Shelton's Lost Trails

A trail to the Pine Rock Park "Swimming Hole" had to be 
fenced off due to rampant misuse and mountains of litter

Here are some trails we used to have in Shelton and now we don't.  The reasons for the trails being abandoned vary, but we've learned to think hard about whether any new trail should be built. Is it on protected land? Who will maintain it? Is there parking?  Will anyone want to use the trail?  But even if the trail is used and maintained, other issues may shut it down, as in our first example: 

Far Mill River Trail at Pine Rock Park  This trail to the so-called "swimming hole" at Pine Rock Park was around for decades in one form or another, mostly following a sewer line to a deep pool below gorgeous falls in the river. It's one of the prettiest spots in Shelton. But with the rise of the Internet, word got out, and growing crowds of people began to descend on the swimming hole. They came from as far away as New York or New Jersey, and caused all sorts of problems in the neighborhood, clogging the streets, leaving piles of litter, and keeping people up at night. The City of Shelton spent years enforcing 'no parking' signs from the adjacent Pine Rock Park neighborhood. When a commercial development proposal for 865 River Road came before the Planning and Zoning Commission in 2006, an arrangement was made to provide parking spots there in the hopes that people would stop parking in Pine Rock Park. That did work for awhile.

Trail to the Pine Rock Park "Swimming Hole,"
now fenced off from the general public

The Trails Committee became involved at that point, creating a trail in 2008 from the back of 865 River Road to connect with the old trail. It was a lot of work and included three sets of stairs, but the area was beautiful, and the trail provided fishing access. Sadly, over the years the crowds kept growing and growing, causing serious problems in the parking lot and leaving enormous piles of litter at the "swimming hole" each summer weekend as well as lots of graffiti. (Here's a blog post about that from 2013).  Finally, in 2015, the City of Shelton allowed the owner to erect a tall fence and prohibit river access from their facility. 

That returned pressure at Pine Rock Park, and in 2021 an 8-ft fence was installed along the back of the City's Pearl Bach Open Space where people were cutting through to gain access to Stratford's property.  Public access to the Swimming Hole was thus eliminated. 

The old part of the trail follows a sewer line

This was always a frustrating and complex issue because the open space property in question, north of the river, is within the boundaries of Shelton, but owned by the Town of Stratford as part of their Far Mill River Park. So the City of Shelton didn't have authority to manage it, but the Town of Stratford didn't have good access and considered it to be a nature preserve, not a public facility that needed intense daily management. For a couple years, Stratford had an access trail on their side of the river, with a tiny parking spot, but the trail was covered in thorny overgrowth and the tiny parking lot became a problem.  Everyone finally just gave up and fenced it off. It was a real loss because the river is absolutely gorgeous. And this is why we can't have nice things. 

This type of problem is happening all over the state where there are potential "swimming holes." At Indian Well State Park, problems at the falls have gotten so bad that park staff have taken to closing off the parking area and making the falls as hard to access as possible. The problems at Wadsworth Falls State Park became so bad that neighbors created a Facebook Page to address the issue. 

Well Spring Estates/Far Mill Crossing: This short-lived trail was located along the south side of the Far Mill River near Old Stratford Road and Far Mill Crossing. It was only about 800 feet long, if that, but passed by some interesting old ruins and provided fishing access. Its creation was one of the conditions of approval for the PDD housing development known as Well Spring Estates in 2004. Designated public parking was down a driveway off of Far Mill Crossing. Trails Committee volunteers did some maintenance (see this blog post for some nice photos of a work party), but that came to an end when the public parking area was eliminated. Residents had concerns that parked vehicles might obstruct emergency response vehicles. The general public is now required to park on the street and walk down the driveway to access a very short trail, something most people wouldn't want to do.  

Trail at Well Spring Estates, now overgrown.
The parking area was closed to the public, ending interest in
maintaining the trail.

This particular trail still has some potential. It officially ended at the border with private properties, although an old fishing path continued along the edge of the river. On the other side of these private properties (0.4 mile) is some Shelton Open Space and then Stratford's Far Mill River Park, which continues for over a mile along the steep river bank to Rt 110.  Conservation & Trails have long hoped to extend the Paugussett Trail from Buddington Road to the Far Mill River and out to Rt 110, ending at the old landfill (which was supposed to have a public access/boating component to it on the river side), but there are many hurdles that would need to be cleared. 

Wakelee View Trail (Waterview Drive): This trail was formally proposed by the Open Space Committee in 1996 (this committee no longer exists) for the Shelton Heights Industrial Park area off of Constitution Blvd South. The details are lost to time, but people involved seem to remember that it was in response to a request by Pitney Bowes.  The industrial park was mostly still vacant at the time. The Trails Committee had not yet been established, but a few years later the committee was created and the 0.9-mile Wakelee View Trail became their first project. No idea why it was called that. The trail traversed the periphery of the industrial park through a 100-ft conservation easement area up on an open hillside. 

Wakelee View Trail
(most of the buildings had not been constructed yet)

It was a big project but almost immediately became overgrown.  Trails Committee members had been under the impression that Pitney Bowes employees would help out with maintenance, but it didn't happen. The trail never seems to have gotten much use, probably because it was unimproved (a paved or crushed stone path would be more attractive for people on their lunch hour, like the popular paved corporate path near Trap Falls Reservoir).  Also, this was the same year that the Shelton Lake regions became open space, and the Trails Committee's volunteers were enthusiast about getting some new trails there established, including the Rec Path. 

Wakelee View Trail

Land Trust/Boy Scout Trails: A number of trails created by Boy Scouts have been lost over the years, including a network of trails across the Stockmal and Willis Woods properties. Prior to the creation of Nicholdale Farm in the 1990s, the Stockmal family hosted a Boy Scout camping area on their private land, which abuts the Land Trust's Willis Woods property. A number of hiking trails were blazed, but after the Scout camp was moved to the new Nicholdale Farm property, those trails were not maintained and became impassible.  Some sections of the newer Stockmal Trail and Willis Wood Trail coincide with these lost trails. The Scout camp was located at the current end of Stockmal Trail.

Another Land Trust/Scout trail in danger of being lost is the one off of Commerce Drive leading down towards the Far Mill River. A kiosk marks the spot. This was a great project and benches were installed. A general challenge of hiking trails created by Scouts is there is often no maintenance program in place to keep those trails clear, so they become overgrown quickly, especially if crossing sunny areas with lots of vegetation.

CFPA's Paugussett Trail, Hook-Up Trail, and the Birchbank Access Trail: Built in the 1930s, the Paugussett Trail used to stretch from the Stevenson Dam in Monroe all the way through Shelton to Roosevelt Forest in Stratford. The trail was managed by the non-profit Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA). Everything south of Indian Well was abandoned in the  1970s or 80s when land was cleared for new housing developments. The trail was originally built largely on private property with only a handshake agreement, so when suburbanization ramped up, the trail was lost. The construction of Aspetuck Village was a major disruption, as were the office parks along Commerce Drive. Note that a portion of the trail was re-established in the 2010's using a new, protected route. Read more.  Many other sections of the Paugussett from Birchbank to Webb Mtn were also lost or shifted in response to subdivisions. Lesson: Route trails on preserved lands where possible, or otherwise try to preserve a corridor for them. 

1946 CFPA Map showing the Paugussett, Pomperaug, 
and Hook-Up Trails (click to enlarge)
Surviving routes are in blue

The Hook-Up Trail linked the Paugussett Trail in Shelton to the Pomperaug Trail in Monroe. It passed through farmland of the White Hills. We don't know much about this trail, but assume it was lost when private properties were subdivided.  Much of the southern Pomperaug Trail was also lost, and one orphaned stretch south of the Stevenson Dam was became part of the Paugussett Trail. Read more.

The Birchbank Access Trail to the Paugussett, blazed blue/yellow, was official abandoned due to unchecked ATV damage. After the City of Shelton purchased the land in 1998, the trail was re-opened (now blazed white), and ATV use was enforced. 

The Bluff Walk at Riverview Park: A section of Shelton's first recreational trail was lost when it was buried under fill for a ballfield and the basketball parking area. The trail goes way back to the at least the early 1900s and can be seen on an aerial from 1934. The two ballfields were in place by 1965 and the basketball court by 2004. The section in the photo below still exists behind the large ballfield, while a new trail was dug into the fill slope behind the small ballfield. The Bluff Walk currently crosses the pavement at the basketball courts because the fill slope is too steep for a trail (a portion collapsed in a landslide a few years ago). 

Old post card showing the Bluff Walk at Riverview Park,
looking down on the canal. 

Our Crew Slang for Trail Locations

"The Pin Oaks" section of the Paugussett is located between 
"the Maybeck Wall" and "the Tunnel." 

Trail crews need a quick way to specify locations out in the middle of the woods, so they make up names.  Here are some (mostly) unofficial names that get used, many going back decades. It's interesting to see how place names are created on the fly. Many start out as jokes, some start out as landmark descriptions and get shortened, and a few are from old deeds. What's important is that they stick. Something about the name is memorable and people keep using them.  New members can be a little lost when the old timers throw out these names, so here's a glossary. 

 Rec Path: (locations are listed going south)

• The Missing Link: This is the unpaved section between the High School and the Intermediate School. The Rec Path was completed over many years in various phases. The paved portion was the first part completed, but it stopped at the junction with the school path, and the way ahead was a tangled mass of vegetation. To continue following the Rec Path, you had to detour onto the school paths and rejoin the Rec Path at Constitution Blvd. Committee members refer to that section as "the Missing Link" to this day. 
• Dean's Gate: This is the big gate you walk around just before you get to Oak Valley Road. Yahoos in trucks were forcing the original gate open and driving up the old road (now Oak Valley Trail) to Shelton Ave, so Dean Cawthra, working in the Parks & Rec Department, had a very heavy-duty custom gate installed. It worked. 
• Great Ledge: This is the big ledge under the powerlines between Oak Valley Road and Wesley Drive. The name came from very old deeds and is now frequently used because it's catchy.
• Lizard Head Rock: This is the rock formation near the upper Wesley Drive crossing. In the 1990s, when the Huntington Woods development was first proposed (as 210 condos!) and the land was still wooded, Conservation & Trails representatives were scouting out the area trying to figure out where they could feasibly build the Rec Path. Someone mentioned that the landmark rock formation looked like Godzilla (that hit movie had recently come out). It doesn't, really, but the comment stuck. Ever since then, the rock has been referred to as "Lizard Head." For a few years, that stretch of trail was called "Lizard Lane."
• Upper and Lower Wesley Crossings: The upper crossing is where the Rec Path crosses Wesley Drive up on the hill (the north crossing near Crab Apple Circle) and the lower crossing is the one at the bottom of the hill (the south crossing heading towards Lane Street). 

The Rec Path's "Missing Link" in 2007
It's still called that, even though the trail was built years ago.

Nells Rock Trail: 

• Four Corners: This is the north trail junction between Nells Rock Trail and the Paugussett Trail. No one really remembers how it got this name, other than the junction is very open and at right angles. 
• Gator Glide: This is the smooth ledge underfoot just before you arrive at the powerlines if going counterclockwise around the loop. Occasionally water will glide down the rock from the swamp up above. According to legend, Trails Committee member Bill Dyer once got the Trails Gator going a bit too fast and became briefly airborne when going down the glide. Hence "Gator Glide."  
• Abby Wright parking area: This is the parking lot across from L'Hermitage Condos and Chordas Pond, one of four recreational parking areas along Nells Rock Road. Abby Wright was the former property owner, and the land was original acquired many decades ago to be used as a landfill. Conservation Commission members always referred to the property as the Abby Wright open space. 

"Gator Glide" while flooded
(this is the treadway for Nells Rock Trail)

Oak Valley Trail

• The Sheep Pen Bridge: This is where a new bridge was constructed in 2024. Staff had noted the remains of a zig-zag fence parallel to a rock face, giving the spot the look of a livestock enclosure. Since sheep were common in the 1800s, it became known as the Sheep Pen. And the bridge became the Sheep Pen Bridge. 
• Cranberry Swamp: OK, this one doesn't get used much, but its name goes back to the 1700's and 1800's from deeds. It's the vast swamp that Oak Valley Trail circles goes around. Maybe it once had cranberries?

The Sheep Pen Bridge, Oak Valley Trail

Paugussett Trail South (Buddington Rd to RT 110) (locations are listed going north)

• "J" Pond: This is the tiny vernal pool located between Nells Rock Trail and Eklund Garden. A bridge crosses the pool. The name comes from the shape of the pond, which appears to be man-made. Salamanders are known to breed in the pond. Spooner Swamp is the big nearby wooded wetland, formerly owned by the Spooners. 
• Northwest Passage: This name has pretty much died out, but was used extensively while the blue trail was being extended north from Shelton Lakes towards Indian Well, around 2007. It refers to the section between Independence Drive and Meadow Street, especially Wiacek Meadows, which was the last and hardest section of the trail to route and construct. The terrain is poorly drained with hard pan, there are vast thorny barberry thickets, and the powerlines run through it.  The term "Northwest Passage" means a fabled route that might turn out to be a pipe dream, so it was something of a joke. Much of this trail has been shifted and "improved" over the years in response to extensive mud, roots, and gullies. 
• Dyer Straits: Another obsolete one. This referenced the first route of the new blue trail just north of Independence Drive, where it went directly under the powerlines and crossed a brook. It was a nightmare to maintain, and was later shifted into the trees (and later shifted again due to wetlands). Committee member Richard Skudlarek made up the name Dyer Straits in jest at one point (we don't remember the specifics, but it involved Bill Dyer) and it stuck for many years.
• Indy Link: This is the section between Independence Drive and Constitution Blvd. "Indy" is short for Independence Drive, and "Link" signifies a section of trail that is not so much a destination hike as a way to get from one park to another. This term was thought out deliberately because it was annoying to keep saying "that section north of Independence Drive." 
• The Maybeck Wall: This is the big, long stone wall that the trail follows at Wiacek Meadows (between Constitution and Meadow Street). The wall once defined the boundary between the Wiacek and Maybeck families. The trail has shifted repeatedly along the wall due to poor drainage. Sheri Maybeck used to be on the Trails Committee, and the Maybecks had cows you could sometimes hear while hiking that spot, so another name for this area was "over by Sheri's cows."
• The Pin Oaks (at Wiacek Meadows): This is where an 85-foot bog walk was constructed in 2024. In between hayfield, there's a wooded section with some tall Pin Oaks, a tree that can handle wet feet. We don't often see a grove of Pin Oaks in the woods, so that name stuck. 
• The Tunnel (at Wiacek Meadows): Heading north, just before coming out onto Meadow Street, the trail goes through a narrow strip of trees. This marks where a developer began earthwork to create a new cul-de-sac that would have been called Chalk Hill Road (the work stopped abruptly when the Mayor seized the land via eminent domain). The disturbed ground could no longer be hayed, and was taken over by gray birch and Autumn Olive. For a time, it was very tunnel-like. It still sort of is, but the trees are maturing and it seems more like a wooded strip. The name has stuck, however. 
• The Ruins (Housatonic Woods): These are the ruins of an old barn foundation located below Mayflower Lane and above Housatonic Rise. The barn is believed to be connected to an old farm based along Meadow Street. 

"The Tunnel" runs through a strip that was bulldozed for a
new cul-de-sac, then abandoned and allowed to reforest itself.
The strip is surrounded by hayfields.

Paugussett Trail - Indian Well to Birchbank (locations are listed going north)

• The Ruins (Indian Well): Located between Rt 110 and the falls near the Maples, these ruins are circa the 1940's. We've been told it was an old Park Ranger office. 
• The Stairs: There are stairs, and then there "THE STAIRS." This is the flight of over 50 steps heading up from the beach area on the white-blazed access trail. The Stair are rotting rapidly, so we're not sure how long this name will work. 
• Three Doe Plateau: This is the flat area north of The Stairs. Teresa kept seeing three deer on the plateau. 
• Blowdown Brook: Heading north on the Paugussett, you cross a series of seasonal brooks, then half a mile after The Stairs, you arrive at a year-round brook just before the trail starts to head uphill. This is called Blowdown Brook because every year after Team Gallagher were appointed CFPA Trail Managers, a giant tree would fall across the trail. The first two years these tree also blocked the brook crossing. 
• Hickory Hill: "The hill near Hickory Lane" was shortened to "Hickory Hill." This is the long climb immediately after Blowdown Brook as the trail heads uphill to avoid the worst of Burritt's Rocks. 
• Birch-Well: The rugged south end of Birchbank Mountain and north end of Indian Well, infested with Burritt's Rocks (see below). 
• Burritt's Rocks: Very old deeds for the north part of Indian Well and south part of Birchbank reference these locations as "a place called Burritts Rocks." We like to think the name started out as a joke on Mr. Burritt. So. Many. Rocks. 
• Border Brook: Fun Fact - No one knows exactly where the property line between Indian Well State Park and Birchbank Mountain is located. Old deeds have no good description. The CT DEEP has no idea, and hours were spent searching old deeds. We do know it's a line just south of a brook, so obviously we call that "Border Brook." Practically speaking, we use the brook as the property line. 
• The Boulders or Boulder Scramble: This could mean so many things, but for us it means the stretch where you need to use your hands to climb over boulders. It's critical if you're carrying chainsaw gear to know whether a blowdown is on the north side or south side of "the Boulders" so you know which way to come in. No one wants to try to scramble over the boulders with all that gear.
• Benchmark Brook: This is the brook located near the junctions with the blue/green and the blue/white trails before you get to the overlook (northbound). It started out as "that brook where Mark cut that giant log" and then "Marks Brook." But it's also the same brook that crosses Birchbank Trail down below, next to a Scout bench, where it was dubbed "the brook at the bench" or the "bench brook." Combining the two names, it became "Bench/Mark's Brook", so obviously Benchmark Brook it had to be. Benchmark also means landmark, which it is, so there you go. 
• The Charcoal Mound: Beyond the overlook, just before Paugussett joins up with Birchbank Trail, are the remnants to an old charcoal-making spot right on the edge of the trail. There's a bit of a broad mound, and bits of charcoal. This was probably from the 1800s, used to manufacture brass and copper. 

"The Ruins" at Indian Well, a former park ranger office.
The front wall collapsed in 2025.

Woodsend Trail: This is a new trail, but there are still a few landmarks that get referenced: 

• Tangerine Squeezer: Heading south, this is where the cliffs begin. The trail squeezes between a large tree and a rock face, with a sharp drop off close by. 
• The Barberry Hellscape: This is the southern section of the trail where it passes through an almost impenetrable thicket of tall, thorny Japanese Barberry, big vines, and blackberries. The trail was a real challenge to route and build through here, and that's where the name came from. Even the some of the wildlife prefers to walk down the trail rather than fight the Barberry, according to tracks in the snow. 

The Barberry Hellscape

Usage Examples: 

"Hey Terry, there's a new blowdown at Indian Well between Three Doe Plateau and Blowdown Brook. Sharpen up the saw!" 

"Gator Glide is pretty slick today. I'd take the crews up the glide but not down it."

"The blowdown is at Birchbank, but just south of The Boulders, so I'd go in through Indian Well." 

"That section between the Tunnel and the Pin Oaks is really overgrown."

2025 Recap and 2026 Goals

Curtiss Brook Trail was a big 2025 project

Before we get to our goals for 2026, here's our 2025 Recap: 

• Volunteer Hours - We logged 1,168 hours of volunteer trail work in 2025, mostly clearing out vegetation and cutting up blowdowns. Using a published value for volunteer labor in Connecticut, that works out to a value of $42,562. This doesn't include all our anonymous trail angels who pick up sticks and litter from the trails, report blowdowns, and so forth. 
• Special Projects: Curtiss Brook Trail was created below Pine Lake, providing a safer and more scenic connection from the downtown area to the Rec Path. The project involved substantial earthwork and the construction of a bridge.  At Boehm Pond, the Corn Hill access trail was created, drainage issues were addressed, and new signs were added. For the Paugussett Trail, a major bridge was replaced near Independence Drive. Three kiosks were refurbished, including major repairs to the Hope Lake kiosk. The SIS Connector was reblazed, and routered signs were added at each end. 
• Events: Three guided hikes were scheduled, but due to poor weather and trouble getting the word out, only one person attended. 
• Trails Committee Membership: Mark Rowan was officially appointed to the Committee by the Board of Aldermen, replacing Val Gosset, who moved out of state. 

Here are the Trails Committee's goals for 2026:

1. Refurbish three kiosks: Turkey Trot, Oak Valley at the powerlines, and Gristmill Trail. 
   
   
2. Construct a bog walk at the Stockmal Trail bridge approach. This is at Willis Woods, across the highway from Nicholdale Farm. There's a low mucky area that occasionally floods (with a current) just before the bridge. A stretch of bog walk will allow for better footing but not impede flood waters. The hardest part will be getting the lumber there. 
   
   
3. Improve the SIS Connector trail. This may be the big project for 2026. An upgrade will make this short connector trail more inviting to people who stick to the "improved" paths like the Rec Path and school paths, allowing them to walk a 1-mile very easy loop (handicapped friendly?). The Committee is looking into spreading some crushed stone where there are a lot of roots, constructing a bridge across the emergency spillway, widening the trail, and addressing two slopes. There may be one or more work parties in April so that SHS students in need of last-minute community service can help out. Maybe a crosswalk at Constitution Blvd, but that's up to the Street Committee. 
   
   
4. Obtain rewards for some of the more dedicated volunteers, such as hats. We have some people who are not on the Trails Committee, but often come and help clear out the trails. One option is hats that say "Shelton Trails" and "Volunteer" on them.  
   
   
5. Resurface and improve drainage along the Rec Path between Lane Street and the upper Wesley crossing. A contractor will be needed for this.
   
   
6. Construct a Paugussett Trail bridge at Birchbank Mountain over Upper White Hills Brook at the chimney.  We've wanted a bridge here for a long time, but it's a difficult spot. The brook floods with tremendous force, and it will not be easy to get supplies to this location. Because this is one of CFPA's Blue-Blazed Trails, staff at CFPA has said they might be able to have their summer crew build a bride. We're crossing our fingers! 

The Evolving Boehm Pond Trail System

A new map for 2026
(click image to enlarge)

There are new orange blazes at Boehm Pond this year with the addition of an access trail to Corn Hill Road. The access trail had been requested by the neighborhood so they wouldn't have to walk or drive down Far Mill Street to get on the trail system. There's a sharp descent down the embankment at the end of the cul-de-sac that was tricky to build (a few steps were needed), but after that it's a quick walk of 0.2 mile to get to the loops. 

The new access trail descends
steeply off of Corn Hill Road

After updating the trail map, I looked back at the history of this park and trail system. It's a great example of how parks and trail system evolve bit by bit over the years, explaining quirks that might leave you scratching your head.  

What we now call Boehm Pond Preserve has two parts. The older and larger section along Far Mill Street was acquired from the water company BHC about 50 years ago. The specifics have been lost to time, but it was likely excess watershed, because although it's located close to their Far Mill Reservoir (aka Isinglass Res.), it does not drain to it. It may have been a donation or used to pay taxes*. The water company probably owned the property for many decades and the usual signs of farming, like stone walls, are absent. Instead, we have several old mounds left behind from the making of charcoal, which was commonly used by the brass mills of the region.   

This 31-acre property was acquired
from BHC in 1976. The section to the north
was added in 2006.

The second part, about 20 acres, was added in 2006 when the old Boehm family farm was subdivided. This part is located mostly north of Winthrop Woods Road and includes the man-made pond for which the park is named.  

The original trail system in 2008
Note the network of ATV trails
(click image to enlarge)

2008 The trail system begins: The Trails Committee blazed an official white loop around on some old ATV tracks. For year, the open space property had been overlooked and was heavily impacted by ATVs, bike jump ramps and pits, firewood harvesting, and a maze of unauthorized trails.  A yellow spur trail to the newly acquired pond was also constructed, along with a bridge over Boehm Brook. 

2011 map showing the new yellow extension

2010 Yellow loop added: The Trails Committee cut a new trail in order to make a larger loop for hiking and blazed it yellow. 

2019 map showing the new red trail
and the active beaver pond.
Note the old ATV trails removed from the map as 
they began to recover

2019 Red trail added: While collecting city-wide data on conservation and pedestrian easements, a pedestrian easement involving Boehm Circle was noted. This is a private road, but during the subdivision process, a pedestrian easement was granted over the road for access to the new parkland. Beyond the paved road, the easement followed an old farm road that lead to the Boehm Pond, the same old road the official yellow spur trail followed for a short ways. The Trails Committee made a decision to clear out the old farm road and blaze it. At this time we noted that there was confusion while hiking because there were two intersections of the white and yellow trails. People didn't know where they were on the trail system. To clear up that problem, part of the yellow trail was reblazed red, and this red trail was extended all the way to Boehm Circle. Shortly after the trail was extended, beaver dammed up the pond outlet and the red trail became a fun shoreline trail for a couple years. 

2024  Microburst hits the park: One problem at this park up near Far Mill Street (which is at the top of  a hill) was how bare it was, for multiple reasons.  Oak-beech forests tend to be pretty sparse when it comes to shrubs and other plants, but there are also way too many deer eating any plant that tries to grow, and years of firewood harvesting that cleared out every stick of dead wood. The 2024 microburst dropped many trees near the top of the hill just below Far Mill Street. Although it looks messy, it also looks more natural now and helps shield the view of houses from the trail. In nature, messy is good. As a bonus, extra light should be reaching the forest floor, hopefully leading to new growth. 

* The filed deed states that the premises are "subject to the statutory lien for taxes payable to the City of Shelton on the Grand List of Oct. 1, 1975 which the grantee shall be responsible for."

Rec Path/SIS Loop

The SIS Connector is shown in blue
(click image to enlarge)

The SIS Connector Trail is possibly the most overlooked trail we have, if you consider that it can be used to created a one mile Rec Path loop that circles around the Intermediate School and features views of Silent Waters. The loop is 0.7 mile Rec Path (crushed stone), 0.1 mile school path (paved), and 0.2 mile SIS Connector (natural surface). 

The north end of the trail begins
behind SIS near a gate and a ballfield

The north end of the trail follows the top of a berm

The Connector Trail was recently freshened up with new blazes and routered signs were added at each end because apparently no one knew this trail existed. It was created in 2014 and has been shown on our trail map for a decade, but many people (sadly) tend not to look at the trail maps.  As a result, it tended to become overgrown. Every trail needs some foot traffic. Otherwise it just looks like some blazed trees in the woods. Speaking of blazes, this one is marked with yellow squares. 

The south end of the trail at Constitution Blvd
kitty-corner from the Dog Park

Here's a verbal description of the one-mile loop counterclockwise:

1. Park on Constitution Blvd North just past the Intermediate School at the hiker lot for the Rec Path and Turkey Trot Trail. 

2. Follow the Rec Path for 0.6 mile, passing the overlook for Silent Waters and continuing as if you were headed for Shelton Ave and the Dog Park. 

3. When you get to the intersection of Shelton Ave and Constitution Blvd, do NOT cross at the crosswalk for Shelton Ave. Cross Constitution Blvd instead. You should see a routered sign on a pine tree that says "SIS CONNECTOR" on it. 

4. Follow the yellow blazes of the Connector Trail for 0.2 mile, which comes to a "T" with a paved school path with ballfield on your right and the school to your left. Turn RIGHT onto the school path, keeping the ballfield to your right and continue for 0.1 mile. 

5. Turn LEFT when you come to the four-way junction, immediate after a bridge over Curtiss Brook. Follow the Rec Path for 0.1 mile to Constitution Blvd and your car. 

There is always the potential for an upgrade to a handicapped-accessible crushed stone surface. That would result in a one-mile handicapped accessible loop. Until then, the surface of the Connector Trail is natural, meaning there are some roots and uneven footing. 

Bridge Replacement for the Paugussett Indy Link

2025: Marc Rowen and Jeff Belair 
on the new bridge

Two new bridges in one month! This one was a replacement for Scout bridge on the Paugussett Trail just north of Independence Drive. There was no way the old bridge was going to make it thru another winter.  Maybe not even another week. There was rot everywhere.  

2013: Bridge installed by Daniel Vigezzi & Crew
Troop 27

This bridge had been through a lot. It was originally installed in 2013 by Daniel Vigezzi and Troop 27 as an Eagle Scout project back when the Paugussett Trail was brand new in this part of town. But the land is very wet with lots of roots, and over the next few years the chosen route turned into a muddy soup during the wet season. 

2020: Bridge moved by Marc Santacapita & Crew
Troop 19

So in 2020 we shifted the wettest section of the trail with the help of more Scouts. Marc Santacapita & Troop 19 moved Daniel's bridge to the a new location, which is just below the confluence of two intermittent streams. This spot has been backing up and flooding a few times a year, with water flowing over the trail. The bridge was well-pinned, so it never floated away, but it obstruct the flow at times. 

2025: Patched by Mark Vollaro in 2024, the bridge
is super punky and trapping leaves and sticks

In 2024, we noted that the bridge was getting a bit punky, but it was late in the season and pretty cold when one of the beams cracked in the center, with one side of the bridge visibly sagging. Mark Vollaro administered an emergency patch to get it through the winter, which included a stack of cinder blocks under the cracked section.  We meant to replace the bridge in 2025 while the stream bed was dry, but ran out of time. It seemed this would be a 2026 project. But during a November trail monitoring check, I saw that sticks and leaves had packed in under the bridge due to the cinder blocks. It looked like a beaver dam under there, and the water was higher on one side. And the beams were punkier than ever. If the bridge didn't collapse on a hiker, a big storm might just blow it out. And the trail was likely to then be impassable. 

Terry designed a replacement bridge and spent
a morning getting lumber to the site with Teresa

So Terry Gallagher drew up a bridge plan and supply list, and we spent a Saturday morning getting the lumber onsite. It sounds simple, and it is, but it's time consuming. First there was the truck rental, then endlessly picking through boards at Home Depot to find good ones, loading the rental truck, unloading the truck, returning the truck (and gassing it back up), and carrying all those heavy boards down the trail. It took all morning.

Terry's plan called for heavier timbers than the original bridge, and for the bridge to be placed on 5x5s to raise it up and allow for flood waters to flow unobstructed. This should also give it the wood better air flow so it's less prone to rot. 

Mark and Jeff pulled decking off the old bridge

After we got the wood onsite, I put out a request for help to a core group of volunteers to start working on the bridge. Jeff Belair and Mark Rowen both offered to help, so the three of us met at the site and got to work.  Having Jeff there for a construction project is a huge help since he has a ton of carpentry experience and knows how to get things done. 

The old frame crumpled from rot when it was tossed aside. 

Jeff and Mark quickly fabricated the two beams and walked one end of each across the old bridge, then used them as planks while they unscrewed the decking off the old bridge. When they flipped the old bridge frame off to the side, both of the old beams promptly crumpled. So much rot! Hard to believe the bridge had still been standing. 

So much rot! This is one of the two beams holding it up

Mark cleared out the clogged channel

As I started cutting up the boards, Mark donned a pair of waders and started cleaning out the sticks and leaves that had dammed up there. I had removed a lot of a few days earlier, but there was still plenty to pull out of there. Mark was just officially appointed to the Trails Committee by the Board of Aldermen, so we joked that this was his initiation. The cinder blocks were temporarily left in place in order to support one of the beams while they worked on it. 

Jeff attached the frame spacers

Jeff somehow managed to keep his feet dry through all of this, which is a special talent. After assembling the frame, the guys set it on four 5x5 landscaping timbers, taking care to level them out with rocks. This was all going very quickly. 

Jeff and Mark raised the frame up on 5x5 landscaping timbers

While Jeff installed the decking at the speed of light, Mark dismantled what was left of the old bridge, and we carried all the old boards up to the road. 

Jeff installed the decking and then crafted steps
using left-over lumber

Once the decking was done, Jeff improvised a step on each side using boards that were left over. The old bridge decking was nearly level with the trail, but this new bridge decking was maybe 18" up. The steps were a great addition. 

It's done!

And just like that, the bridge was done! It took just over three hours to construct. It actually took longer than that just to get the lumber there. 

Teresa returned to fix a nearby tilted
section of bog walk 

But wait, there's more! The other issue I had noted during my trail inspection was a nearby section of bogwalk that had rotated and was now tilted at a sharp angle. It would be impossible to walk on if wet and slippery. It had been a problem for a few years because the supporting 6x6's "sleepers" were too short for the soupy mud there. But it had suddenly gotten much worse because a couple nearby small trees had begun to uproot, pulling up the ground under one side of the bogwalk.  I worked on that for the rest of the afternoon. I cut away the root balls from under the bogwalk and then added three landscaping timbers that were nice and long to spread the weight out across the muck. Much better!

A nice end to the day!

Trail Monitoring Example: The Paugussett

See the big white mattress off to the left? 
It's on the edge of Indian Well Road. 

We're always asking for help with trail monitoring. People ask us what is involved and aren't always clear about it. So here's an example of trail monitoring. Over the weekend, I hiked the south end of the Paugussett from the falls area at Indian Well to Buddington Road, maybe five miles.  The Paugussett is a long trail where some sections get hiked frequently and others rarely, so I wanted one long hike where I would see it all before heading into winter. 

The first issue was a big white mattress dumped of the side of Indian Well Road. An eyesore for hikers, but not visible from the road. I noted the exact location so I could explain it to the DOT. 

Log across the trail

Then there was a new log across the trail. Easy enough to step over, but should get cut eventually. My foot in the photo is for scale and I noted the exact location. Note that we intentionally leave some logs across certain trails, especially at Birchbank, to discourage wheeled traffic. So it helps to be familiar with the trail. I also removed some sticks from the trail and picked up some litter. 

The base of the sign is broken

When I got to Rt 110, I saw that the blue oval "Paugussett Trail" sign was leaning. I examined the base and found it had snapped in two. Another issue for the CT DOT. 

Patio umbrella below Sinsabaugh Heights

When the trail reached the edge of the Sinsabaugh Heights Senior Housing, there was some litter that had blown in, including a big patio umbrella that I folded up and left at the base of one of the buildings. There was also a bird feeder that maybe a bear dragged into the bushes. I couldn't get it because it was in thorny raspberries and I wasn't prepared for that. 

Yet more piles of landscaping debris at Mayflower Lane

Mayflower Lane has always been problem, and for years people have been leaving big piles of lawn debris at the edge of the trail. There's always a fresh new pile, but it's hard to say which house it came from (possibly several houses). I've put up official signs and they get ripped down. It's frankly embarrassing. That's our trail entrance and we want it to look nice, not like a waste pile. Sure enough, there was a fresh pile of bright red ornamental Japanese Maple leaves. Grrr. 

Caught in action, House #30 

But wait, this time the culprit was obvious! A few houses up the road there was a big blue tarp in the road with the same leaves being gathered. I spoke with the homeowner at 30 Mayflower Lane, who said he dumped his leaves in the open space at the trailhead, but claimed it was OK because he wasn't dumping "IN" the trail, but at the edge of it, and there are already leaves there, so it doesn't matter. In terms of trail monitoring, having photos and a record of who exactly is causing problems is quite helpful.  The homeowner can later be notified in writing, and any subsequent violations are then a "knowing" violation and more subject to penalties. 

A bit shaggy but not horrible

The section beyond Meadow Street looked OK. A bit shaggy here and there, which was not surprising since I hadn't been there for a few months, but not bad. The bog walk and stepping stones installed last year were in good shape.  

The Eversource work completed last year is finally regrowing

Crossing Wellington and heading towards Independence Drive, it was nice to see everything growing back where Eversource had turned the trail into a construction site. A much nicer walk and the ground seemed more firm.

Tilted bog walk section

Back into the woods just before Independence Drive I noted a bog walk section was very tilted and not something you would want to step on if wet. This was problem before that had gotten worse. 

Houston, we have a problem

This brought me to the only critical trail issue: A rotting bridge that was turning into a dam of leaves and sticks. This has been on the todo list for the Trails Committee all season. A temporary fix was done previously to prevent the bridge from collapsing, with cinder blocks placed in the brook to hold up the bridge, but those cinder blocks were obstructing the water and the top three blocks had shifted over the fourth block. The brook frequently floods to the top of the bridge with a strong current, so this bridge may not survive the winter. 

Hope Lake

The rest of the hike through Shelton Lakes had no problems. The trails in the greenway get more use, and problems are more likely to be reported. There was some erosion going up the hill past Eklund Garden, that was it. 

Eklund Garden

The three new Rosebay Rhododendron at Eklund Garden seemed to be in good shape (I watered them all summer with jugs of water from home). The Oak Leafed Hydrangea still had it's leaves and some nice color. 

After a monitoring hike: The hiker shares their findings (both positive and negative) with us. Saying, "I walked the trail and everything looked fine" is valuable to us, because then we don't need to wonder if there are any trees down across the trail or whatever. 

How to be a Trail Monitor: There are two options. First, on a casual basis, you can simple walk any trail and send us your findings. Second, you can become a more formal Shelton Trail Monitor, where you are listed as a person who routinely checks a specific trail and alerts us to any issues. See https://sheltontrailscom.blogspot.com/p/shelton-trail-monitors.html for the monitors currently listed, although we honestly don't know if they are all still actively monitoring their trails.  A trail can have more than one listed monitor.  The email to use is conservation@cityofshelton.org. You can also post issues to our Facebook Group  

What happens after a monitoring hike?  In this case, since I'm a trail manager and work for the city, I'm the one responding to these issues.  But normally a Trail Monitor would not be expected to address the issues themselves unless it is easy to do so on the spot (like the umbrella that blew in from Sinsabaugh). 

For the Paugussett inspection, I've contacted the state DOT about the mattress and the broken sign. I've added the log across the trail on the Trails Committee's chainsaw map. I shared a photo of the bridge near Independence Drive with the Trails Committee and talked about its precarious condition, so there are some tentative plans to possibly work on that over the Thanksgiving weekend. The resident at Mayflower will get a letter in the mail. And I may take a string trimmer and hedge trimmer to the trail between Meadow and Independence. Note that none of these actions would have been taken if the monitor hike hadn't occurred, because "out of sight, out of mind." 

Update December 7, 2025: Items that have been resolved: The Indy Link bridge was replaced and a nearby bog walk section reset with new "sleeper" boards. A large bag of litter was removed from the trail vicinity at Sinsabaugh Heights. Meanwhile the CT DOT promptly removed the unsightly mattress dumped off of Indian Well Road and repaired the broken "Paugussett Trail" sign at Rt 110.  Some clearing of the Wiacek Woods and Indy Link sections are planned.