Roaring Brook Trail

Dogs Unknown

Features Waterfall

While this trail is purportedly blazed red, there are very few actual blazes and social trails abound. Because of this, it is important to be very careful while hiking this trail that borders a deep and steep ravine.

The trail begins at a kiosk with a fairly abstract map that admonishes the hikers to follow the red trail. It then continues on a wide doubletrack as it passes over a small berm between two parts of a pond and a rundown tennis court. Continuing on it passes a rather new-looking sign for Roaring Brook Park. It then turns into the woods and passes an old chimney. At this point, the trail starts to get fairly confusing; the blazes are not as distinct as they could be and it is intertwined with a large number of social trails.

After the next incline, the falls can be heard and after a little while longer, they can also be seen. Roaring Brook Falls, the tallest waterfall in the state, is a long system of falls that continue along a deep ravine and drops a total of 80 feet. While the falls are wonderful, the ravine in which they flow is equally as spectacular. While steep, this part of the trail provides the best views of the falls.

The trail continues upwards on a steep incline. Here especially, the lack of trail blazes poses a bit of a problem. Nonetheless, the trail reaches the far better blazed and maintained Quinnipiac Trail. It continues for a little while until it then diverges off on a wide, unmarked trail. While it gets very steep, this trail is not horribly maintained. It then joins back with the trail that leads back to the falls. Taking a left returns to the parking area.