TM Report: Naugatuck State Forest

Date: June 11, 2016

Report Type: TM Report

Trail Name: Naugatuck State Forest

Town: Naugatuck

Trail Conditions: Blazed and cleared

Observations/Information: With help from others, I spent the spring in the Naugatuck State Forest in Naugatuck, blazing and clearing the trails northeast of Spruce Brook Road. The state had partially marked these trails with metal disks, but never completed the project. I blazed to supplement and complement these disks on White, Orange, and Yellow. I did not blaze Red as the trail was well marked with disks, plus I consider the portion from Spruce Brook Road to the top of the slope to be somewhat unsafe with a 20 percent grade and poor footing over a series of steep rock faces. The Yellow Trail has been extended to connect to the powerlines and Old Highway. The Orange Trail blazes were extended to overlap the Red Trail out to the overlook. The White Trail has a switchback around a steep, rock face. Complete details with many photos and a color overlay map are available at http://westrocktrails.blogspot.com/p/naugatuck-state-forest-west-block.html. From the perspective of a mountain biker, the White Trail and the Red Trail from Spruce Brook Road up to the top of the hill are steep and not suitable for bikes, in part due to the damage they would do to these poorly designed trails. The better access for bikes would be to head up the steep, but freshly surfaced (and unblazed) woods road to the powerlines off Spruce Brook Road near the High Rock Shooting Range. Once up on the ridge, White, Orange, and Yellow are a mixture of woods road and challenging single track. Total time in this area was 30 hours from me and 50 hours from hiking friends from the New Haven Hiking Club.

Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at] sbcglobal [dot]net 

How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking 

Trails Ridden: White, Orange, Red, Yellow 

Time of day: Morning 

Time/Duration (hours): 30 

Approximate Distance (Miles): 4 

Image 1: Map-Naugatuck SF West w. colors.jpg 

Image 2: NSF, NSBR, Orange Tr. at Red Tr., 6-16.JPG 

Image 3: NSF, NSBR, Red Tr. Rock Face 2, 6-16.JPG 

Image 4: NSF, NSBR, powerlines, gravel road, 6-16.JPG 

Image Description(s)/Instructions: The Red Trail has a steep rock face unsuitable for bicycling. The Orange Trail is narrow single track. The powerlines are freshly graveled in some locations.