| Trail | |
|---|---|
 View from Kettletown State Park's Crest Trail of the Housatonic River's Lake Zoar. | |
 | |
| Length | 4.6 mi (7.4 km) |
| Location | Oxford,Connecticut, USA |
| Designation | CFPA Blue-Blazed Trail |
| Use | hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, other |
| Lowest point | ConnecticutRoute 34, Lake Zoar and Stevenson Dam (41°23′N73°10′W / 41.38°N 73.16°W /41.38; -73.16), 59 ft (18 m) |
| Difficulty | easy, with very few difficult sections |
| Season | easiest spring to fall |
| Hazards | hunters,deer ticks,poison ivy |
TheKettletown Trails are a 4.6-mile (7.4 km)Blue-Blazedhiking trail "system" in the lowerHousatonic River valley inFairfield County and are in the towns ofSouthbury andOxford—primarily in the Kettletown State Park and the Jackson Cove recreation area belonging to the town ofOxford.
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 theOxford 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 theShepaug Dam 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).[1] The Kettletown trails system is maintained largely through the efforts of theConnecticut 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 thePaugussett andZoar Trails.
The Pomperaug Trail extends from its southern terminus at the end of Great Quarter Road in Paugussett State Forest inNewtown, then follows a route northwest along the western bank of theHousatonic 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 forhiking,backpacking,picnicking, and in the winter,snowshoeing. Portions of the trail are suitable for, and are used for,geocaching,mountain biking andcross-country skiing. Site-specific activities enjoyed along the route includehunting (very limited),fishing,horseback riding,bouldering androck climbing (access).
The Pomperaug Trail loop inSouthbury andOxford primarily parallels theHousatonic River on the high western bank and ridge running south to north.
The Pomperaug Trail traverses several high points with scenic views of theHousatonic 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 theHousatonic River.
By adding reasonably short road walks the Pomperaug Trail is considered part of the largerLake Zoar Blue-Blazed Trails which span both the west and east banks ofLake Zoar. 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 ConnecticutRoute 34 west over theStevenson Dam, then following to Great Quarter Road (just over theNewtown border).
The Blue-Blazed Pomperaug Trail is entirely within the towns ofOxford andSouthbury,Connecticut.
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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.[2][3]
Woodbury was once known as Pomperoug.[4]
Lake Zoar was created in 1919 by the construction of theStevenson Dam to produce hydro-electric power and to provide aHousatonic River vehicle crossing.[5]
Lake Housatonic is theHousatonic River section south of theStevenson Dam which parallels the Paugussett Trail which was created by the construction of the Derby Dam (now known as theLake Housatonic Dam) in October 1870 to provide a river crossing as well as water for nearby industry.[6]
Lake Lillinonah is the section of the Housatonic north of Lake Zoar. It was created in 1955 by damming theHousatonic River via the construction of theShepaug Dam (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 byHurricane 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.[7]
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.[8]
There are also eagles, hawks and other predatory birds which nest along Lake Zoar.
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.
ThePootatuck (often spelled Pohtatuck in colonial era documents and related to the namePotatuck) were a branch of thePaugussett tribe who lived in Woodbury, Southbury and Newtown.[9][10]
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.
ThePaugussett were anAlgonquian-speaking[11] Native American tribe andsachemdom existing in southwestern Connecticut in the 17th century.
Paugussett villages existed throughout southwestern Connecticut inBridgeport,Trumbull,Stratford,Shelton,Monroe andOxford inFairfield County as well as in what is nowMilford,Orange,Woodbridge,Beacon Falls,Derby andNaugatuck inNew Haven County, Connecticut. Derby Connecticut was once known as "Paugussett" before it was renamed in 1675.
While the Pootatuck branch has largely vanished, descendants of the southeastFairfield CountyConnecticut branch of thePaugussett tribe (known as the "Golden Hill" Paugussetts) today have a reservation inColchesterConnecticut (New London County) as well as a small land holding in the Nichols section ofStratford,Connecticut.[12]
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 theConnecticut Forest and Park Association
Weather along the route is typical ofConnecticut. Conditions on exposed ridge tops and summits may be harsher during cold or stormy weather.[13]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.
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. Parasiticdeer ticks (which are known to carryLyme disease) 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.
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Books – Connecticut hiking[edit]
Books – Connecticut history and geography[edit]
Specific to this trail:
State and Municipal Government Websites:
History:
Land Trust / Conservation Preserve Organizations:
