|
|
|
In a Valley of Rocky Waters, Peaceful Coexistence Between Man and Nature By Robert Winkler Note from RW
“Sarah Griswold,” he writes, “the director of the little Gunn Historical Museum in Washington, once told me that during the thirteen years she lived in California, she never stopped thinking about the river for a single day. She told Californians that the Sierras had nothing to compare with Steep Rock. They told Sarah she couldn’t be serious, talking that way about some rinky-dink place in Connecticut. She said, ‘I’m serious.’” There may be bigger, wilder, more scenic and better-known nature preserves, but Ms. Griswold is right. Steep Rock and its beautiful river, the Shepaug, are hard to beat. Nature on a human scale, consisting of an unusual combination of wild and manmade riches, gives the 750-acre reservation its appeal. Steep Rock is 88 miles from midtown Manhattan—a two-hour drive, traffic permitting. The trip’s final half hour is a scenic drive across the Housatonic River and through three of the prettiest towns in Litchfield County: Bridgewater, Roxbury (where you first glimpse the Shepaug) and Washington. In Washington, a left turn onto unpaved Spring Hill Road brings you into the reservation and down to the Shepaug riverbank. Here, Spring Hill intersects with Tunnel Road. Cars are usually scattered about; most people come to walk along the river, but the dirt roads, abandoned railroad beds and foot trails also attract hikers, horseback riders, cyclists and, in winter, snowshoers and cross-country skiers. If the river’s running high, you might see canoeists and kayakers. Turn right on Tunnel Road and drive just past the horseback riding ring to the parking lot at the reservation’s north end, where a map kiosk will get you oriented. You’ll see that Tunnel Road hugs the river’s east side. From the south, a rail trail parallels the road for some distance, then, at the reservation’s midpoint, it shifts to the river’s west side (the river crossing is long gone). Between the riding ring and Spring Hill, a carriage road leads to where Holiday House, a hotel for New York City working women, once stood. The abutments in the river here supported a bridge that the women crossed after disembarking from the Shepaug Valley Railroad. Just across the auto bridge from the lot with the map kiosk is the trailhead for 4.2-mile Steep Rock Loop—a nice hike, but, because it is rather long, maybe not the best choice for a first visit.
Aside from the river, the reservation’s highlights are Steep Rock summit, a suspension footbridge and an abandoned railroad tunnel. The summit (elevation 776 feet) overlooks an oxbow in the river that surrounds a landform known as the Clamshell. To take in all of this in a 90-minute outing, return to the Spring Hill intersection and drive south on Tunnel Road (closed to cars in winter) for 1.3 miles. Park off the road. Through the trees, you’ll see Hauser Bridge, the suspension footbridge. It’s a marvel of engineering—a mini-Verrazano that sways a bit with each step—and a fine introduction to the river. The Shepaug (whose American Indian name translates to “rocky waters”) is not merely the reservation’s physical centerpiece. It lies within a gorge, and between rail trails, that would not exist without it. A Smithsonian guidebook describes its course through Steep Rock as “one of the largest protected stretches of free-flowing river in the state.” Black calls the Shepaug “a river to break your heart.” After crossing the bridge, go straight on the yellow-blazed trail and begin the gradual ascent to Steep Rock summit. Trailside white pines soon give way to the reservation’s dominant conifer, the eastern hemlock. Steep Rock has some of the oldest, tallest and most extensive hemlock stands in Connecticut. You’ll come out on Steep Rock summit and its dramatic vista in less than half an hour. Even first-time visitors will immediately recognize the Clamshell, providing they get close enough to the edge of the cliff, where the entire landform, including a small hill resembling a clam’s hinge, comes into view. From here, you might look down on the backs of soaring vultures, watch the aerial pyrotechnics of ravens, gaze at the clouds and hills, listen to the ribbon of river flow around the Clamshell or let the warm sun put you to sleep. A plaque memorializes a 10-year-old boy who fell to his death here in 1963. He’s memorialized in a different way by the fence that keeps people away from the precipitous drop. Another message carved into a stone tablet reads: “To the glory of God this park is dedicated and given in the year 1930 by the Rossiter family to all who find beauty in nature.” Ehrick Rossiter was an architect who bought 100 acres of the land that forms the nucleus of Steep Rock when he learned that a timber company planned to clear it. He eventually donated his property to the Steep Rock Association, which has greatly augmented the original acreage. The association has other large holdings in Washington, including Hidden Valley Reservation, also along the Shepaug, but north of town (Steep Rock is south).
On the way back down, two minutes after the intersection with a trail marked “dangerous,” look for a trail that descends to the right. It follows a most tranquil part of the river before returning you to Hauser Bridge. From the bridge’s east side, follow the yellow trail to Tunnel Road and turn left, where it merges with the blue trail (near where you left your car). Take a quick right onto the blue trail alone, then another right onto the rail trail. The tunnel looms ahead of you—an eerie black hole. Crudely blasted through solid rock, it is only nominally wider than the Shepaug Valley Railroad trains that chugged through it from 1872 to 1948. Walking its length of some 240 feet in cool, wet darkness, you can almost feel the ghosts of departed laborers. By now you may be ready for civilization, and Washington provides it in very palatable form. According to Black, it’s “a kind of Hamptons-Without-the-Crowds (or the ocean).” Those who want a longer outing can explore any of dozens of reservation trails. Indeed, part of the excitement of hiking is not always to know where you’re going. Most trails are unmarked, however, so if you take such a detour, make note of how to get back. To reach town, return to the reservation’s north end, cross the auto bridge and turn right onto River Road. Go 1.4 miles to Washington Depot, where there are restaurants, a market and the Hickory Stick Bookshop. Washington proper, just up the road from the Depot (going south on Green Hill), is the epitome of a New England village, with white colonial houses galore. To return home, you need not backtrack to the reservation’s dirt roads. Continue south on Green Hill Road, turn right onto Route 199 and you’re on your way. The Institute for American Indian Studies on Curtis Road, .3 mile south of Spring Hill Road, is worth a side trip for its museum and re-created American Indian village. Should you want to read up on the storied Shepaug, The Trout Pool Paradox is indispensable. The paradox is that the Shepaug largely escaped industrial exploitation, while the other major Housatonic tributary, the Naugatuck River, did not. Black’s book is superb ecological history, as seen through the eyes of a fly fisherman. If You Go Steep Rock Reservation is 25 miles northeast of Danbury, Connecticut. Dogs must be leashed; horseback riders and cyclists are restricted to certain trails. In winter, a gate closes most of Tunnel Road to motor vehicles. To get there, drive east on I-84 and take Exit 9. Turn left off the ramp onto Route 25 and go north for 3.6 miles. In Brookfield, turn right onto Route 133 and go north for 7.2 miles through Bridgewater to a T-intersection. Turn right onto Route 67 toward Roxbury. After 4.2 miles, turn left onto Route 199 and go north to Washington. Spring Hill Road, the reservation entrance, is on the left at 3.6 miles. Maps of Steep Rock, Hidden Valley and the more recently acquired Macricostas Preserve (near the intersection of Routes 47 and 202) are available from the Steep Rock Association, P.O. Box 279, Washington Depot, CT 06794 (860-868-9131). An $8 check gets you all three. You can also buy them from The Hickory Stick Bookshop at 2 Green Hill Road in Washington Depot and at the Gunn Memorial Library up the road in Washington center. You’ll come out on Green Hill Road when you drive up from the reservation on River Road. Two good restaurants are close by. For café-style meals, try The Pantry (860-868-0258; open 10-6 Tuesday to Saturday), in the shopping center behind the bookstore. For traditional fare, turn left onto Green Hill Road, then take an immediate right, to reach the G.W. Tavern at 20 Bee Brook Road (860-868-6633; open seven days). The Institute for American Indian Studies is at 38
Curtis Road (860-868-0518; open 10-5 Monday to Saturday, 12-5 Sunday).
Admission is $5 for adults, $4.50 for seniors, $3 for children.
Text and photos ("Tunnel Road" and "Shepaug River") Copyright © 2005-2008
Robert Winkler |
o those who have fallen under its spell, Steep Rock
Reservation in Washington, Connecticut can cause some psychological
conflict. Part of them may want to tell the world about this idyllic
riverside retreat amid old-growth woods, while another part may want to keep
it a secret. George Black wasn’t the first to let the cat out of the bag
in his recent book, The Trout Pool
Paradox, which is largely about the river that runs through Steep Rock.
He does, however, point out a second source of conflict. Those who sing
Steep Rock’s praises may not be believed.
