The Kettletown Trails are a '' Blue-Blazed''

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

trail "system" in the lower Housatonic River valley in

Fairfield County Fairfield County is the name of three counties in the United States: * Fairfield County, Connecticut * Fairfield County, Ohio Fairfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,921. ...

and are in the towns of Southbury and

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

-- primarily in the Kettletown State Park and the Jackson Cove recreation area belonging to the town of

. The Pomperaug "Blue-Blazed" linear trail is an in-land trail from near the northern main entrance to the park in Southbury traveling along the inland border of the Kettletown State Park to and south of the

Jackson Cove beach recreation area. The Pomperaug trail connects to another trail which provides a path which crosses the Housatonic/Lake Zoar at the Stevenson Dam to the south and then north to Paugussett State Forest on the western shore of Lake Zoar (the section of the Housatonic River between the Stevenson Dam to the south and the

Shepaug Dam Shepaug Dam (National ID # CT00232) is a dam located between Newtown in Fairfield County and Southbury in New Haven County, Connecticut. The concrete dam was constructed in 1955 by the Connecticut Light and Power Company, with a height of 14 ...

to the north). The Crest "Blue-Blazed" linear trail is a coastal trail which aligned with the eastern shore of Lake Zoar through Kettletown State Park from north of the Jackson Cove recreation area up to the northern main entrance to the park in Southbury. The Pomperaug and Crest trails can be used together as a "loop" trail. There are shorter side trails in the park which have rectangular blue blazes with red, white, orange or yellow squares on their bottom border. The Campground side trail connects the Lake Zoar shore campground section of Kettletown State Park with the Pomperaug trail. The Miller trail is a 1+ mile loop trail around the northern boundary of Kettletown State Park with scenic overlooks of Lake Zoar. Notable features include a few steep climbs and semi-obscured scenic views of Lake Zoar (Housatonic River).Connecticut Walk Book: A Trail Guide to the Connecticut Outdoors. 17th Edition. The Connecticut Forest and Park Association. Rockfall, Connecticut. Undated. The Kettletown trails system is maintained largely through the efforts of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association. The Pomperaug Trail is approximately one mile north of the Stevenson Dam. It is possible to walk from the Pomperaug Trail to the

Paugussett The Golden Hill Paugussett is a state-recognized Native American tribe in Connecticut. Granted reservations in a number of towns in the 17th century, their land base was whittled away until they were forced to reacquire a small amount of territory ...

and Zoar Trails.

Trail description

The Pomperaug Trail extends from its southern terminus at the end of Great Quarter Road in Paugussett State Forest in Newtown, then follows a route northwest along the western bank of the Housatonic River until, at the northernmost point, it turns south-east and proceeds roughly south-east back to the terminus at the end of Great Quarter Road. The Pomperaug Trail is primarily used for

backpacking Backpacking may refer to: * Backpacking (travel), low-cost, independent, international travel * Backpacking (hiking), trekking and camping overnight in the wilderness * Ultralight backpacking, a style of wilderness backpacking with an emphasis on ...

picnicking A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

, and in the winter,

snowshoe Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...

ing. Portions of the trail are suitable for, and are used for,

geocaching Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", at specific l ...

, mountain biking and cross-country skiing. Site-specific activities enjoyed along the route include

hunting Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...

(very limited),

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

horseback riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

bouldering Bouldering is a form of free climbing that is performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers use climbing shoes to help se ...

and rock climbing (access).

Trail route

The Pomperaug Trail loop in Southbury and

primarily parallels the Housatonic River on the high western bank and ridge running south to north. The Pomperaug Trail traverses several high points with scenic views of the Housatonic River though they may be obscured by foliage, particularly in the summer. The trail also travels very close to the eastern bank of the river (Lake Zoar) in some locations. Several year-round and seasonal streams cut across the trail to flow into the Housatonic River. By adding reasonably short road walks the Pomperaug Trail is considered part of the larger

Lake Zoar Lake Zoar is a reservoir on the Housatonic River in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was formed by the completion of the Stevenson Dam, which flooded an area of Oxford and Stevenson named "Pleasantvale" or "Pleasant Vale". The towns of Monroe, ...

Blue-Blazed Trails which span both the west and east banks of

. The Pomperaug Trail is connected to the Kettletown State Park trails. Zoar Trail in lower Paugussett State Forest can be reached via a road walk by following Fiddlehead Road to Freeman Road to Copper Mine Road and then taking Connecticut

Route 34 The following highways are numbered 34: for a list of roads numbered N34 : see list of N34 roads. International * AH34, Asian Highway 34 * European route E34 Australia * Cox Peninsula Road (Northern Territory) * (Sydney) * Maroondah Highway (Vi ...

west over the

Stevenson Dam The Stevenson Dam Hydroelectric Plant is a hydroelectric power plant located on the Housatonic River at the boundary between the towns of Monroe and Oxford, Connecticut. The Connecticut Light and Power Company began construction in 1917 (complet ...

, then following to Great Quarter Road (just over the Newtown border).

Trail communities

The Blue-Blazed Pomperaug Trail is entirely within the towns of

and Southbury,

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

Landscape, geology, and natural environment

History and folklore

Origin and name

Pomperaug was the name of the Pootatuck Native American "Chieftain" from whom much of the land in eastern Fairfield County was purchased by the original European settlers.

Woodbury Woodbury may refer to: Geography Antarctica *Woodbury Glacier, a glacier on Graham Land, British Antarctic Territory Australia * Woodbury, Tasmania, a locality in Australia England * Woodbury, Bournemouth, an area in Dorset *Woodbury, East Devo ...

was once known as Pomperoug.

Historic sites

was created in 1919 by the construction of the

to produce hydro-electric power and to provide a Housatonic River vehicle crossing. Lake Housatonic is the Housatonic River section south of the

which parallels the Paugussett Trail which was created by the construction of the Derby Dam (now known as the Lake Housatonic Dam) in October 1870 to provide a river crossing as well as water for nearby industry. Lake Lillinonah is the section of the Housatonic north of Lake Zoar. It was created in 1955 by damming the Housatonic River via the construction of the

(more precisely called the Shepaug Hydro-Electronic Project, there are two Shepaug Dams—the other one is on the Shepaug River and is owned by the City of Waterbury, Connecticut ) to produce hydro-electric power. The man-made lake was prematurely and accidentally flooded by Hurricane Diane on August 19, 1955 a few weeks before the dam was scheduled to commence operation. The lake was drained and refilled again beginning on September 27, 1955 by closing the gates on the new dam. In 1985 Shepaug Dam owners opened a free public observation site in Southbury, Connecticut near the hydroelectric generation plant for viewing Lake Lillinonah's Bald Eagles (and other predatory bird species such as hawks). Reservations are required and the season is limited to the last weekend in December until March 17 on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. There are also eagles, hawks and other predatory birds which nest along Lake Zoar.

Folklore

The location of the village occupied by the Pootatuck Indians in the Lake Zoar area is said to have been flooded by the damming of the Housatonic River and the creation of Lake Zoar. The Pootatuck (often spelled Pohtatuck in colonial era documents and related to the name

Potatuck The Potatuck were a Native American tribe in Connecticut. They were related to the Paugussett people, historically located during and prior to the colonial era in western Connecticut. They lived in what is now Newtown, Woodbury and Southbury ...

) were a branch of the

tribe who lived in Woodbury, Southbury and Newtown. The European settlers found Pootatuck Native Americans living along the Housatonic and Pootatuck Rivers near the Sandy Hook area of Newtown, Connecticut (an area which was called "Pohtatuck" before the name was changed to "Sandy Hook"). Newtown, known as Quanneapague, was purchased from the Pohtatuck in 1705 and incorporated as a town in 1711. Most of the original settlers were farmers from Stratford and Milford, Connecticut. The

were an Algonquian-speaking Native American tribe and

sachem Sachems and sagamores are paramount chiefs among the Algonquians or other Native American tribes of northeastern North America, including the Iroquois. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms (c. 1622) from different Eastern Al ...

dom existing in southwestern Connecticut in the 17th century.

villages existed throughout southwestern Connecticut in

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnoc ...

, Trumbull, Stratford,

Shelton Shelton may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Shelton, North Bedfordshire, in the parish of Dean and Shelton, Bedfordshire * Lower Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire * Upper Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bed ...

, Monroe and

as well as in what is now

Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

, Woodbridge,

Beacon Falls Beacon Falls is a town in western New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. It lies in the southwestern part of the state, and is bisected by the Naugatuck River. The population was 6,000 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, dow ...

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...

and

Naugatuck Naugatuck is a consolidated borough and town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town spans both sides of the Naugatuck River just south of Waterbury and includes the communities of Union City on the east side of the river, wh ...

New Haven County New Haven County is a county in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, the population was 864,835, making it the third-most populous county in Connecticut. Two of the state's top 5 largest cities, New ...

, Connecticut. Derby Connecticut was once known as "Paugussett" before it was renamed in 1675. While the Pootatuck branch has largely vanished, descendants of the southeast

branch of the

tribe (known as the "Golden Hill" Paugussetts) today have a reservation in

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colch ...

(

New London County New London County is in the southeastern corner of Connecticut and comprises the Norwich-New London, Connecticut Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Hartford-East Hartford, Connecticut Combined Statistical Area. There i ...

) as well as a small land holding in the Nichols section of Stratford,

.http://www.darkentry.org/paugussett2/historyhopes.htm

Hiking the trail

The mainline Pomperaug trail is blazed with blue rectangles. It is regularly maintained, and is considered easy hiking, with very few sections of rugged and moderately difficult hiking. Much of the Pomperaug Trail is close to public roads. There are some camping facilities in lower Kettletown State Park along the trail which must be reserved and camping is prohibited in the municipal. 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 Association Weather along the route is typical of

. Conditions on exposed ridge tops and summits may be harsher during cold or stormy weather.NOAA

Lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an avera ...

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. 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 ruts from ATVs and four-wheel drive vehicles. Biting insects can be bothersome during warm weather. Parasitic deer ticks (which are known to carry

Lyme disease Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne disease caused by the ''Borrelia'' bacterium, which is spread by ticks in the genus ''Ixodes''. The most common sign of infection is an expanding red rash, known as erythema migran ...

) are a potential hazard. The trail heads and parking are close to residential areas. A very small part of the trail is adjacent to, or is on lands where hunting and the use of firearms are permitted. Wearing bright orange clothing during the hunting season (Fall through December) is recommended.

Conservation and maintenance of the trail corridor

References

External links

Specific to this trail:
CT Museum Quest Article on the Zoar Trail

CT News: Walk the land of the Pootatuck

HikeCT webpage on the Zoar Trail

NewEnglandSite.COM - Lake Zoar and Stevenson Dam

Topological Map of lower Paugussett State ForestTrails.COM page on the Zoar Trail
State and Municipal Government Websites:
State of Connecticut - Lower Paugussett State Forest Parcel Topological Map

Town of Newtown, Connecticut
History:

* History of Newtown, Connecticut
The Legend of Lake Lillinonah By David E. Philips

Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials - Land Usage Change in Newtown, CT

Golden Hill Paugussett website
Land Trust / Conservation Preserve Organizations:
Connecticut Forest and Park Association

Housatonic Valley Association

Lake Zoar Authority

Newtown Forest Association, Inc.
{{Protected areas of Connecticut Hiking trails in Connecticut Newtown, Connecticut Protected areas of Fairfield County, Connecticut