Whitestone Cliffs Trail
Encyclopedia
The '' is a 1.7 miles Blue-Blazed
hiking
trail in the Waterbury area in Thomaston
and Plymouth
, Litchfield County
, Connecticut
. It is contained almost entirely in a section of the Mattatuck State Forest
. The mainline (official "Blue" "non-dot") trail is a loop trail with one connector trail (Blue-Blazed with yellow dot) to the Jericho Blue-Blazed Trail.
The trail is listed as one of the Waterbury area trails in the Connecticut Walk Book West.
The is a loop trail with spurs at the loop's bottom leading to Connecticut Route 262 in both the east and west directions. The eastern spur terminates at the trail's parking lot. The western spurs is the Jericho Connector trail which leaves Mattatuck State Forest
, travels alongside the Naugatuck River
before crossing it using Connecticut Route 262 and before heading under Route 8
.
Notable features include a 750 foot summit and several overlook views. The trail goes near, but does not summit Mount Tobe. The trail is maintained largely through the efforts of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association
.
, backpacking
, rock climbing
, and in the winter, snowshoe
ing.
Portions of the trail are suitable for, and are used for, cross-country skiing
. Site-specific activities enjoyed along the route include bird watching, hunting
(very limited), fishing
, horseback riding, bouldering
and rock climbing
(limited).
, rail road track and Route 8
a bit farther away but parallel to the western border).
The loop on the trail can be reached by a straight east-west spur from the Spruce Brook Road / Mount Tobe Road parking lot to the east or by the east-west Jericho Connector Trail from the west.
Several unmarked trails, dirt forest roads and seasonal streams cut across the trail.
The trail is entirely on Mattatuck State Forest
property.
Plymouth
,
Thomaston
.
The pavilion near the trail head and parking lot was erected for an archery group which conducted target practice in this area of Mattatuck State Forest
in the latter half of the twentieth century. There were once archery range markers in the woods close to the pavilion.
Weather along the route is typical of Connecticut
. Conditions on exposed ridge tops and summits may be harsher during cold or stormy weather. Lightning
is a hazard on exposed summits and ledges during thunderstorms. Snow is common in the winter and may necessitate the use of snowshoes. Ice can form on exposed ledges and summits, making hiking dangerous without special equipment.
Several sections of the trail are in low-lying areas or next to (or become) seasonal streams.
Extensive flooding in ponds, puddles and streams may occur in the late winter or early spring, overflowing into the trail and causing very muddy conditions. In this case fairly high waterproof boots are recommended. Some parts of the trail follow forest roads which often contain a lot of loose stones or ruts from ATVs and four-wheel drive vehicles.
Biting insects can be bothersome during warm weather. Parasitic deer tick
s (which are known to carry Lyme disease
) are a potential hazard.
The trail is in Mattatuck State Forest
where hunting and the use of firearms are permitted in season. Wearing bright orange clothing during the hunting season (Fall through December) is recommended.
Blue-Blazed Trails
The Blue-Blazed trail system, managed by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, and the related trail systems documented in the two volume 19th Edition of the "Connecticut Walk Book" comprise over 800 miles of hiking trails in Connecticut.There are now over 825 miles of CFPA Blue-Blazed...
hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trail in the Waterbury area in Thomaston
Thomaston, Connecticut
Thomaston is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,503 at the 2000 census.-History:The town, originally part of Plymouth, Connecticut, and referred to as 'Plymouth Hollow' was first settled in the early 18th century. The town is known for clock making, which...
and Plymouth
Plymouth, Connecticut
Plymouth is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England. The population was 11,634 at the 2000 census. The Town of Plymouth includes the villages of Terryville and Pequabuck.-Geography:...
, Litchfield County
Litchfield County, Connecticut
Litchfield County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. Litchfield County has the lowest population density of any county in Connecticut but is geographically the state's largest county. As of 2010 the population was 189,927...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. It is contained almost entirely in a section of the Mattatuck State Forest
Mattatuck State Forest
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 mainline (official "Blue" "non-dot") trail is a loop trail with one connector trail (Blue-Blazed with yellow dot) to the Jericho Blue-Blazed Trail.
The trail is listed as one of the Waterbury area trails in the Connecticut Walk Book West.
The is a loop trail with spurs at the loop's bottom leading to Connecticut Route 262 in both the east and west directions. The eastern spur terminates at the trail's parking lot. The western spurs is the Jericho Connector trail which leaves Mattatuck State Forest
Mattatuck State Forest
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...
, travels alongside the Naugatuck River
Naugatuck River
The Naugatuck River is a river in the US state of Connecticut. It carves out the Naugatuck River Valley. The river flows from northwest Connecticut southward into the Housatonic River in Derby, Connecticut. One of the river's main uses is hydropower, which is used to power industrial plants...
before crossing it using Connecticut Route 262 and before heading under Route 8
Route 8 (Connecticut)
Route 8 is the portion of the multistate New England Route 8 within the state of Connecticut. It is a state highway running north–south from Bridgeport, through Waterbury, all the way to the Massachusetts state line where it continues as Route 8...
.
Notable features include a 750 foot summit and several overlook views. The trail goes near, but does not summit Mount Tobe. The trail is maintained largely through the efforts of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association
Connecticut Forest and Park Association
The Connecticut Forest and Park Association , established in 1895, is the oldest private, nonprofit conservation organization in Connecticut. The organization is credited as an important early pioneer of the national land conservation movement and as an early advocate of long distance trail building...
.
Trail description
The is primarily used for hikingHiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, backpacking
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
, rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
, and in the winter, snowshoe
Snowshoe
A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....
ing.
Portions of the trail are suitable for, and are used for, cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
. Site-specific activities enjoyed along the route include bird watching, hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
(very limited), fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, horseback riding, bouldering
Bouldering
Bouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs over a crash pad so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practiced on large natural boulders or artificial boulders in gyms and outdoor urban areas...
and rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
(limited).
Trail route
The mainline trail is a rectangular/oval loop bounded by Route 262 on both the east and west (and by the Naugatuck RiverNaugatuck River
The Naugatuck River is a river in the US state of Connecticut. It carves out the Naugatuck River Valley. The river flows from northwest Connecticut southward into the Housatonic River in Derby, Connecticut. One of the river's main uses is hydropower, which is used to power industrial plants...
, rail road track and Route 8
Route 8 (Connecticut)
Route 8 is the portion of the multistate New England Route 8 within the state of Connecticut. It is a state highway running north–south from Bridgeport, through Waterbury, all the way to the Massachusetts state line where it continues as Route 8...
a bit farther away but parallel to the western border).
The loop on the trail can be reached by a straight east-west spur from the Spruce Brook Road / Mount Tobe Road parking lot to the east or by the east-west Jericho Connector Trail from the west.
Several unmarked trails, dirt forest roads and seasonal streams cut across the trail.
The trail is entirely on Mattatuck State Forest
Mattatuck State Forest
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...
property.
Trail communities
The official Blue-Blazed passes through land located within the following Litchfield County municipalities, from east to west:Plymouth
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
,
Thomaston
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
Landscape, geology, and natural environment
There are reports of small localized tremors and other geologic activity involving the White Cliffs, specifically involving an area less than one hundred feet in length on an eastern cliff edge in the Mattatuck State Forest facing Spruce Brook Road.History and folklore
The Blue-Blazed was created by the Connecticut Forest and Park AssociationConnecticut Forest and Park Association
The Connecticut Forest and Park Association , established in 1895, is the oldest private, nonprofit conservation organization in Connecticut. The organization is credited as an important early pioneer of the national land conservation movement and as an early advocate of long distance trail building...
.
Origin and name
The trail is named for high stone cliffs which appear white when viewed from the Naugatuck River and Connecticut Route 8.Historic sites
In the early 1840s the Naugatuck Railroad laid track parallel to the Naugatuck River near the Whitestone Cliffs western border. This line connected Winsted Connecticut to New Haven Connecticut with several stops in between including Thomaston and Waterbury Connecticut. The company built a spur rail line to their quarrying operation on the western edge of the white cliffs to produce stone material for railroad bridge abutments.The pavilion near the trail head and parking lot was erected for an archery group which conducted target practice in this area of Mattatuck State Forest
Mattatuck State Forest
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...
in the latter half of the twentieth century. There were once archery range markers in the woods close to the pavilion.
Folklore
There is a bit of local lore (with some basis in fact) that a colonial settler living in the area in the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century was killed by a Native American. The cavity in the earth left by a long-gone house's stone cellar can be glimpsed from the trail on a ridge seventy to eighty meters from the trail's terminus and parking lot area. There is no evidence that this is where the killing took place though some may think so.Hiking the trail
The mainline trail is blazed with blue rectangles. Trail descriptions are available from a number of commercial and non-commercial sources, and a complete guidebook is published by the Connecticut Forest and Park AssociationConnecticut Forest and Park Association
The Connecticut Forest and Park Association , established in 1895, is the oldest private, nonprofit conservation organization in Connecticut. The organization is credited as an important early pioneer of the national land conservation movement and as an early advocate of long distance trail building...
Weather along the route is typical of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. Conditions on exposed ridge tops and summits may be harsher during cold or stormy weather. Lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
is a hazard on exposed summits and ledges during thunderstorms. Snow is common in the winter and may necessitate the use of snowshoes. Ice can form on exposed ledges and summits, making hiking dangerous without special equipment.
Several sections of the trail are in low-lying areas or next to (or become) seasonal streams.
Extensive flooding in ponds, puddles and streams may occur in the late winter or early spring, overflowing into the trail and causing very muddy conditions. In this case fairly high waterproof boots are recommended. Some parts of the trail follow forest roads which often contain a lot of loose stones or ruts from ATVs and four-wheel drive vehicles.
Biting insects can be bothersome during warm weather. Parasitic deer tick
Deer Tick
Deer Tick is an American indie folk band from Providence, Rhode Island led by guitarist and singer-songwriter John McCauley. Deer Tick's music has been described as a combination of folk, blues, and country.-History:...
s (which are known to carry Lyme disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
) are a potential hazard.
The trail is in Mattatuck State Forest
Mattatuck State Forest
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...
where hunting and the use of firearms are permitted in season. Wearing bright orange clothing during the hunting season (Fall through December) is recommended.
Conservation and maintenance of the trail corridor
See also
- Blue-Blazed TrailsBlue-Blazed TrailsThe Blue-Blazed trail system, managed by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, and the related trail systems documented in the two volume 19th Edition of the "Connecticut Walk Book" comprise over 800 miles of hiking trails in Connecticut.There are now over 825 miles of CFPA Blue-Blazed...
- Mattatuck State ForestMattatuck State ForestMattatuck 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...
- Naugatuck RailroadNaugatuck RailroadThe Naugatuck Railroad was a railroad that ran through south central Connecticut from 1849 to 1887. In the latter year the line was leased by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and was wholly owned by the New Haven by 1906. At its greatest extent the Naugatuck ran from Bridgeport north...
- Naugatuck RiverNaugatuck RiverThe Naugatuck River is a river in the US state of Connecticut. It carves out the Naugatuck River Valley. The river flows from northwest Connecticut southward into the Housatonic River in Derby, Connecticut. One of the river's main uses is hydropower, which is used to power industrial plants...
External links
Specific to this trail:- ClimbFind Rock Climbing page on Whitestone Cliff in Plymouth, Connecticut
- CT Museum Quest Article on the