- Mattatuck State Forest
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Mattatuck State Forest is located between Waterbury, Connecticut to the south, East Litchfield, Connecticut to the north, Bristol, Connecticut to the East, and Bethlehem, Connecticut to the west. The Naugatuck River runs through a portion of the forest. The largest section of the forest is located about 1-mile (1.6 km) north of Waterbury.
A popular rock climbing area, Whitestone, is within the largest section of forest just east of the Naugatuck River. Top-roping techniques are used for heights of about 50 feet (15 m). Trail access is from South Street.
Even though hiking is a favorite activity in Mattatuck State Forest, trail maps are scarce and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection does not publish a trail map for public use.
Maps and descriptions of the Blue-Blazed Trails in the forest are available in the Connecticut Walk Book West[1], published by the [Connecticut Forest and Parks Association]. Trails in the forest on the west side of Route 8 include the following: The 3.4-mile Jericho Trail, which runs from Echo Lake Road in Watertown to the junction of the Mattatuck Trail, just west of Crane's Overlook and the Leatherman's Cave. Most of the 0.8-mile Branch Brook Trail is located in the forest, south of Reynolds Bridge Road in the town of Watertown.
Trails in the forest on the east side of Route 8 include the following: The 2.8-mile Hancock Brook Trail, which parallels the Waterbury Branch of Metro North. The 1.7-mile Whitestone Cliffs Trail, located off Connecticut Route 262.
The following trails are located on both sides of Connecticut Route 8: The 1.6-mile long Jericho-Whitestone Connector runs from Connecticut Route 262 to the Whitestone Cliffs Trail on the east side of Connecticut Route 8 in the towns of Thomaston and Plymouth. The Jericho-Whitestone Connector enters the forest north of the powerlines near Echo Lake Road in Watertown where it ends at the Jericho Trail.
The Mattatuck Trail traverses several blocks of the forest: In Plymouth, on the east side of Connecticut Route 8, the trail passes along an isolated block of the forest south of Scott Road, and another section south of Lake Plymouth extending to Mount Tobe Road. In Thomaston, on the east side of Connecticut Route 8, from Carter Road to Waterbury Road. In Watertown, on the west side of Connecticut Route 8, the trail passes by the highway, just south of Reynolds Bridge Road and extends to Bidwell Hill Road, where the trail enters the Black Rock State Park.
References
- ^ Colson, Ann T. (2006). Connecticut Walk Book West (19th edition). Connecticut Forest and Park Association. ISBN 0961905263
External links
Coordinates: 41°38′34″N 73°06′02″W / 41.64278°N 73.10056°W
Protected areas of Connecticut National Park Service National Wildlife Refuges Silvio O. Conte • Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge
National Trails State Parks Airline • Beckley Iron Furnace Industrial Monument • Bigelow Hollow • Black Rock • Bluff Point • Burr Pond • Camp Columbia • Campbell Falls • Chatfield Hollow • Collis P. Huntington • Connecticut Valley Railroad • Day Pond • Dennis Hill • Devil's Hopyard • Dinosaur • Fort Griswold Battlefield • Fort Trumbull • Gardner Lake • Gay City • George W. Seymour • Gillette Castle • Haddam Meadows • Haley Farm • Hammonasset Beach • Hampton Beach • Harkness Memorial • Haystack Mountain • Hop River State Park Trail • Hopeville Pond • Housatonic Meadows • Hurd • Indian Well • John A. Minetto • Kent Falls • Kettletown • Lake Waramaug • Larkin State Park Trail • Levy • Lovers Leap • Macedonia Brook • Mansfield Hollow • Mashamoquet Brook • Millers Pond • Mohawk Mountain • Moosup Valley State Park Trail • Mount Tom • Old Furnace • Osbornedale • Penwood • Putnam Memorial • Quaddick • Quinnipiac River • River Highlands • Rocky Neck • Selden Neck • Seth Low Pierrepont • Sherwood Island • Silver Sands • Sleeping Giant • Southford Falls • Squantz Pond • Stratton Brook • Talcott Mountain • Wadsworth Falls • West Rock Ridge • Wharton Brook • Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail
State Forests Algonquin • American Legion • Centennial Watershed • Cockaponset • Enders • James L. Goodwin • Housatonic • Massacoe • Mattatuck • Meshomasic • Mohawk • Mohegan • Nassahegon • Natchaug • Nathan Hale • Nehantic • Nepaug • Nipmuck • Nye-Holman • Pachaug • Paugnut • People's • Pootatuck • Quaddick • Salmon River • Shenipsit • Topsmead • Tunxis • Wyantenock
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (web) Categories:- Connecticut state forests
- Climbing areas of the United States
- Hiking trails in Connecticut
- Parks in Litchfield County, Connecticut
- Connecticut geography stubs
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