The Berlin Wall in NYC

The Berlin Wall on 53rd Street NYC

New York is the city that has it all; even the Berlin Wall. One block down from MOMA on 53rd St. is a miniature urban park with an outsized reputation. Pelay Park was used as the example of a perfect urban plaza by William Whyte in his documentary on The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces which you can watch below. While I knew about Paley, I was surprised when i turned the corner to see a concrete mass covered in graffiti and lit up like a work of art. I instantly recognized the Berlin Wall. It turns out that there are four segments of The Wall in NYC.

Hiking the Buttermilk Falls Section of the Mattatuck Trail

Buttermilk Falls, The Mattatuck Blue Trail, Terryville CT

The Mattatuck Trail is a 36 mile Blue Blazed Hiking Trail in Western Connecticut. The first section of this trail begins in Plymouth and includes a hike around Buttermilk Falls - a 60 foot high three tier waterfall.

The Buttermilk Falls Section is a 5 mile moderate footpath. Stones near the falls can be wet and very slippery. Pine and hardwood forests along this trail are wide and deep. This section also passes two caves and a large pond.

Hike to Bash Bish Falls

Lower portion of Bash Bish Falls 

Take a day trip just over the border near the boundary crossings of Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut and you will find one of New England's most powerful natural wonders: Bash Bish Falls. It is difficult to photograph and capture the strength and volume of this falls. For waterfall seekers - this one is a real treat. There are two hikes to get to the glen which surrounds the falls and cascade: You can take an easy flat path that is about 1 mile in length from New York, Or traverse down a steep hill for 1/4 mile from Mass.

Hiking the Westwoods Land Trust in Guilford CT

---

THE UNUSUAL TRAIL OF GUILFORD WESTWOODS

---

By Morrowlong (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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.

A Walk by the Sea in Bridgeport

---

Saint Mary's By The Sea - Bridgeport CT

---

The Fayerweather Lighthouse in Bridgeport CT.
With the Port Jefferson - Bridgeport Ferry beyond.

share this article

Contents:
Description
Map and Directions
Photos
Video
Links

Few walks along the coast of Connecticut are as pleasant as St. Mary's by the Sea. It is a short walk to be sure; - measuring in blocks - not miles. But, it curves around a neck at the mouth of Ash Creek, passes along with views of two historic lighthouses and a Fairfield Beach, and turns at the picturesque Black Rock Harbor.

This is a place for sunrises, for fishing trips, for picnics, and for walking and reviving. The Park City is certainly lucky to have a public parcel like this on their waterfront. It needs to be connected to the rest of the city somehow, but on its own it is a good park.

Hiking Around Sleeping Giant

---

The Quinnipiac Blue Blazed Trail & Sleeping Giant State Park

---

New Haven in the distance, From Sleeping Giant - MT Carmel - Hamden CT

Sleeping Giant State Park is one of Connecticut's most popular state parks. The Quinnipiac Trail is one of the original - no, the original - Blue Blazed Trail. The rocky hills that create Sleeping Giant are a traprock ridge that from afar (say, from Castle Craig) appears to be the form of a giant man sleeping on his back. Children love the hike up to the summit because there is a lookout tower that resembles a castle - with arches and turrets. The views of New Haven are grand. And, the picnic areas are alive with weekend revelers.

Harbor Point and Kosciuszco Park Harborside Walk

Harbor Point Boardwalk, Stamford CT

Harbor Point in Stamford is an urban waterfront redevelopment - a mixed use real estate venture that has brought high end luxury residential, office, and a minimum amount of retail to a once gritty industrial neighborhood. Part of that development is the installation of public waterway access - a boardwalk.

This recreational space provides an opportunity for people to walk and jog along the waterfront. Additional amenities include a free water taxi to harbor side restaurants and bars, green spaces for dog walking or sunbathing, harbor access to sailing and boat slips, and a small open air flexible theatre where performances are staged during the summer.

Top 5 Paved Bike Trails in Connecticut

The Farmington River Trail

Often this small New England state is thought of only as a corridor - A land of freeways and roads leading to other places. Slowing your speed down can do your heart and mind wonders, and you don't need to drive to Vermont to chill out and enjoy natural surroundings and New England charm.

Trading the car for a bike is a great way to reset your pace while providing for some low impact exercise. Connecticut is slowly piecing together a network of easy, flat, paved bike trails. There are more major trails under development, but for now there are only a few that have the length to be worth strapping the bikes to the car and heading our for a day trip.

Here are the CT trails that made my top 5 list. They are each worth your time and effort to get to (especially The Farmington River Trail).

share this article

Ten Top Hiking Trips in Western Connecticut

Bluff Head Mattabesett Trail

Connecticut is host to one of the country's oldest and most developed network of hiking trails known as the Blue Blazed Trail system. There are over 800 miles of hiking trails in this small New England State. The state is split geographically by the Connecticut River into East and West Connecticut.

The Western portion of CT, bordered by New York and Massachusetts, is where two national trails can be found: The Appalachian Trail (AT) and The New England Scenic Trail (NET). But don't overlook the State's Blue Blazed regional trails and local land trusts. Here are 10 of Western CT's most rewarding hiking trails.

share this article

---

Biking the Air Line State Trail

Airline State Trail Connecticut

share this article

Contents:
Description
Trail Map and Directions
Photos
Links

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. The trail features a wide crushed stone path and is easy biking for any level rider.

Trail Biking The Pequonnock Valley Greenway

Scenery along the Trumbull Rail Trail

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 through Trumbull & Monroe to Newtown.

Currently this trail consists of disconnected legs individually identified. 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.

The Housatonic Range Blue Blazed Trail

Pine Knob Summit

The Housatonic Range Trail is a CT Blue Blazed Trail in New Milford. The route is an out-and-back linear trail that ascends several minor summits in the Southern Berkshire Mountain Range. The blue blazes lead through three dimensional stone cyphers demanding some bouldering technique. Some of these full body climbs can be intimidating, but with care and thought they can be negotiated without much exertion. Overall, this trail has the feel of a regional trail. There are plenty of features to keep you interested throughout your hike.

share this article

Hiking Metacomet to Castle Craig

Along the Metacomet Trail 

The mighty Metacomet is a 70 mile long Blue Blazed trail. It is the third leg of the New England Scenic Trail in Connecticut that also includes the Menunkatuck and Mattabesset Trails.

The Summitwood section includes a rated climb to Castle Craig which: "has the distinction of being the highest point within 25 miles of the coast from Maine to Florida." The summit is 976ft AMSL. While that may sound like an arbitrary distinction - the math involving line of sight, horizon, curvature of the earth and elevation adds up to this result: On a clear day a person on a ship in Long Island Sound is able to see Castle Craig with the naked eye ... so, the distinction is that it is the highest point in the USA visible from the Atlantic Ocean.

Hiking The Mattabessett Trail - Bluff Head - Lone Pine

Mattabesett Trail Bluff Head

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.

Hiking The Menunkatuck Trail

By H. Morrow Long (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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.

share this article

Hiking The Aspetuck Valley Blue Blazed Trail

Diverging trails on the Aspetuck Valley Blue Blazed Trail

The Apspetuck Valley Trail is a Connecticut CFPA Blue Blazed Trail that travels along the Aspetuck River from Redding through Bethel to Newtown.It is a 7 mile linear trail and can be accessed from 4 parking lots along its length. The trail passes through Huntington State Park, and The Centennial Watershed State Forest. There is also 1 mile of walking along residential roads.

Hiking Aspetuck Land Trust

Saugatuck Resevoir

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.

Hiking The Paugussett Blue Blazed Trail

Indian Well - Photo by Andrew K

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.

---

Hiking The Pomperaug Blue Blazed Trail

By Morrowlong (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The Pomperaug is one of Connecticut's principal Blue Blazed Trails. It is one 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.

Walking Bluff Point State Park

Fishermen at Bluff Point

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.

share this article

Hiking the Zoar Blue Blazed Trail in Newtown

Priton Brook, Zoar Trail, Sandy Hook - Newtown CT

The Zoar Trail is a 5 mile loop along the banks Lake Zoar and the Housatonic River in Newtown CT. This moderately difficult hiking trail includes panoramic vistas, deep woods, and picturesque waterfall on Priton Brook.

Hiking The Saugatuck Trail

Saugatuck Resevoir

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. There are a number of parking spots, making it easy to split up this trail into two or three out-n-backs. Or you can create some loops by using connecting trails from the adjacent Devil's Den Preserve.

Biking Savin Rock Boardwalk West Haven

Savin Rock Boardwalk in Westport

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.

Trail Biking Farmington River Trail

The Farmington River Trail

The Farmington River is a National Scenic Waterway enjoyed by fisherman, rafters, and whitewater paddlers.The bike trail along its banks compliments this national treasure. 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 River Trail meanders past 19th century mills, dams and waterfalls, rapids and ponds, forests and prairies.

Kent Falls State Park

Cooling off in the waterfalls at Kent Falls State Park, Kent CT

Kent Falls is a wide and towering splash; a destination waterfall in New England.

Leaping from stone shelves and swirling in deep potholes the crisp water of Falls Brook drops 250 feet in spectacular fashion to form the postcard perfect Kent Falls. This Southern Berkshire attraction is a celebrated Connecticut landmark.

Just off the highway a few miles North of Kent CT, Kent Falls State Park is often a first stop for weekenders riding beautiful Route 7 up the Housatonic for a Berkshire holiday. It is also a close detour from Hudson Valley attractions.

The area including and surrounding Kent is a destination in its own right and includes scenic hiking at nearby Macedonia Brook State Park, the Appalachian Trail, and Lake Candlewood. The old depot and mill town of Kent is pure New England; a host to a small artist colony – a taste of things to come along Route 7 in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Kent is also one of the only towns close enough to the Appalachian Trail to be considered a trail town in Connecticut.

Silver Sands State Park and Charles Island

Silver Sands Beach in Milford CT

Miles of natural beach are preserved for free public use in Milford at Silver Sands State Park. If the tides are right you can also walk out to Charles Island - the "Thrice Cursed Island" and home to many legends and artifacts of Connecticut history.

Walking is a pleasure along 3 miles of wide and well crafted boardwalk. The beaches are rocky and rough. Low tide allows for wading between sandbars. Unlike many parks and beaches in CT, this one is 100% fee free and open to the public year round.

Hiking East Rock Park

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.

Hiking Macedonia Brook State Park

Hiking at Macedonia Brook State Park

The quaint small town of Kent CT is host two magnificent State Parks - Macedonia Brook and Kent Falls. The hiking in Macedonia Brook is exhilarating and offers sweeping views of The Berkshires, Tachonics, and Catskills.

Two Legends of Flight

First in Flight - Monument to Gastave Whitehead, Bridgeport CT

In Bridgeport, Sirkowski Aircraft is king of industry - churning out the Blackhawk helicopters that have taken such a prominent role in America's 21st century wars. From the shores of the Housatonic one can catch an occasional sight of the presidential helicopter in for servicing.  Sirkowski is well located, at the place where man first took to the skies - and no, it wasn't the Wright Brothers

Walking Southford Falls State Park

Southford Falls State Park is a cozy nook of peace and quiet that is easily accessible from the I-95 corridor. A day trip brings you to a delightful waterfall spilling from a still fishing pond. There are plenty of picnic tables with views, a short riverside boardwalk, a covered bridge, a lookout tower and miles of hiking an walking trails.

Trail Biking The Monroe Housatonic Railbed

Stream Crossing on the Monroe Housatonic Rail Trail

The Monroe Housatonic Rail bed trail is biking bliss. This 5 mile linear trail is paved with finely crushed stone. It's flat and wide trail bed is easy for any level biker or walker.

The Monroe Housatonic is the last leg of the Pequonnock Valley Greenway - a system of bike trails stretching from Seaside Park in Bridgeport to Newtown. The Housatonic trail begins at Great Hollow Lake Park and progresses inland to the Newtown town line. More adventurous riders equipped with mountain bikes can continue on the Newtown trail which is established but undeveloped.