Gristmill Trail 

This trail is only 0.32 mile long, but the scenery along the Far Mill River makes it a very special hike. During the summer it's a great place to take the kids with their water shoes.  They could spend hours playing in the river, which is usually very shallow (but don't do this is the river is flooded).  It's also a popular fishing spot, especially at the picturesque old stone dam.

Location: Mill Street, off of Buddington Road.  Look for the kiosk and parking area. 

What to bring: If it's summer, definitely bring some bug spray because this is a mosquite haven.  You might also want your water shoes, fishing pole, or a lunch.  It's a nice place to hang out. Oh, yes, and don't forget the camera. 

History along the trail:   The Far Mill River drops in elevation very quickly. You can actually see the drop with the naked eye, and this is why the water flows with such power.  Starting back in the 1600's this power was used to operate gristmills (to grind grain) and sawmills.  As you drive up Mill Street, just before you come to Judson Street, you will pass a stone house on your left that was once a stump joint factory back in the 1800's.  Look for an old stone grinding wheel, reportedly found nearby, that is displayed right out front.   As you hike the trail, imagine a tiny mill at the river about 350 years ago.  You may also find some rounded glass in the sand along the shoreline that has been exposed from the most recent flood. While much of the glass you see is simply the remnant of a beer bottle, you may also find old pieces of china.  How long was the piece of glass in the water?  30 years? 100 years? 

The kiosk at the park has an article written by Bob Novak about the history along the trail. 

Nature along the trail:  This is a flood-plain forest. The above photo was taken from Gristmail Trail in 2004, and shows why life in the floodplain must be specially adapted to occasional flooding.  The severity of this flood only happens every few years, but that's enough.  It also shows why this isn't a good place to build a house!

Animals along the trail are very typical of a floodplain forest and include raccoon (who are really good at fishing -- I know because they ate all ten goldfish from my pond one night), deer, muskrat, beaver (look for gnawed off branches), kingfisher, snapping turtle, wood duck, and heron.   If you see a big rodent swimming it's a muskrat if it has a rat-like tail and a beaver if it's tail looks like a canoe paddle.   Beaver are also larger and will slap their tail on the water in alarm.  The Mill River is stocked with trout by the DEP and is considered to be one of the better fishing spots in the region.

Plants include trees adapted to occasional flood, a high water table, and the sandy soil of a flood plain, like red maple, yellow birch and beech. Look for yellow trout lilies blooming on Opening Fishing Day. Witch Hazel, the very same shrub which is used to make Witch Hazel oil sold in pharmacies, is very common along the trail.  Witch hazel is really weird because it blooms yellow in the fall just after all the leaves have fallen off the trees, which is about the last thing you expect to see in November.  Then, during the winter there are strange seed pods.  The pods take almost a year to mature and when they do, they split open at the top and one or two seeds shoot out with an audible snap, landing five or ten feet away.  Native Americans used witch hazel leaves and bark to treat wounds and ulcers.  Research shows that the plant has properties as an astringent (it shrinks tissue) whether it is taken internally or applied to the skin.

Trail Background: Gristmill Trail was officially opened in 2000 and is located on property purchased from the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company as part of the referendum in 1997.  The kiosk and bench were added in 2004 by Andrew Lautenschlager and friends as an Eagle Scout project.