Banton Quinnipiac Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Historical Significance · River/Creek

This trail is the main development in Quinnipiac River State Park. Blazed blue and accessible by way of Banton Street, this trail is an easy hike that hugs the bank of the Quinnipiac River. Despite its proximity to the Merritt Parkway, it is a relaxing piece of nature that features views of the river and ruins from homes that were demolished after the parkway was built.

While this trail is only slightly over a mile in length, it is planned that it will eventually be extended to meet the Quinnipiac Trail at Toelles Road.

This trail begins at the small parking lot at the end of Banton Street behind a rest area on the Merritt Parkway. For the first tenth of a mile, it stays on pavement that used to be part of the road. It then turns to the right and begins to hug the river which it will do for the rest of the trail.

In this area, there are a plethora of small ruins of the summer homes that used to inhabit this area. These ranges anywhere from fences and metal posts all the way to foundations and stairs leading to the river. Tower Trail
he trail continues on this way until it ascends slightly into a small grove of pines where the trail ends. From this area the rest of the planned trail can be seen, however, it is fully in disrepair at the moment.