Conservation Commission

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Trail Blazes

Trail blazes are rectangles of color-coded paint on trees and other objects that mark the trail location.  When there are two blazes of the same color, the higher blaze indicates the direction of a turn.  Each trail is assigned a blaze color - check your trail map.

Trail Etiquette -
Recreation Path

STAY TO THE RIGHT.
PASS ON THE LEFT.

Pedestrians:  Be aware that bicyclists may come up quickly behind you.  Please be alert for bikers and maintain room for them to pass on the left.

Bicyclists:  Keep your speed down and let pedestrians know you are about to pass.

 Dog owners: Please pick up after your pets and make sure your dogs do not run out at other users (use a short leash).

Parents: Make sure your children keep to the right and pass on the left.  Children running out in front of bikes is a common source of bicycle accidents.

Hiker Etiquette

Take only pictures, leave only footprints.

Be respectful of neighboring residents. Keep your voices down, dogs on leash, and don't ask neighbors for directions (ask another trail user instead and go prepared with a map).

Neighbors: Please do not allow dogs to bark at trail users, and keep music down.

Do not pick flowers - leave them for others to enjoy.

Keep your voices down (including cell phone calls). Voices carry especially far on the shores of the reservoirs.

Respect fishermen along the reservoirs: keep your voices down and maintain a polite distance between you and the fishermen.

Please pick up litter where you find it.

Technically, hikers have the right of way over mountain bikers. However, it is much easier for a hiker to step out of the way and allow a biker to pass.

Paugussett Trail Etiquette

Blue-Blazed trails often cross private property with only a precarious hand-shake agreement between CFPA and the property owner.  The rules and etiquette are therefore very strict:

No bikes or horses on the blue trails (and certainly no ATVs).

Do not stray from the trail unless you are sure you are in a public park and not on private property.

No geocaches or letterboxes on private lands along the trail unless you have permission from the property owner.

Be especially respectful when hiking near private residences.  Keep your voices down and dogs on leash.

Be aware that you may pass through areas open to hunting and dress in bright colors during hunting season.

Please pick up any litter left behind by other hikers.

TRAILS

There are over 15 miles of trails in Shelton, from the handicapped-accessible Shelton Lakes Recreation Path to the challenging Paugussett "Blue Dot" Trail.   Before you head out on a trail, be sure you have a map, know how to read trail blazes, and are familiar with trail etiquette (see margin at right).  Click thumbnail maps to enlarge. See the Shelton Trails Powerpoint (4 mb).

Shelton Riverwalk 
Handicapped Accessible Paved Surface 0.3 mi.

Located in downtown Shelton at Veteran's Memorial Park (also known as "The Slab") the Riverwalk is often turned into a loop path by using the sidewalk along Canal Street.  The Riverwalk itself is currently only 0.30 mile, while the loop is 0.57 mile.  The path starts at the intersection of Canal Street and Cornell, across the street from the Farmer's Market.   We hope to extend the Riverwalk north to the northern terminus of Canal Street.

Shelton Lakes Recreation Path
Handicapped Accessible Crushed Stone Surface 1.25 mi.

The Rec Path begins at Pine Lake (aka Shelton Reservoir #2) on Shelton Avenue Rt. 108 east of Meadow Street.  There is ample parking.  The 8 to 12-foot wide, crushed stone path heads west up a long but gradual incline between the Intermediate School and High School, crosses Constitution Blvd South, and follows the top of a long dam built in the 1800's at Silent Waters (aka Shelton Reservoir #1). The improved section of the trail ends at the Nells Rock Road intersection.  The Rec Path continues on as an unimproved hiking trail and hikers can walk all the way to Huntington Center.  The Rec Path is shown as a long dash on the Shelton Lakes Greenway map below.

Shelton Lakes Greenway Trails
Easy to Moderate, 10 Miles

This is the most popular place to hike or go mountain biking in Shelton.  Be sure to bring a trail map, since there are ten miles of trails (color-coded) spread over 450 acres, and unprepared hikers often become turned around.   There are waymarkers on 4x4 posts along the trails that are keyed to the map. There are several access points, but perhaps the most popular is the Hope Lake picnicking area on Nells Rock Road.

To hike from Pine Lake to Huntington Center, use the "Bridge to Bridge Route" as follows:  Start at Pine Lake on Shelton Avenue east of Meadow Street.  Follow the Rec Path's yellow blazes along the gravel path to the intersection of Nell's Rock Road and Shelton Ave. Cross Shelton Ave, and continue following the yellow blazes a short ways to you reach the orange blazes of Dominick Trail above Hope Lake. Turn left on the orange trail, following the shoreline of Hope Lake to the far end, then cross Oak Valley Road, passing through Eklund Garden. Eventually you will come to an intersection with the yellow Rec Path. Turn right and follow the yellow blazes carefully to Lane Street. Turn left on Lane Street and arrive at Huntington Center. 

Gristmill Trail on the Far Mill River
Easy 0.3 mile

This short but highly scenic trail provides river access to fishermen and nature lovers alike. The remains of an old mill dam greet visitors near the trailhead, and the trail follows the shoreline in an area that is covered with raging flood waters about once a year.  The trail is level, but footing can be uneven. Access is from Mill Street, at the sign kiosk.

Boehm Pond Trails 
Easy to Moderate 1 mile

This easy loop has a short spur leading to a small pond on the west side of Shelton. Limited parking is along Far Mill Street (not Mill Street), near house #98.  

Follow the white blazes carefully near the trailhead, since illegal ATV usage has created a maze of unauthorized trails.  To find the pond, turn onto the yellow blazed spur, and cross the road.

Nicholdale Farm Trails 
Easy to Moderate 1-2 miles

Nicholdale is a former dairy farm owned by the Shelton Land Trust and maintained as a series of fields open to the public and maintained for wildlife enhancement.  One of the hiking trails leads to a popular youth camp used primarily by Boy Scouts.   Although the trails are generally easy, markings are inconsistant. There is a hard-to-find parking lot on the south side of Rt. 110 Leavenworth Avenue east of Nicholdale Road (approximate address is #316 Leavenworth Road).

Riverview Trail 
Moderate 0.6 mile

Many people are familiar with Riverview Park in downtown Shelton but do not realize there is a very old hiking trail that begins behind the playground.  The trail is benched into the side of the river bluff among huge trees, eventually emerging at the basketball courts.  From that point it is a "virtual" trail, going behind the first ball field, through the back of the second ball field, and ending at the stone marker for Fort Hill at the southern end of the park.  The trail  features a spectacular overlook of the Derby-Shelton Dam at the Boy With Fish statue, a certified Constitution Oak, and the Pootatuck Fort Hill Marker.

Paugussett ("Blue Dot") Trail 
Challenging 8.7 miles total, (3.8 miles in Shelton)

Paugussett Trail was a CCC project during the Great Depression and at one time was contiguous from Lake Zoar in Monroe all the way to Roosevelt Forest in Stratford.  The current trail starts at East Village in Monroe and ends at Indian Well State Park. 

As a "Blue Blazed" Trail, it is maintained by CFPA and portions pass through private property.  CFPA sells maps of all 800 miles of Blue-Blazed trails in Connecticut in their "Connecticut Walk Book," available at local bookstores and online. Trail volunteers hope to extend the Paugussett Trail south to Shelton Lakes and eventually to the Stratford border.  Note that mountain bikes are prohibited from Blue Blazed trails.

Trailhead parking is at the first Indian Well S.P. parking area on the right near the beginning of Birchbank Road.  Instead of following the heavily-used waterfall trail, walk down the road over the stone bridge, and step over the guardrail when you see a blue blaze on the left.  See this blog entry for a detailed description of the trail.  The steepest portion of the entire trail is the first few hundred feet.

Tahmore Trail 
Challenging 0.9 mile loop

This loop trail is marked as an official Paugussett "side trail" with a blue blaze and a yellow dot in the center. A short red-blazed trail cuts across the loop to create a figure "8".  While much of the trail is fairly easy, some spots are steep and may be slippery with fallen leaves.  A short spur leads to a scenic overlook on the nearby Paugussett Trail.  The land is owned by the Shelton Land Trust. Access is at the end of Tahmore Place.

Birchbank Trail 
Challenging, estimated 1.5 mile

This hiking loop crosses one of the most remote areas in Shelton along the steep Housatonic River bluff.  April brings a spectacular wildflower display on the lower parts of the trail, and wood ducks have been sighted.  This trail rises 250 feet with difficult footing in places and is not recommended for small children.  Note that two trail maps are shown at right, one with contour lines.

Much of the trail follows old colonial road beds which lead from former settlements on the Housatonic River up through a notch in the river bank to the White Hills area above.  Farmers probably used the road to access Housatonic shipping points and bring their product to market. Native Americans also apparently used the notch.  Access is via Birchbank Road where the road crosses the RR tracks.