NW CT Alphabet Hikes: G - Green Circle Trail, Steep Rock Preserve, Washington, CT

Friday, July 8th, 2016

G - Green Circle Trail, Steep Rock Preserve, Washington, CT

I'll admit this one was a bit of a stretch to fit the alphabet criterion! I was also contemplating the Jessie Gerard Trail in Peoples State Forest, but we had already hiked that one last year.

Old Railroad Bed along the Shepaug River

The first section of this 3-mile trail was an old railroad bed; so it was level, straight, and wide. To be honest, though it followed the Shepaug River, and had a nice, fern-covered slope to its right; I was eager to get into the part of the trail that wasn't being used by casual walkers and joggers. So I kept my pace quick.

The Mighty Shepaug!

I noticed that on the other side of the river, there was a lot more traffic: cars, families, and kayaks. A friend had told me that in season, one could drive a car almost all the way to a suspension bridge and railroad tunnel along this road. I opted for hiking this distance instead. When I go back with the family, we'll cut to the chase. But I feel it's more of an enjoyable experience if the destination is earned over land on foot.

They weren't kiddin'!

The trail quickly turned into a narrow, rooty, rocky, undulating path along the river. I could see why this was not fit for horse traffic, nor preferred by casual walkers or joggers. This was the type of trail I was hoping for! It was a bit slick due to rain overnight, so I had to pick my way methodically.

Well-Constructed and Bouncy!

My plan all along was to divert from the Green Circle Trail over the famous suspension bridge, then on the Blue Square Trail to the railroad tunnel. Unfortunately without a printed map, I tried to rely on the map from the website on my phone. Of course the reception was limited, so I had to work from my less-than-photographic memory!

This doesn't do it justice with nothing for scale!

With a bit of improvised scrambling along a series of well-worn, unofficial herd paths, I made my way down to the railroad tunnel. It was massive, and a bit spooky! When I walked in, I couldn't see any light from the other end, so I wondered if it had been blocked off.

Proceeding slowly, I finally saw some light peeking in up ahead.

After some video and echo tests, I headed back up to the trail.

Still not enough scale to capture the immensity!

Finally, I got a strong enough signal to have access to a usable map, and just in time. There was a series of tricky connections to get back to the bridge, and after an unplanned detour, I made it back to the Green Circle Trail!

Baby Fern Rock

Overall, this was a fine hike! It challenged me with tricky terrain, enough uphills for a workout, and some cool features (bridge and tunnel!) I would recommend this one for an experienced hiker, confident in their footing and stamina. Also, there are plenty of points to access the river for fishing, and some nice picnic spots (with tables). If this hike seems a bit too much, there are several other trails that are shorter and flatter, or there's always the drive-able road all the way out to the bridge and tunnel.