Birchbank Mountain Open Space
White Hills
155 acres

Overview: Several miles of hiking trails at one of our more secluded and scenic parks located about 1.0 MILE north of the beach at Indian Well State Park.  Birchbank is considered to be the most unique and ecologically sensitive open space property we have.

Difficulty: Moderate, with uneven footing, possible mud holes, unimproved stream crossings, and an elevation gain of about 250 feet along the white trail.  Birchbank Trail (white) is a moderately easy 1.9 mile loop.  If the blue-yellow trail is taken to the overlook add 0.4 mile roundtrip.  The blue-blazed Paugussett Trail is steep in some sections and there is a difficult stream crossing. The blue-yellow trail south of the overlook is very steep and can be hazardous with fresh leaves or ice.

Features:  Housatonic River overlook, falls and chutes of Upper White Hills Brook, outstanding spring wildflower display (late April - early May); distinctive floodplain and ravine ecosystems; colonial roadways; scenic "chimney overlook" at Upper White Hills Brook.

Mountain bikes are prohibited due to the high risk of erosion on these steep, sandy slopes.

Birchbank Road - Indian Well Road is renamed Birchbank Road at some point.  Just keep driving north, past the crazy part of the road up above the river (you'll know it when you get to it), and park when the main road descends and then crosses the railroad tracks (you can't miss it). This is about a full mile north of the Indian Well State Park beach area.

Okenuck Way/Round Hill Rd - Limited on-street parking at the intersection of Okenuck Way and Round Hill Road.  

Description: Colonists traveling up the Housatonic River are said to have given the name to Shelton's "White Hills" which loom over the river.  The steep 300-400 foot river bluff was a major obstacle for both Native Americans and colonists.  However, a critical "notch" in the riverbank, cut by Upper White Hill Brook, allowed for easier travel between the White Hills above and the river below.  This became an important route for farmers to bring their produce to ports for export, and is now the white trail.

Marbled Salamander found on the Birchbank Mountain open space.

The scattered white quartz flakes left by Native Americans and the colonial roadway are reminders of this past.  But there is more recent past in evidence as well.  A large chimney standing next to the brook is all that is left of the old Monroe Gun Clubhouse, which was destroyed by a fire.  This scenic spot, overlooking a series of small waterfalls and cascades, is an excellent place for a picnic.

The Paugussett "Blue Dot" Trail, a CCC project from the 1930's, crosses the park on it's way from Indian Well State Park to East Village in Monroe.  The trail once stretched as far south as Roosevelt Forest in Stratford before being cut off by development in the 1980s.  The Paugussett is just one of many "Blue Blazed" trails maintained by CFPA in Connecticut.  The white trail was once an official Blue Dot loop, blazed blue with yellow dots, but was abandoned by CFPA due to excessive ATV activity. 

The bulk of the park was purchased in 1998 from the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company (BHC), now known as Aquarion.

Birchbank Trail (white): The white trail is a "lollipop loop" that is a 1.9 mile round-trip hike. Taking the blue-yellow up to the overlook and back adds 0.4 mile (round trip).  It starts on the flat floodplain below on an old roadbed known as "Old Farm Road".  In late April and early May, parts of the floodplain are covered with a carpet of Dutchman's Breeches and Red Trillium, as well as other wildflowers that are seldom seen in other parts of Shelton (photo at right was taken in 2007). Wood Ducks have also been seen nesting in the Aquarion recharge ponds to the east of the trail.

The white trail then turns up the hill and follows another old road as it ascends the river bluff through the notch.   The trail crosses the Paugussett Trail and continues to rise until Upper White Hills Brook is spotted on the right, after which the trail turns to the right to cross the brook. 

Wood Duck pair in the Aquarion ponds adjacent to Birchbank Mountain, May 2007

The trail passes a vernal pool on the left (if it's March or early April you may hear a cacophony of mating Wood Frogs), then circles back and begins to descend along the ravine.  After a time the trail approaches the brook again, and you should see the chimney nearby.  The path follows the stream all the way to the floodplain below, passing a series of scenic chutes and falls.

The hillside is in shadow long before the sun sets, so a hike earlier in the day may be preferable.

Because of it's remote location, this park has had problems with ATVs, paintball, parties, and Airsoft games (like paintball but with plastic BBs). Trail users and neighbors can have a very significant impact in stopping these problems by taking photographs, calling the Police (do not expect a rapid response, but a record of the call is useful none-the-less), and forwarding such information to the Conservation Agent at conservation@cityofshelton.org.

Blue-Yellow Trail (Overlook Trail): This trail connects the white trail to the Paugussett (blue) Trail via a seasonal overlook of the Housatonic River.  From the Paugussett Trail the blue-yellow rises steeply for 0.1 miles to the overlook (the CFPA sign says it's 0.2 miles, but we wheeled it off). The trail then descends much more gradually for 0.2 miles to the white trail.