Larkin State Park Trail is a Connecticut rail trail that follows the former New York & New England Railroad roadbed across the towns of Southbury, Oxford, Middlebury, and Naugatuck. The trail is 10.3 miles (16.6 km) long; its eastern terminus is at Whittemore Glen State Park, the western at Kettletown Road in Southbury. The trail is open for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing.[1]
| Larkin State Park Trail | |
|---|---|
 Looking west on the trail in Middlebury | |
| Length | 10.3 miles (16.6 km) |
| Location | Southbury, Oxford, Middlebury, and Naugatuck, Connecticut |
| Established | 1943 |
| Designation | Connecticut state park |
| Trailheads | Southbury (41°28′20″N 73°12′25″W / 41.47234°N 73.20691°W) Naugatuck (41°30′45″N 73°03′56″W / 41.51246°N 73.06556°W) |
| Use | Hiking, biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing |
| Sights | Woodlands, horse farms, ponds, wetlands |
| Surface | Various: sand, packed dirt and cobbles, railroad ballast and cinders |
| Maintained by | Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection |
| Website | Larkin State Park Trail
  Naugatuck  Southbury Location of trailheads in Connecticut |
History edit
The rail line was in operation from 1881 until 1939. Four years after the line's abandonment, Dr. Charles L. Larkin bought a ten-mile section that he donated to the state for the purpose of creating an equestrian trail. The park was named in his honor.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b "Larkin State Park Trail". State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
External links edit
- Larkin State Park Trail Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
- Larkin State Park Trail Map - Eastern Section Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
- Larkin State Park Trail Map - Western Section Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
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