Shelton Regains a Trail

A vote by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA) officially restores the Paugussett Trail from Indian Well State Park south through the Shelton Lakes area to Buddington Road, and increases the total length of the trail to about 15 miles, said Teresa Gallagher, a Shelton Conservation Agent and a Conservation Commission member.

"The new trail terminus is located near Buck Hill Road, a quarter mile from the original Buddington Road crossing at Old Town Road," Gallagher said.

CFPA established the Blue-Blazed Trail system in 1929 and continues to maintain an 825-mile long network of hiking trails throughout the state, according to Gallagher. 

"Many of these trails, including the Paugussett Trail, were created during the Great Depression with the assistance of unemployed young men who signed up with the Civilian Conservation Corps, better known as the CCC," she said in her blog. "The character of a Blue-Blazed Trails is often challenging, with many trails climbing Connecticut's most prominent ridges, such as the Quinnipiac Trail on Sleeping Giant in Hamden, and the Mattabesett Trail on Mt. Higby in Middlefield.  People who have hiked all the major trails are eligible to become a member of the 'Connecticut 400 Club.'"

Maps for the Shelton Lakes trail system which includes the Paugussett from Meadow Street to Buddington Road, can be downloaded at  sheltonconservation.org and are also available at the Community Center and City Hall.  CFPA publishes detailed maps and descriptions of the Blue-Blazed Trails in the Connecticut Walk Book, available in most bookstores and online, with updates posted on their website.

The older sections of the Paugussett Trail are included in current edition of the Walkbook, and the new sections will be included in the next edition of the Walkbook. A Google map for the entire Paugussett Trail can be accessed online at sheltonconservation.org.

Check out Gallagher's full blog on the trail here.