Using Shelton's Trails to Prep for Mountain Hiking

Hiking the White Mountains

You might have vacation plans that include hiking in places with actual mountains and want to get in shape for that. But how? Going to the gym can help, but it's not the same. The gold standard is to prepare for hiking by hiking. If you plan to hike up rocky hills, you want to prepare by hiking up rocky hills. For example, if you plan to hike up a 4,000-footer in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, you want to train by hiking up long, steep, rocky hills.  Some people drive all the way up to Bear Mountain, Connecticut's highest peak. That's a beautiful hike, and if you take the steepest route you'll ascend and descend 1560 feet in about 5.4 miles. But you'll also spend a solid three hours in the car if coming from Shelton and not everyone has time for that. 

I'm here to say you have options right here in Shelton and I've listed some below with total mileage and elevation gains for each. I recently walked from Birchbank Mountain to Eklund Garden. The total elevation gain was 1460 feet over about 7.6 miles, about the same as hiking Bear Mountain. Call it "interval training." Instead of one big up and one big down, there are lots of ups and downs that add up. That hike included a relentless ascent of 530 feet from the falls area at Indian Well to Wiacek Meadows, just north of the High School.  And there was some rocky, uneven footing (especially through Burritt's Rocks), which is critical training if you plan to hike in a rocky area like the White Mountains. Compare the two photos below: 

White Mountains

Paugussett Trail at Birchbank Mtn 

These are the hikes I've been using the past few years to train for backpacking parts of the Appalachian Trail and doing the 4000-footers of New Hampshire.  I work up to carrying a loaded backpack, and have learned to supplement the hiking with about 50 squats and some knee exercises. The squats are super helpful if you plan to go up and down boulder-filled trails like the ones in the White Mountains. 

Note that if you want to do overnight backpacking but are new at it, or you have new gear you want to test out, one option is to take the Paugussett Trail northbound from Buddington Road and tent at Webb Mountain.  If you run into trouble, you can always call home for a ride or supplies you forgot. (Note you'll need to apply for a camping permit from the Town of Monroe). 

All of the hikes involve the Paugussett Trail along the Housatonic River bluff, because that's where the hills (and sometimes rocks) are. I use the app GaiaGPS to determine the ascent of the hike. The app does tend to understate the mileage, apparently by not including vertical distances. I adjusted the mileages below to account for that. 

This list is ordered by total ascent: 

1. Fastest hike -  Indian Well/Tahmore Figure-8 (1.7 mile with 410 ft ascent  - 242 ft/mile): This hike starts with lung-busting steep ascent, has a nice overlook, and the footing is easy and mostly dry even in mud season. But it can get crowded and noisy during peak summer weekends. Also, the gnats can be really bad in summer. Park in the hiker lot across the street from the beach entrance to Indian Well and go up the big rotting flight of steps. Take a left sobo (southbound) on the Paugussett Trail, and then pick up the blue/yellow Tahmore Trail to the overlook. Continue on the blue/yellow loop. Make it a figure-8 loop hike by continuing south on the Paugussett Trail and take a hard left on blue/red Beach Cutoff Trail. 

Indian Well/Tahmore Figure-8
1.7 mile with 410 ascent and easy footing

2. Birchbank Crazy-8 loop with Burritt's Rocks: (2.6 mile with 420 ft ascent - 162 ft/mi). This scenic hike is best at giving you the illusion of wilderness so you can pretend you're in northern New England. The first and last half-mile are flat, but the rest is all up and down. The southern loop (Burritt's Bypass) is very rocky, while the rest has good footing. From the Birchbank trailhead, head north on the white-blazed Birchbank Trail, crossing two bridges, and heading up the hill along the cascades to Chimney Junction. Turn left onto blue and cross the river (or continue on white to cross at a bridge, it doesn't really matter). Continue on blue, passing the overlook, the junction with the blue/white Birchbank Connector, and the first junction with blue/green Burritt's Bypass. Go through a very rocky section and near the top of  the hill turn right onto Burritt's Bypass Trail (blue/green), now heading north. At the end, take a left back onto the Paugussett then the next right onto the blue/white Birchbank Connector. Turn right onto Birchbank Trail (white), and another right at the bottom of the hill to return to your car. 

Birchbank Crazy-8 
2.6 miles, 420 ft ascent, lots of rocks

3. Housatonic Woods lollipop loop: (2.0 miles with 485 ft ascent - 243 ft/mile): Click HERE for a trail map. This is an interesting hike with mostly good footing (just a short section through "the passageway" with some rocks and drop-offs.) You're unlikely to see anyone on this hike so it's a great option if Indian Well is busy. The con is you end the hike with a long uphill climb, and there's a lot of road noise. Park at the end of Woodsend Ave and hike a lollipop loop using Woodsend Trail and the Paugussett Trail. 

4. Indian Well Beach to Housatonic Woods Lollipop Loop. (3.4 mile, 770 ft ascent - 226 ft/mile). This hike offers good footing and includes a part of Indian Well nobody ever sees. Good for wet or icy weather, but crosses Route 110, so don't do this during rush-hour traffic. You'll start at the beach at Indian Well, climb up to the overlook, then descend to Indian Hole Brook. Then continue on blue across Rt 110 and up to Woodsend Trail to make a loop in Housatonic Woods. See this page for maps and a better description. 

The BIRCH-WELL Hikes: Bigger ascents and lots of rocks!  "Birch-Well" is our nickname for the steep, rocky slope that spans the southern part of Birchbank and northern section of Indian Well.  Old deeds called the area "Burritt's Rocks." These hikes mostly cross Burritt's Rocks TWICE and are good training if you plan to hike in a rocky area like the White Mountains. Avoid these hikes if it's wet or icy. The first three hikes ascend and descend the river bluff once, twice, or three times, giving you the total ascent you're looking for.  I make sure I can handle the hardest one (the Birch-Well Triple), carrying a fully-loaded pack, before setting out on a backpacking trip up north. 

1. Birch-Well Single (3.4 miles with 780 ft ascent 230 ft/mile): Start at Indian Well at the trailhead across from the beach entrance, go up the white access trail and turn right to head north on the blue-blazed Paugussett Trail until you reach the Birchbank Overlook of the Housatonic River. Be sure to take the Burritt's Bypass trail (blue/green) when northbound but stay on blue when southbound. The return hike is easier because you're going mostly downhill. 

Birch-Well Single (3.4 miles with 780 ft ascent)

Click "Birch-Well Single" profile to enlarge

2. Birch-Well Double (lollipop loop) (4.4 miles 1,040 ft ascent): The same hike as the Birch-Well single, but with an added loop at Birchbank that takes you all the way down to the bottom before climbing up to the overlook.  It has the benefit of giving your mind a reprieve from all the rocks (hiking through rocks can be mentally draining) before going back through them again. Start the hike from the Indian Well beach, but before you get to the Birchbank Overlook, take a right and go down the Birchbank Connector (blue/white), take a right on Birchbank Trail (white), and take that all the way down the hill. Turn left to follow the white Birchbank Trail loop counterclockwise, cross Upper White Hills Brook at the Scout bridge, and stay on the white loop past the cascades all the way to Chimney Junction. Take a left on the blue Paugussett Trail across the brook and up to the Birchbank Overlook. Return the way you came (but stay on blue instead of taking Burritt's Bypass). Click the hike profile below to enlarge. 

Click "Birch-Well Double" profile to enlarge

3. Birch-Well Triple (Figure-8): (6.5 miles with 1270 ft ascent - 195 ft/mile): This is my default long hike for building stamina before a backpacking trip. Start at the Birchbank trailhead and continue past two bridges to take the Birchbank loop counterclockwise. At Chimney Junction, turn left to go south on blue (or if the water is high, stay on white and use the upper Scout bridge to cross the brook). Stay on blue all the way to Tahmore Junction at Indian Well State Park. Turn right towards the sign that says "Overlook 200 feet", now on the blue/yellow Tahmore loop going clockwise. Follow the blue/yellow for one mile around the loop, arriving back at Tahmore Junction. Return to Birchbank Mountain the way you came (remember to take Burritt's Bypass when northbound). Turn right onto the blue/white Birchbank Connector, then two rights on Birchbank Trail to return to your car.

"Birch-Well Triple" Profile
Click to enlarge

Birch-Well Triple
6.5 miles with 1270 ft ascent

4. Birchbank to Eklund Garden: (7.1 miles with 1460 ft ascent - 206 ft/mile): Not as many rocks, but this option adds variety and is especially fun if Eklund is in full summer bloom, and the walk along Silent Waters and Hope Lake is always enjoyable. This hike is one-way, so you'll need to figure out the logistics of that. It can be shortened by ending at Constitution Blvd with almost the same total ascent (5.8 miles with 1255 ft ascent - 216 ft/mile). You can make the Wiacek Meadows overlook your goal (it's at the top of the 500+ foot ascent) and enjoy the view for a bit. 

Birchbank to Eklund Garden
7.6 miles, 1460 ft total ascent

 

Click Profile to enlarge

So those are some of the hikes I do in Shelton. Some regional options that aren't too far away nclude: 

• Zoar Trail, a 6.3-mile blue-blazed loop in Newtown with 1115-ft total ascent and lots of annoying boulders along one section. 
  
  
• Sleeping Giant. There are a zillion options here. If you take the blue-blazed Quinnipiac Trail from the main parking area up over the Giant's Head and on to the tower, you'll get some serious steep rock-ledge climbing on a challenging trail and a total of 725 feet of ascent over 1.4 mile, although it seems like it should be more than that (The least-treacherous descent is via the Tower Trail). If you plan to hike someplace out west with trails that switchback gently up mountains (or go down the Grand Canyon), the easy Tower Trail heading up the Giant would be great training. Trail. Same elevation gain at the blue trail, but a different type of walking. 

Kiosks Need Maintenance

"Before" - Paugussett kiosk
on Buddington Road

We have lots of trail kiosks that were built for Eagle Scout projects. We love the kiosks! But they do require maintenance over the years, just like the bridges and bog walks. Kiosks set the entryway tone to a trail, so we don't want them looking neglected. And yet a few are getting that way, like the one on Buddington Road for the Paugussett Trail. This particular kiosk had some graffiti at one point, and whatever was used to remove the graffiti clouded up the glass. And the routered sign at the top had weathered so much you could hardly tell it said anything. This one has been on the 'to-do' list for a few years, and it finally got done. 

Scrubbing and sanding the trail sign

The kiosk was originally constructed in 2014 by Mark Sullivan from Troop 25. The routered sign was removed and a lot of time was spent sanding and scrubbing the wood in preparation for painting. Meanwhile, the polycarbonate sheet was measured and turned out to be a size and thickness not carried by the big box stores like Home Depot. Was that something we could get from Shelton's very own Modern Plastics? Yes! And the owner Bing Carbone even donated the sheet cut to the exact size as the original. Thank you! 

Much sharper! 

The new glass and refurbished sign really made a big difference to this kiosk. The roof might still need some shingles, but it's so much better! 

We're at a point now where many kiosks and bridges are over ten years old and it seems like there are a lot of structures all needing help at the same time. Meanwhile, the Trails Committee is trying to catch up with all the seasonal overgrowth. If there is anyone out there with some basic carpentry skills willing to help out, let us know! We've also wondered whether any Scouting groups would be willing to help out. 

BMX Track at Boehm Pond Removed

Hats off to a couple different people for alerting us to some unsightly earthwork associated with a rogue BMX bike trail & jumps going on along Boehm Pond Trail just off of Far Mill Street. The early warning allowed us to catch it before things got worse. Thank you! It's so important for people to let us know when something is going on, whether it's a new tree that's fallen across the trail, some graffiti, or rogue trails. 

In this particular case, a friend of the trail confiscated a stack of tools stored at the site and left a note giving the offenders one week to repair the damage or the Police would be called. The trail builders left a reply saying they couldn't repair the damage without their tools and they didn't know building trails wasn't allowed. Another trail friend then witnessed a vehicle with possibly a father and son come in and work on the trail, and got the license plate, which was reported to the PD. This was surprising to learn that at least one adult was involved, although I guess it shouldn't have been. I had assumed it was all the work of dumb kids who don't know any better. But we had that happen at French's Hill a few years ago. A neighbor said she saw parents drop off their kids repeatedly to create and ride on a set of ramps along the trail, right past signs saying "no bikes." A stone wall was ripped apart and big wooden ramp constructed (I needed to use a chainsaw to break it down). Boggles the mind that parents would do that.

3-foot deep hole and a new trail

I didn't know any of that was going on at Boehm Pond when I receive an alert about the trail damage from a different hiker and went to check it out and post some official notices. I found two large holes dug nearly 3 feet deep, multiple ramps, lots of earthwork, litter, boards and logs screwed together, and carved trees. Fortunately, the rogue trail wasn't very long yet. 

Lots of earthwork for the rogue bike trail & jumps

bike ramp

Really? Check the nearby sign...

Nearby sign:
"Prohibited: digging holes or building bike ramps"

"MTB" (mountain bike) marking the rogue trail

And of course a tree top had to fall over the trail right next to the rogue trail. So I returned the next morning, cut the dangling tree top as much as I safely could, repaired all the earth work, filled in the holes, and cleaned up a bunch of litter (all kinds of candy wrappers and such). The wood ramp had already been removed by someone else. It took all of one very hot and muggy morning to clean up the mess, but it's done. The confiscated tools were shown to the Police and will probably be donated. 

Litter hauled away 

As a side note, there is an open space that kids can and do ride with their BMX bikes. It's the Huntington Wellfield property on Huntington Street across from Maple Lane. There are some old sand pits in there that are enjoyed by some of the kids  - no need to build anything. 

The eyesore at Boehm Pond Preserve is gone now, problem solved. And many thanks again to the folks who let us know about this issue before it got any worse. Remember that the trail volunteers don't live out on the trails. Never assume that we are aware about an issue you come across. There are many ways to report a problem. You can post something on the Trails Committee's Facebook Group, contact anyone you might know who is a member of the Trails Committee, or contact myself at conservation@cityofshelton.org (or by phone by calling City Hall 203-924-1555 x1315). Thank you and Happy Trails!

A Brief History of Shelton's Trails

Here's a super brief history of our hiking trails in Shelton, starting with the oldest trails (trails that no longer exist are not included):

1. The Bluff Walk at Riverview Park (early 1900s): The park was donated to the City in the late 1800s by the Shelton Canal Company, and by 1919 there was a carriage path on the south side of the park that is now part of the Bluff Walk. A 1934 aerial clearly shows the existing route of the entire trail. 
   

   

   1934 aerial of Riverview park shows the park road and trails
   (click photo to enlarge)

   
   
2. The Paugussett Trail (1930s): Created by the Connecticut Forest & Park Association (CFPA). The 1937 CFPA Walk Book describes the trail from Roosevelt Forest in Stratford through Indian Well and ending at what is now Birchbank with an access trail leading down the hill towards the Irving Boy Scout Camp (this access trail was the proto Birchbank Trail). A 1940 map shows the trail completed north to Lake Zoar. The Paugussett south of Indian Well was abandoned in the 1980s after Aspetuck Village and other new developments blocked the trail. The City of Shelton re-established the trail south to Buddington Road (formally recognized by CFPA 2013). There have been many substantial relocations of the trail over the years. 
   
   

   

   1946 map showing CFPA trails
   (blue highlight shows location of current trails)

   
   
   
   
3. Birchbank Trail (1930s) began as a blue/yellow CFPA access trail across water company lands to the Paugussett Trail (0.7 mi.), but after many years was abandoned by CFPA in the 1990s due to chronic ATV damage.  After purchasing the property, the City of Shelton re-established the trail as an expanded white-blazed lollipop-loop (2008), following old roads and neighborhood trails. A number of relocations due to erosion have occurred. 
   
   
4. Tahmore Trail (c.1987) was created by the Shelton Land Trust and/or CFPA, and was shown in the 1993 CFPA Walk Book as a blue/yellow side loop of the Paugussett Trail. A major reroute occurred in 2020. 
   
   
5. Oak Valley Trail (1994/1995): This was the first of the modern City of Shelton trails, created under the auspices of the Conservation Commission across what was then known as "Stewart Woods" at Hope Lake. It was originally blazed white, but was changed to red in 2019. 
   
   
6. Nells Rock Trail (1996): The east half of the loop was formally blazed and mapped on the old Abbey Wright property that was originally acquired to be used as a landfill. The loop was extended some time after 2006 when additional property was acquired.
   
   
   
   

   

   Trail Map from 1996

   
   
7. Dominick Trail (1997): This orange-blazed trail first connected J. Dominick Drive (off of Buddington Road) to Nells Rock Trail, then was extended to the back side of Hope Lake and finally to Shelton Ave at the powerlines. Most of the trail was eventually converted to the blue-blazed Paugussett Trail. The south end became a white square access trail, Nells Rock Trail, and a short blue/white connector, while the north end near the Dog Park was reblazed blue/white. 
   
   1997: The Shelton Trails Committee was formed, and the Shelton Lakes Open Space purchase referendum was passed, in 1997. The City would take title to 471 acres for $7 million, including three reservoirs at Shelton Lakes, and the Birchbank property. 
   
   
8. Shelton Lakes Recreaton Path (1998 to 2012): Years of planning and the acquisition of Shelton Lakes allowed clearing to begin in 1998. The path was completed in sections over the years as funding and land acquisitions allowed. The paved section was the first completed (2001) due to funding secured by Dick Belden. The Pine Lake bridge was installed in 2002 and the Lane Street boardwalk was constructed by volunteers in 2006. 
   
   
9. Gristmill Trail (2000): This trail off of Mill Street crosses one of the properties purchased from the water company in 1998. 
   
   
10. Turkey Trot Trail (2001): This loop was created as a 5K track for the school Cross-Country team. It crosses the Shelton Lake property purchased by the water company. 
    
    
11. Boehm Pond Trails (2008): This trail system is located off of Far Mill Street and Winthrop Woods Road. 
    
    
12. Nichols Trail (2010): Originally known as the "Perimeter Trail" at Nicholdale Farm, this trail was created by Scout Joe Delgado for the Shelton Land Trust. The Trails Committee helps maintain the trail because it provides access to the City's Pearmain Path. 
    
    
13. Dog Paw Path (c. 2012): Blazed with little dog prints, this trail leads from the Dog Park (behind the big barn) to the Rec Path
    
    
14. Flower Path (2012): This connector at Shelton Lakes leads from the Rec Path to Eklund Garden.
    
    
15. SIS Connector (2014): This yellow-blazed connector runs along Shelton Ave next to the Intermediate school. 
    
    
16. Little Pond Trail (2014): This short trail off of Beech Tree Hill Road was created by Luke Claire for his Eagle Scout project. 
    
    
17. The Pearmain Path (2014/2020): The first version of this trail was completed in 2014 to comply with an old DEEP grant requirement. A return loop through the private Jones property & Land Trust "Little Knoll" property was completed in 2020. 
    
    
18. Basil Brook Bypass (2015): This trail at Huntington Woods (Shelton Lakes) allowed for loop options off the Rec Path and for mountain bikes to "bypass" the Rec Path. 
    
    
19. Stockmal & Willis Trails (2018): Previous trails on these lands had been created by Boy Scouts via the Land Trust, but became overgrown and abandoned, so new trails were created. Stockmal Trail was required under an old DEEP grant. 
    
    
20. Indian Well Beech Cut-Off Trail (2020): This blue/red trail provides quicker and easier access to the Falls from the Beech, and can be used to make a loop. 
    
    
21. French's Hill (2022): This loop trail system is off of East Village Road and is required under a DEEP grant.
    
    
22. Burritt's Bypass (2022): This blue/green trail at Birchbank offers a safer way to descend a rocky slope ("Burritt's Rocks") while northbound on the Paugussett. 
    
    
23. Woodsend Trail (2023): This one-mile trail was created thru Housatonic Woods Preserve after an open space purchase allowed for public parking. The new trail passes over a rock face above Rt 110 and Indian Well, and allows for a lollipop loop when combined with the Paugussett Trail.
    
    
24. Curtiss Brook Connector (2025): This trail, which is still under construction, will allow pedestrians to get off a narrow section of Rt 108 when trying to access the Rec Path at Pine Lake.