Waterbury Area Trails

Hancock Brook Trail (2.8 Miles) – My hike here
Whitestone Cliffs Trail (1.7 Miles) – My hike here
Jericho Trail (3.4 Miles)
My hike here
Plus the Jericho-Whitestone Connector (1.6 Miles)My “hike” here

wa.jpgWaterbury and Hiking go together like… Toothpaste and Grapefruit Juice? Blindness and Driving? Gambling Addiction and Unemployment? As it turns out, it’s more like Chocolate and Peanut Butter.

Mmmm, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups… Hold I while I run to the store really quickly to restock.

Okay, I’m back. Delicious. Here’s the thing: Waterbury and Bridgeport are probably the two most maligned cities in our fair state and woodland hiking is definitely not something that comes to mind when thinking about them. And lest you think the “Area” in “Waterbury Area” means the trails aren’t actually IN Waterbury, I’m here to tell you one of them actually IS.

hbo.jpgAnd it’s a fantastic trail. So fantastic that I will be writing it up for the next issue of “Connecticut Woodlands.” Please join CFPA today to begin receiving this really well done quarterly magazine.

That trail is the Hancock Brook Trail and you absolutely will not believe you are in Waterbury while hiking its entire length. It’s serene, feels remote and has some beautiful scenery. I was in shock the entire time out there.

Whitestone Cliffs Trail isn’t as cool, but it’s still a nice loop trail – and happens to be entirely within the Plymouth city limits, but very near the Waterbury line.

Lastly, the Jericho Trail, which is in Watertown is rather awesome as well. Many caves line the route up the Naugatuck River valley and one of the Leatherman’s famous caves awaits the northbound traveler at the end. Interestingly, a hiker can link to the Jericho from the Whitestone Cliffs and go on to the Mattatuck Trail, which hits the Mohawk Trail, which (with some gaps) hits the Appalachian Trail which can take you to Georgia or Maine and beyond. This is exciting to me.

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