HOUSATONIC RAIL TRAIL NORTH LETTERBOX:
MONROE, CONNECTICUT
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Planted: September 4, 2002
Length: Wolfe Park to Newtown town line; 4 miles
Wolfe Park to Cutlers Farm Road parking lot; 1 1/2 miles
Wolfe Park to Letterbox; 1 mile: Cutlers Farm to Letterbox; 1/2 mile
Difficulty: Easy. Flat, wide hard packed surface.
Directions:
To start from Wolfe Park, at the southern end; Take exit 49 off of Route 15 (Merritt Parkway) to Route 25 north. Route 25 starts out as a divided highway until it crosses Route 111. Keep an eye out for the Monroe town line. Past this point watch for a right turn onto Mill Street. Take this curving road to Maple Drive and then a right onto Hill Road. You'll see a sign for the park and the road on your left. There is a Park Gate House at the entrance. NOTE: From Memorial Day to Labor Day there is an entrance fee. You may park just down the road on your right or if full, continue on down to the parking lots near the beach. This is a pretty impressive park with a beach, pool, playgrounds, athletic fields, tennis courts and hiking trails. Fees apply, so call for information. Note; no bikes allowed on the park trails. For more information visit; WOLFE PARK .
To start from Cutlers Farm Road parking lot; Take exit 49 off of Route 15 (Merritt Parkway) to Route 25 north. Where the divided highway ends, continue on Route 25 for 3 miles to the Village of Upper Stepney. Turn right onto Green Street, which then turns into Pepper Street and go 1 mile to a right hand turn onto Cutlers Farm Road. The parking lot is on your left down a gravel road.
The Housatonic Rail Bed originated in 1840 as the Berkshire Railroad linking Bridgeport and New Milford. It was later purchased by the Housatonic Railroad and later became part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. It was abandoned in 1962. Some maps refer to this trail as the Pequonnock Greenway, but signs on the trail call it the Housatonic Rail Trail. The trail runs from Trumbull in the south (see Housatonic Rail Trail South Letterbox), up to the Botsford section of Newtown in the north. For more information visit; HOUSATONIC RAIL TRAIL .
Starting from Wolfe Park; the trail begins just off the entrance road to your left at the brown gate past the first parking lot. The entrance road is part of the Housatonic Trail as it heads south, on-road. At the beginning of the trail are some benches that overlook the beach at Great Hollow Lake in the park. Mileage markers dot the trail, but start just past the gate house along the road. This section of the trail is well maintained with a wide hard packed surface. After you pass by the 1.1 mile post on your left (This post may be missing), you then enter the Wind Gap, a railroad cut through a 150 foot deep pass between two hills lined with steep slopes and ledges. You emerge into an open area and pass by a bench on your left. Just past this bench at the 1 mile point will be a path that crosses the trail. Take the left path as it runs along a stone wall for 10 paces (1 pace = 2 steps). A Maple tree on your right will be reaching out over the stone wall to grab your attention. At the base of the tree, directly underneath the overhanging limb will be a square rock on top of a flat rock on top of the stone wall. Lift up these two rocks and reach up under the stone to find the Housatonic Rail Trail North Letterbox. Continuing along the trail for another 1/2 mile, you pass through a marshy area and cross over Cutlers Farm Road to a parking lot. You may continue northward by crossing over Pepper Street at the cross walk. Another 1/2 mile will bring you to a detour, where houses have been built on the original rail bed. There is a nice stone arched bridge here. The 0.6 of a mile detour is on-road and not recommended for kids. You follow the trail right out to a cul-de-sac and follow this up to Pepper Street. Note that there are arrows on the road showing the way, as well as bike route signs. Use the cross walk and turn left along Pepper street. There is a bike lane marked along the road. Another cross walk guides you back over Pepper Street and onto the trail on your left. You ascend a small hill and turn right back on the original rail trail. The maintained trail ends at the Newtown town border after 2 miles from the start of the detour. You may continue onward, but the trail is narrow and rough in parts and a mountain bike is recommended. You head down a straight, but relatively smooth path for 0.3 of a mile. The original tracks appear alongside the path, having never been pulled up. The path then winds roughly through the woods before crossing over a double set of tracks and bearing right. You emerge on old pavement among allot of junk, but if you continue straight, you'll run into an active rail line. If you look right along the fence line you can see where the tracks used to merge into this line. You are now in the Botsford section of Newtown and if you took the road left, you would hit Swamp Road.
HH
CLICK HERE FOR REGIONAL TRAIL MAP
LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON
JULY 8, 2007
TO EMAIL A VERIFICATION
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT LETTERBOXING