Adventure on the Paugussett Trail
Hike the Paugussett and return by canoe on the Housatonic River.

Here's something different: a half day hike on the Paugussett Trail followed by a canoe trip down the Housatonic River which will bring you back to your starting point. Some planning is involved, but if you do it right it makes for a great day in the outdoors.

My husband and I enjoyed this hike/canoe trip in the summer of '97 so much that I thought I'd share our experience and planning tips. We both scheduled a vacation day from our jobs to work on some home improvement projects but, after hearing the weather forecast, our plans changed. Why waste a nice day? Since our 4 year old would be in preschool all day, we were free for a good hike while everyone else was at work.

Early in the morning, my husband loaded the canoe up on top of the truck and dropped it off behind the Stevenson dam in Monroe, at the power plant (location in photo). He hid the canoe in the trees with some extra supplies; snacks, sodas, water shoes, etc. In the meantime, I dropped our son off at school. We then loaded up our fanny packs and hit the trail on a cool and cloudy morning.

We started at the trailhead in Indian Well State Park off of Route 110 in Shelton, leaving the truck in the trailhead parking area for hikers. Our first stop was the waterfall and pool for which the park is named. According to legend, a pair of Indians in love leapt to their deaths from the top of the falls, rather than be separated. It is a lovely spot, even more so on a peaceful summer morning without crowds. The falls is just a short detour off the Paugussett Trail.

After rejoining the trail, we walked leisurely along the bank of Housatonic River, heading northwest. It was damp, mossy and full of hemlock trees, reminding me of the hills of Vermont. Hard to believe we were in Shelton. In the distance, we could hear the rush hour traffic on Route 34. Better them that us!

After a few miles, the trail left the forested bank and was routed onto some side streets for a few blocks. We could not get over the irony of having to walk on a road called "Thoreau Drive" after the legendary naturalist Henry David Thoreau. I somehow suspect Thoreau would have preferred to have a stretch of trail preserved than have it replaced with a road in his name. Shelton's Planning and Zoning Department was definitely asleep at the wheel when that subdivision came in for review.

After four miles of hiking we entered Webb Mountain Park in Monroe. Even here we didn't see a single soul. North of the park the trail climbed onto a rocky ridge and we stopped for lunch at a beautiful overlook of Lake Zoar (5.5 miles).

After lunch, we followed the trail down the hill, eventually taking a turn onto a side trail to the right (5.9 miles, blue blaze with red dot), which led us to Route 34 and Lake Zoar, just north of the Stevenson Dam. Just a short walk south on 34 and we were at the hydroelectric plant where the canoe had been stashed.

Our hike had been very peaceful and relaxing, since it was a weekday and we didn't see a single hiker the entire hike. Now for a change of pace! The water was being let out of the dam, causing a surge to carry us downstream. After hiking all morning, it was a pleasure to sit down and let the water carry us back. Because the water was high, there was an unexpected set of mild rapids which caused me a moment of panic, especially after the fishermen on the side of the bank yelled "Good thing you've got those life jackets on...you're going to need them!" But we rode the waves without a problem and the water calmed down for the rest of the trip.

For the first mile or so of the river below the dam the current was good (pictured). Then the river gradually widened and the current lessened. Cottages and houses covered both banks. Fortunately, there were only a handful of boats on the river, because canoeing is nearly impossible during the weekend boating traffic. From the canoe we could see a steep forested hill called "Birchbank Mountain", one of the open space properties the City of Shelton is purchasing from the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company. We had passed through these woods only a few hours before.

Eventually we came to picnic benches and the sandy beach of Indian Well State Park. Our pull-out location was an old concrete slab just past the park beach. It was a bit awkward, but my husband pulled the canoe up onto the bank about a few hundred yards away from the truck.

Planning Considerations:

1. Do this hike on a weekday! The boating traffic on the Housatonic River is very heavy on weekends.

2. Try and find out when water will be let out of the dam (I'm trying to find a number to call). Otherwise, it may be very low and you'll have to paddle a lot harder, although you can still canoe. We were lucky and just happened to hit it right.

3. Canoe drop off directions: The drop off location is on the WEST side of the Stevenson Dam, off of Route 34 in Monroe. Right at the sharp bend going into the dam, there are two very big yellow and black striped signs to keep motorists on the road. There is a drive located at these signs; take it. It is owned by the power plant but is open to the public. There is a small parking area on the bank, and to the right is a flight of stairs leading to the water. You can hide a canoe in the woods to your right.

4. Parking at the trailhead. See the Paugussett Trail web pages.

5. Trail map. There is a simple map at the Paugussett Trail web page, but I suggest you purchase the new version of the Connecticut Walk Book just put out by the CT Forest & Parks Association (CFPA). It's got a topographical map and written directions. Better yet, join the association and get the trail book for free.

Route on the trail section diverted onto the roadways in Shelton is (from the Connecticut Walk Book):

• enter onto Little Fox Run
• turn right on Okenuck Way
• turn left on Boulder Path
• cross Princess Winona Way
• ascend steeply on narrow open space ROW
• cross storm drainage ditch
• enter blacktop Thoreau Drive, turn right
• go through housing development
• from corner of Thoreau Drive and Rodia Ridge Rd, enter new housing development
• turn left down steep embankment
• cross brook and enter Webb Mount Park in Monroe
• Keep a close eye out for trail blazes, especially on telephone poles.

6. Canoe pull out. Before you start your hike, walk over to the river bank and get your bearing so you know where to pull out! There is no actual canoe landing. If you don't like the pull out area (it's a bit steep), you might try pulling out just before this spot, in the picnic area, and walking over to your car from there. But you may have to pay $4 to get into the park if you do this.

7. Allow 5 to 8 hours to complete your trip. More time will be spent on the trail than in the water, unless the water is very low. The hike is six miles, the canoe trip presumably less.

8. For more information on the Housatonic River, see Guide to the Lower Housatonic