LITCHFIELD COMMUNITY GREENWAY:
LITCHFIELD, CT
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: May 24, 2022
Length: Litchfield Community Greenway; 2.1 miles
Difficulty: Easy. Flat crushed gravel trail. White Memorial Section hard packed dirt & gravel.
Directions:
To Start from the North Shore Road parking lot [Southern End]; From the junction of Routes 63 & 202 in Litchfield travel west on Route 202 for 2.6 miles. Turn left on North Shore Rd. Parking lot on the left.
The Litchfield Community Greenway follows portions of the old Shepaug, Litchfield & Northern RR, a short independent RR that was chartered as the Shepaug Valley Railroad in 1868 and operated from 1872 to 1891 when it was taken over by the Housatonic Railroad. In 1898 the Housatonic operation was assumed by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (NH). As the Litchfield Division of the NH the line was operated until abandonment in 1948. The center of the trail travels through the White Memorial Conservation Area. For more information visit; LITCHFIELD COMMUNITY GREENWAY and WHITE MEMORIAL CONSERVATION CENTER .
Starting from North Shore Road parking lot [Southern End]; Map Board located here, along with maps. This is on the border with Bantam.
Note; Future Phase 4 will continue the Greenway south through the borough of Bantam. Funded in 2023.
Heading North; The narrow, crushed gravel Litchfield Community Greenway enters the woods. Butternut Brook wetlands along your right. Part of the White Memorial Conservation Area. The trail comes alongside Route 202 before crossing a bridge over Butternut Brook. Map Board. Next the trail turns right away from the road, passing a sub-station and crossing Whitehall Rd (entrance road for White Memorial Conservation Center) at 0.5 miles. Here you briefly pass through a Pine forest before crossing Bissell Rd (cross-light) to a boardwalk. Follow the boardwalk alongside Bissell Rd to an entrance for the White Memorial Conservation Area. Map Board for White Memorial Conservation Area located here. Travel past the gate along a hard packed dirt, grass and gravel trail through a wooded corridor. Some root issues. Lots of intersecting paths. Green triangular signs mark the route, however there are no arrows at intersections so pay attention. Turn right at the first intersection. Continue straight past Duck Pond ,where a boardwalk heads left around it (No Bikes). Head left at the next intersection. Stay straight when the Red Trail turns right. This will take you out of the woods and along Mallard Marsh at 1.4 miles. Crushed gravel trail follows a causeway. Cross a small bridge and pass another White Memorial Conservation Area Map Board as you exit the marsh. To your left you'll spot where the old RR bed traveled through the marsh. Cross Whites Wood Rd and you'll come to another Map Board. Here the crushed gravel trail follows the old RR bed along a causeway through more marsh. Pass a cemetery along your left before reaching the currant end of the trail after 2.1 miles at the intersection of Whites Wood Rd, Lake St and Russell St. Map Board and benches here.
Note; The old rail bed continues alongside Russell Rd but has not been developed as of May 2023. Construction is planned for 2023 to extend the trail north along the old rail bed to the old Litchfield RR Depot, which now houses the Litchfield Land Trust. A new parking lot will be built here as well.
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CLICK HERE FOR WHITE MEMORIAL CONSERVATION MAP
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT
