The Naugatuck Trail is a 6.8-mile (10.9 km) Blue-Blazedhiking trail "system" in the eastern central-lower Naugatuck River Valley in New Haven County, Connecticut, USA. It is almost entirely contained in the Naugatuck State Forest.[1] The mainline (officially the "Blue" or "non-dot") trail is primarily east to west with three short side or spur trails. Composed of four trails (including the primarily East-to-West mainline trail (5.5 miles) plus three shorter side trails), at its western end the trail ends with a section alongside Route 8 and the Naugatuck River. During the 1930s and 1940s, it was much larger. But post–World War II housing developments of the Connecticut Blue-Blazed Trails, led to its drastic reduction.
Naugatuck Trail
Naugatuck Trail parallel to Connecticut State Route 8 and the Naugatuck River
Notable features include: the summits of Beacon Cap[2] and Spruce Knoll.[3] The trail goes near, but does not summit Beacon Hill (670 feet).[4] The Connecticut Forest and Park Association is mostly responsible for its maintenance.
The Naugatuck Trail extends from its western terminus at Andrasko Road in Naugatuck as an abandoned North-South road and fence-line along Connecticut Route 8 before heading east crossing successively the municipalities of Naugatuck, Beacon Falls and Bethany—all in New Haven County. Its southern terminus is located on Connecticut Route 42 just 1.2 miles west of the junction of Connecticut Route 42 and Route 63.
The official Naugatuck Trail mainline trail primarily traverses a 600-foot (above sea level) plateau running east to west which extends from Route 8 (and the Naugatuck River) to the eastern border of Naugatuck (with Bethany). From south-east to north-west, the trail system summits or travels near the ridges and peaks of Beacon Cap, Beacon Hill and Spruce Knoll. Several seasonal streams cut across the trail including Egypt Brook.[9] The Naugatuck Trail crosses the Naugatuck State Forest, land/preservation trust, water company and private properties.
The route of the original (longer) Naugatuck Trail blazed in the 1930s can be seen in the Connecticut Forest and Park Association's 1940 Connecticut Walk Book map of major trails.[11]
There are also references to vestigial portions of the Naugatuck Trail (and recommendations to purchase tracts of land over which it traveled as open space) in the April 1998 Town of Bethany Conservation Commission's 'Open Space Plan'.[12]
Origin and name
The name Naugatuck is said to be an indigenous term (in the Native American Algonquian language) for either “one tree” or “fork of the river.”[13]
"Naugatuck" was also the name of a village of the Paugussett sachemdom on the Naugatuck River where Naugatuck Connecticut is today. Another Paugussett sachemdom village (Capage) existed on the Naugatuck River a few miles south at what is now Beacon Falls, Connecticut.[14]
For more information on the Naugatuck sub-tribe of native-Americans ("American Indians") see the Wikipedia entry on the Paugussett.
Beacon Cap is a large "glacial erratic boulder" at the end of the Beacon Cap "spur" Trail on the Bethany/Naugatuck border.
Hiking the trail
The Whittemore Trail following a forest road through dense mountain laurel.
The mainline Naugatuck trail is blazed with blue rectangles. It is regularly maintained, and is considered easy hiking, with very few sections of rugged and moderately difficult hiking. Much of the Naugatuck Trail is close to public roads. There are no camping facilities along the trail and camping is generally prohibited in Naugatuck State Forest. Trail descriptions are available from a number of commercial and non-commercial sources, and a complete guidebook is published by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association
Weather along the route is typical of Connecticut. Conditions on exposed ridge tops and summits may be harsher during cold or stormy weather.[15]Lightning is a hazard on exposed summits and ledges during thunderstorms. Snow is common in the winter and may necessitate the use of snowshoes. Ice can form on exposed ledges and summits, making hiking dangerous without special equipment.
Extensive flooding in ponds, puddles, and streams may occur in the late winter or early spring, overflowing into the trail and causing very muddy conditions. In this case fairly high waterproof boots are recommended. Some parts of the trail follow forest roads which often contain ruts from ATVs and four-wheel drive vehicles.
Biting insects can be bothersome during warm weather. Parasitic deer ticks (which are known to carry Lyme disease) are a potential hazard. The mainline trail heads are close to civilization (suburban homes, streets and highways). Much of the trail is adjacent to, or is on lands where hunting and the use of firearms are permitted (particularly Connecticut State Forest land). Wearing bright orange clothing during the hunting season (Fall through December) is recommended.
Old stone fences left by farmers cross and run alongside the Whittemore Trail in the Naugatuck State Forest
Other local trails
There are local trails named the "Naugatuck Trail" in Bethany, Orange and Woodbridge Connecticut which are apparently vestiges of the original trail which extended south to New Haven Connecticut. Some of these can be found on the following individual maps:
South Central Regional Council of Governments
Bethany Farms
Town of Orange Racebrook Tract
Woodbridge Land Trust Fitzgerald Tract
Woodbridge Land Trust Meadows
Woodbridge Land Trust History Indian Trails
Woodbridge Land Trust Race Brook Estates Blue Trail System
^"Beacon Cap via Naugatuck Trail and Beacon Cap Trail". AllTrails.com. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
^MARTEKA, PETER. "From The Falls Of Egypt Brook To The Top Of Beacon Cap Along The Naugatuck". courant.com. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
^ abcConnecticut Walk Book: A Trail Guide to the Connecticut Outdoors. 17th Edition. The Connecticut Forest and Park Association. Rockfall, Connecticut. Undated.
^Hike, Rob McWilliams: Taking a (2019-01-14). "Taking a Hike: Trekking the Naugatuck Trail". The Wilton Bulletin. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
^Walker, T. "Naugatuck State Forest". State Parks. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
^"Other State Parks and Forests". CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
^"Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection". Ct.gov. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
^McWilliams, Rob (2019-01-05). "Taking a detour for the Naugatuck Trail". The Hour. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
^DeLorme Topo 6.0. Mapping Software. DeLorme, Yarmouth, Maine
^. Chriswoodside.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
^"Town of Bethany : Open Space Plan" (PDF). Bethany-ct.com. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
Colson, Ann T. (2005). Connecticut Walk Book East (19 ed.). Rockfall, Connecticut: Connecticut Forest and Park Association. pp. 1–261. ISBN0961905255.
Colson, Ann T. (2006). Connecticut Walk Book West (19 ed.). Rockfall, Connecticut: Connecticut Forest and Park Association. pp. 1–353. ISBN0961905263.
Emblidge, David (1998). Hikes in southern New England: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont (1 ed.). Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. pp. 1–304. ISBN0-8117-2669-X.
Keyarts, Eugene (2002). Pietrzyk, Cindi Dale (ed.). Short Nature Walks: Connecticut Guide Book (7 ed.). Guilford, Connecticut: Falcon Publishing. pp. 1–192. ISBN0-7627-2310-6.
Laubach, Rene; Smith, Charles W. G. (2007). AMC's Best Day Hikes in Connecticut (1 ed.). Guilford, Connecticut: Appalachian Mountain Club Books. pp. 1–320. ISBN1-934028-10-X.
Ostertag, Rhonda; Ostertag, George (2002). Hiking Southern New England (2 ed.). Guilford, Connecticut: Falcon Publishing. pp. 1–336. ISBN0-7627-2246-0.
Books – Connecticut history and geography[edit]
De Forest, John (1853). History of the Indians of Connecticut from the earliest known period to 1850. Hartford, Connecticut: Wm. Jas. Hamersley. pp. 1–509.
Hayward, John (1857). New England Gazetteer: Containing Descriptions of the States, Counties, Cities and Towns of New England (2 ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Otis Clapp. pp. 1–704.
Trumbull, Benjamin (1797). A Complete History of Connecticut - Civil and Ecclesiastical. Vol. I (1818 printing ed.). New Haven, Connecticut: Maltby, Goldsmith & Co. and Samuel Wadsworth. pp. 1–1166.
Trumbull, Benjamin (1797). A Complete History of Connecticut - Civil and Ecclesiastical. Vol. II (1818 printing ed.). New Haven, Connecticut: Maltby, Goldsmith & Co. and Samuel Wadsworth. pp. 1–1166.
naugatuck, trail, mile, blue, blazed, hiking, trail, system, eastern, central, lower, naugatuck, river, valley, haven, county, connecticut, almost, entirely, contained, naugatuck, state, forest, mainline, officially, blue, trail, primarily, east, west, with, t. The Naugatuck Trail is a 6 8 mile 10 9 km Blue Blazed hiking trail system in the eastern central lower Naugatuck River Valley in New Haven County Connecticut USA It is almost entirely contained in the Naugatuck State Forest 1 The mainline officially the Blue or non dot trail is primarily east to west with three short side or spur trails Composed of four trails including the primarily East to West mainline trail 5 5 miles plus three shorter side trails at its western end the trail ends with a section alongside Route 8 and the Naugatuck River During the 1930s and 1940s it was much larger But post World War II housing developments of the Connecticut Blue Blazed Trails led to its drastic reduction Naugatuck TrailNaugatuck Trail parallel to Connecticut State Route 8 and the Naugatuck RiverLength5 5 mi 8 9 km LocationNew Haven County ConnecticutDesignationCFPA Blue Blazed Naugatuck TrailUsehiking cross country skiing snowshoeing otherHighest pointBeacon Cap 770 ft 234 7 m Lowest pointConnecticut Route 8 220 ft 67 m Difficultyeasy with very few difficult sectionsSeasoneasiest spring to fallHazardshunters deer ticks poison ivyNotable features include the summits of Beacon Cap 2 and Spruce Knoll 3 The trail goes near but does not summit Beacon Hill 670 feet 4 The Connecticut Forest and Park Association is mostly responsible for its maintenance Contents 1 Trail description 1 1 Trail route 1 2 Trail communities 2 History 3 Origin and name 4 Hiking the trail 5 Other local trails 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksTrail description Edit Naugatuck Trail South Eastern Trailhead The Naugatuck Trail extends from its western terminus at Andrasko Road in Naugatuck as an abandoned North South road and fence line along Connecticut Route 8 before heading east crossing successively the municipalities of Naugatuck Beacon Falls and Bethany all in New Haven County Its southern terminus is located on Connecticut Route 42 just 1 2 miles west of the junction of Connecticut Route 42 and Route 63 The Naugatuck Trail is primarily used for hiking 5 backpacking picnicking 6 and in the winter snowshoeing 7 Portions of the trail are suitable for and are used for mountain biking and cross country skiing Site specific activities enjoyed along the route include hunting fishing horseback riding bouldering and rock climbing access There are signs at the Connecticut Route 42 trail head forbidding rock climbing 4 8 Trail route Edit Whittemore side Trail Head The official Naugatuck Trail mainline trail primarily traverses a 600 foot above sea level plateau running east to west which extends from Route 8 and the Naugatuck River to the eastern border of Naugatuck with Bethany From south east to north west the trail system summits or travels near the ridges and peaks of Beacon Cap Beacon Hill and Spruce Knoll Several seasonal streams cut across the trail including Egypt Brook 9 The Naugatuck Trail crosses the Naugatuck State Forest land preservation trust water company and private properties Trail communities Edit The official Blue Blazed Naugatuck Trail passes through land located within the following municipalities from south to north Bethany Beacon Falls and Naugatuck Connecticut 4 10 Remnants of the original Naugatuck Trail still exist as local trails in the communities of Bethany Orange Woodbridge and New Haven Connecticut History EditThe route of the original longer Naugatuck Trail blazed in the 1930s can be seen in the Connecticut Forest and Park Association s 1940 Connecticut Walk Book map of major trails 11 There are also references to vestigial portions of the Naugatuck Trail and recommendations to purchase tracts of land over which it traveled as open space in the April 1998 Town of Bethany Conservation Commission s Open Space Plan 12 Origin and name EditThe name Naugatuck is said to be an indigenous term in the Native American Algonquian language for either one tree or fork of the river 13 Naugatuck was also the name of a village of the Paugussett sachemdom on the Naugatuck River where Naugatuck Connecticut is today Another Paugussett sachemdom village Capage existed on the Naugatuck River a few miles south at what is now Beacon Falls Connecticut 14 For more information on the Naugatuck sub tribe of native Americans American Indians see the Wikipedia entry on the Paugussett Beacon Cap is a large glacial erratic boulder at the end of the Beacon Cap spur Trail on the Bethany Naugatuck border Hiking the trail Edit The Whittemore Trail following a forest road through dense mountain laurel The mainline Naugatuck trail is blazed with blue rectangles It is regularly maintained and is considered easy hiking with very few sections of rugged and moderately difficult hiking Much of the Naugatuck Trail is close to public roads There are no camping facilities along the trail and camping is generally prohibited in Naugatuck State Forest Trail descriptions are available from a number of commercial and non commercial sources and a complete guidebook is published by the Connecticut Forest and Park AssociationWeather along the route is typical of Connecticut Conditions on exposed ridge tops and summits may be harsher during cold or stormy weather 15 Lightning is a hazard on exposed summits and ledges during thunderstorms Snow is common in the winter and may necessitate the use of snowshoes Ice can form on exposed ledges and summits making hiking dangerous without special equipment Extensive flooding in ponds puddles and streams may occur in the late winter or early spring overflowing into the trail and causing very muddy conditions In this case fairly high waterproof boots are recommended Some parts of the trail follow forest roads which often contain ruts from ATVs and four wheel drive vehicles Biting insects can be bothersome during warm weather Parasitic deer ticks which are known to carry Lyme disease are a potential hazard The mainline trail heads are close to civilization suburban homes streets and highways Much of the trail is adjacent to or is on lands where hunting and the use of firearms are permitted particularly Connecticut State Forest land Wearing bright orange clothing during the hunting season Fall through December is recommended Old stone fences left by farmers cross and run alongside the Whittemore Trail in the Naugatuck State ForestOther local trails EditThere are local trails named the Naugatuck Trail in Bethany Orange and Woodbridge Connecticut which are apparently vestiges of the original trail which extended south to New Haven Connecticut Some of these can be found on the following individual maps South Central Regional Council of Governments Bethany Farms Town of Orange Racebrook Tract Woodbridge Land Trust Fitzgerald Tract Woodbridge Land Trust Meadows Woodbridge Land Trust History Indian Trails Woodbridge Land Trust Race Brook Estates Blue Trail SystemSee also EditBlue Blazed TrailsReferences Edit Naugatuck Trail Connecticut Forest amp Park Association www ctwoodlands org Retrieved 2021 04 04 Beacon Cap via Naugatuck Trail and Beacon Cap Trail AllTrails com Retrieved 2021 04 04 MARTEKA PETER From The Falls Of Egypt Brook To The Top Of Beacon Cap Along The Naugatuck courant com Retrieved 2021 04 04 a b c Connecticut Walk Book A Trail Guide to the Connecticut Outdoors 17th Edition The Connecticut Forest and Park Association Rockfall Connecticut Undated Hike Rob McWilliams Taking a 2019 01 14 Taking a Hike Trekking the Naugatuck Trail The Wilton Bulletin Retrieved 2021 04 04 Walker T Naugatuck State Forest State Parks Retrieved 2021 04 04 Other State Parks and Forests CT gov Connecticut s Official State Website Retrieved 2021 04 04 Connecticut Department of Energy amp Environmental Protection Ct gov Retrieved 2014 02 15 McWilliams Rob 2019 01 05 Taking a detour for the Naugatuck Trail The Hour Retrieved 2021 04 04 DeLorme Topo 6 0 Mapping Software DeLorme Yarmouth Maine The Connecticut Trail System Map Chriswoodside com Archived from the original on 2011 07 08 Retrieved 2014 02 15 Town of Bethany Open Space Plan PDF Bethany ct com Retrieved 2014 02 15 Wappinger Tribe Accessgenealogy com 2013 10 18 Retrieved 2014 06 07 New York Indian Tribes Archived from the original on December 3 2010 Retrieved September 29 2010 National Weather Service Weather gov Retrieved 2014 02 15 Further reading EditBooks Connecticut hiking edit Colson Ann T 2005 Connecticut Walk Book East 19 ed Rockfall Connecticut Connecticut Forest and Park Association pp 1 261 ISBN 0961905255 Colson Ann T 2006 Connecticut Walk Book West 19 ed Rockfall Connecticut Connecticut Forest and Park Association pp 1 353 ISBN 0961905263 Emblidge David 1998 Hikes in southern New England Connecticut Massachusetts Vermont 1 ed Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania Stackpole Books pp 1 304 ISBN 0 8117 2669 X Keyarts Eugene 2002 Pietrzyk Cindi Dale ed Short Nature Walks Connecticut Guide Book 7 ed Guilford Connecticut Falcon Publishing pp 1 192 ISBN 0 7627 2310 6 Laubach Rene Smith Charles W G 2007 AMC s Best Day Hikes in Connecticut 1 ed Guilford Connecticut Appalachian Mountain Club Books pp 1 320 ISBN 1 934028 10 X Ostertag Rhonda Ostertag George 2002 Hiking Southern New England 2 ed Guilford Connecticut Falcon Publishing pp 1 336 ISBN 0 7627 2246 0 Books Connecticut history and geography edit De Forest John 1853 History of the Indians of Connecticut from the earliest known period to 1850 Hartford Connecticut Wm Jas Hamersley pp 1 509 Hayward John 1857 New England Gazetteer Containing Descriptions of the States Counties Cities and Towns of New England 2 ed Boston Massachusetts Otis Clapp pp 1 704 Trumbull Benjamin 1797 A Complete History of Connecticut Civil and Ecclesiastical Vol I 1818 printing ed New Haven Connecticut Maltby Goldsmith amp Co and Samuel Wadsworth pp 1 1166 Trumbull Benjamin 1797 A Complete History of Connecticut Civil and Ecclesiastical Vol II 1818 printing ed New Haven Connecticut Maltby Goldsmith amp Co and Samuel Wadsworth pp 1 1166 External links EditThis article s use of external links may not follow Wikipedia s policies or guidelines Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references February 2014 Learn how and when to remove this template message Specific to this trail Connecticut Naugatuck State Forest Overview map Connecticut Naugatuck State Forest Hiking map Connecticut Naugatuck State Forest Letterboxing Clues Regional Water Authority website Regional Water Authority Recreation AreasNeighboring Communities websites Town of Beacon Falls Connecticut website Town of Bethany Connecticut website Borough of Naugatuck Connecticut website City of New Haven Connecticut website Town of Orange Connecticut website Town of Woodbridge Connecticut websiteLand Conservation Trusts Bethany Land Trust Inc Naugatuck Land Trust New Haven Land Trust Woodbridge Land Trust Connecticut Forest and Park AssociationCoordinates 41 27 28 N 73 02 03 W 41 45778 N 73 03417 W 41 45778 73 03417 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Naugatuck Trail amp oldid 1105674466, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
