Line

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Air Line Trail, Colchester CT

The Air Line was once the primary inland railway between New York and Boston. Unable to support larger modern trains, it was recommissioned as a recreational path and linear State Park. It features a wide crushed stone path and is easy biking for any level rider.

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What's in a Name? The Pomperaug

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Tiny Falls on The Pomperaug Trail, Oxford Ct

The Pomperaug is one of Connecticut's principal Blue Blazed Trails. It is another of the Zoar area trails, across Lake Zoar from The Zoar trail, and The Paugussett. Its 4 miles traverse through Jackson Cove Recreational Area and Kettletown State Park. The opportunity to loop back on The Crest trail makes an 8 mile round trip through pines and past overlooks with sweeping views of The Housatonic Valley. 

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Wish You Wells From The Paugussett Trail

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Indian Well Falls - Paugussett Trail Shelton CT

The Paugussett is a Blue Blazed Trail that glides across a high ridge along the Housatonic River from Shelton nearly to Newtown. It turns inward and follows along Boys Halfway River through a verdant ravine. The views of The All American Valley are good. The hike, strenuous at times, is mostly comfortable and well traveled. Though the trail traverses two major parks, it also skirts residential areas. Your views will be fair and long, but as you approach Paugussett's overlooks your new neighbors will be overlooking you.

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The Unusual Trail of Guilford Westwoods

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Split Rock Cypress, Westwoods, Guilford CT

Guilford is the quintessential small town with an arts-village-type town square framing a manicured New England green. Its WestWoods Land Trust brings in mountain bikers, boulderers, hikers, and dog walkers from around the state. If Westwoods was a county fair, its Yellow Circle Trail would be the funhouse. Here is one of the most cleverly blazed hiking trails in all of New England ... delights and surprises abound.

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Unbended Knee Is No Way To Be Free - Walking Zoar

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Zoar Scenic Trail, Paugussett State Forest, Newtown CT

Newtown will never again be Newtown just. 

For the next century it will be known as that place where the massacre happened. 

Morbid curiosity will bring tourists from far and wide, who will descend on Newtown with Ouija boards and candles. Ghost hunters will camp through the nights in grave yards. Satanists will perform rituals in the forests, and anarchists will hold rallies. 

Tree & swinging rope stretched out over Zoar Lake

Politicians will continue to come - to wrap themselves in 'compassion' and to add punctuation to the eternal call 'to end violence' in all of its forms - from novels to video games; and of course, to take away our sacred guns - without which no person could survive a single day in this oppressive nation where your next-door neighbor is to be feared and defended against with fortress and artillery.  

And, not to be outdone, the NRA and its faithful flock will be sure to stake a permanent presence in Newtown so as to remind us that: if only we had armed ourselves more - with more powerful weapons and sent our children to school packing heat - then why certainly - the damages would have been limited - the massacre less ghastly.

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East of the Oblong - A Walk on the Saugatuck

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Saugatuck River, Saugatuck Trail- Redding CT

Connecticut's most recent addition to the Blue Blazed system (2005), the Saugatuck Trail climbs and falls through thick forests along the picturesque Saugatuck Reservoir. It is a welcome scenic get-away around the corner from urban population centers in Fairfield County and NYC

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Hiking Aspetuck Land Trust

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Jump Hill Preserve - Aspetuck Land Preserve - Easton, CT

The Trout Brook Valley Preserve is part of the larger Aspetuck Land Trust in Easton Ct. This not-so-obvious park contains Fairfield County's premiere hiking and mountain biking trails. I had second thoughts about blogging about this site; there seems to be an understanding that this is a best-kept-secret best kept secret. Hiking for three hours without encountering another human nor hearing a car in one of the nation's most densely populated regions is an experience you might not want to tell your friends about.

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Trail Biking Farmington River Trail

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Early Morning on The Farmington, Kenneth Casper, 2012

The Farmington River Trail is a national treasure. In fact it is registered as a National Scenic Waterway. The trail is a 26 mile loop branching off from the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail which runs from New Haven across the State and into Massachusetts. Tucked along The Farmington River the trail meanders past 19th century mills, dams and waterfalls, rapids and ponds, forests and prairies.

Since I moved to Connecticut I've been told by dozens of natives about little towns close to where I live in Fairfield that represent that quality which they call "very New England". Southport,Redding, and Westport look more like inaccessible estate villages hidden behind high walls.

Farmington, Avon, and Collinsville were the first towns in CT that I visited where I was overwhellmed by how "very New England" they were. You really get a sense of place as you make your way along The Farmington River Trail.

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Biking Savin Rock Boardwalk - West Haven

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Savin Rock Boardwalk - West Haven CT

A former amusement park in West Haven is now the center of a public waterfront that draws in walkers, joggers, bikers, sun bathers, kite fliers, and people watchers from the surrounding area. It probably would draw in tourists looking to stretch out their legs or have a picnic lunch - but there is no parking for non-residents. So, if you want to get a peek at how "Waste Haven" turned around its prime resource you will have to sneak in from the wings.

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Hiking East Rock Park

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View of East Rock, New Haven CT

East Rock Park is a one of two high rocky ridges that flank New Haven. The hiking is superb, views are worthwhile, and the trails seem endless for a city park with no entrance fee. Here is another example of the Great Recession hitting hard on the wealthiest state in The Union. The access roads to the ranger station and summit were closed on a summer weekend - telling the tale that New Haven has abandoned this tourist treasure. Nonetheless, if you are willing to climb, and don't need restrooms or water - the trails at East Rock will still welcome your feet.

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Walking Bluff Point State Park

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Fishermen at Bluff Point State Park, Groton Connecticut

This is where it all began. Bluff Point State Park is the historic site where John Winthorp made his homestead and founded the Connecticut Colony. Today it is a lush coastal forest free to be explored and offers many outdoor recreation opportunities including: fishing,sea kayaking, boating, a sandy beach, hiking, walking, mountain biking, and regular trail biking.

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Kent Falls State Park

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Kent Falls State Park, Kent Connecticut

Kent CT is home to three wonderful state parks which are fee free and open to the public year round. Kent Falls State Park is the jewel of this trinity. Among the most beautiful waterfalls in New England it also makes for an exotic place to bath and cool down on a hot July afternoon.

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