Name: Naugatuck Trail
Rating: 4.0

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Features Geological Significance · River/Creek

All of the parking areas around this block of Naugatuck State Forest are roadside parking areas. There are no parking lots so parking is limited and can be tricky. Additionally, the parking area at the western terminus of the trail is by an access gate for a forest road so it is important to not block that. If more parking is needed there is a park and ride by the exit of Route 8.

Description

This trail is a Connecticut Forest and Park Association blue-blazed trail

This trail used to begin at a roadside parking area on Route 42, but for the 2024 season the eastern terminus has been moved to the base of the Whitmore trail, with a dedicated parking area and a freshly blazed segment running northeast to rejoin the old route a bit south of the takeoff to the Beacon Cap Trail. The fresh segment is a gradual uphill through forest.

Here the trail continues to ascend and roll slightly until it passes the Beacon Cap Trail which is a yellow and blue blazed spur to the right. After this point, the terrain is level for a mile or so and the trail passes the Whitmore Trail on the left. Next, the trail comes to what some maps call a "gorge."

While in reality, it is nothing so grandiose, the trail descends here with a nice brook. After crossing the brook, the terrain becomes relatively flat for another 2 miles. The trail then turns and double tracks with another old forest road as it descends into the valley below.

When the trail levels off again it provides a wonderful view of the cascades on Egypt Brook. After continuing just a bit farther the trail provides fairly breathtaking views of the bluffs across Route 8 in the forest's eastern block. The rest of the trail is very flat as it continues next to the highway to the parking area at its western terminus.