This absolute little gem of a 4 mile Connecticut Blue Blaze Trail is a fantastic ‘Buy one get 2 free offer’ taking in 3 different ‘mini trails’ each with its own unique vibe. With easy terrain and parking its a great little trail for all abilities. I also currently hold the Fastest Known Time on this Trail .

This guide will give you a glimpse of what to expect as well as all the info you need for parking and finding it.

Despite being only about 4 miles it manages to take in three trails called the ‘Iron Ore Trail’ followed by the ‘Silica Mine Trail’ and then the ‘Lillinonah Trail’.

The Sunny Valley Preserve consists of 1,850 acres of farmland, forests, wetlands, and meadows on 19 parcels of land. Visitors can hike on trails and learn about nature, land management, and environmentally compatible farming at several observation sites.

We set off from one end at Lakewood Drive heading north ish to finish where we had parked the other car.

Iron Ore Trail

The first part of the trail is the ‘Iron Ore Trail’ and winds gently through the woods. As you meander through this you can see a lot of extreme damage done to some trees from localized high winds, which the park have clearly worked hard to clear, and you also get to see various different areas where they are experimenting with different types of coppicing over the last few decades.

Silica Mine Trail

After about 1.5 miles you cross and road and the Blue Blaze Markers continue into a new part called the ‘Silica Mine Trail’. This little path has a complete change of scenery and takes you over and through rocky hills, Pine Woods and a deep meandering stream. There are some gorgeous small shallow rocky valleys and if you look closely in the sunshine you can see the rocks sparkle with a sheen from the silicia.

Towards the end of that section we had some fun on a little thin balancing footbridge too.

Lillinonah Trail

After another road crossing we got the final of the three ‘mini’ trails called the Lillinonah Trail. This is named after Princess Lillinonah who has a complicated a tragic mythical story of various versions, I’ve read a few online and I’m none the wiser, but it seemed to end in her and her lover going off Lovers Leap.

This final trail gently meanders down to the Housatonic River which eventually becomes the Lillinonah Lake.

At just over 4 miles we got to the car which was parked at Bridgewater Town Park.

Verdict

After a few tough trails recently this relaxed amble mini adventure was just what we needed on a relaxed Saturday morning. There are a few things I love about this trail other than the scenery, and it included the superb signage and even little number markers on the trees so even if you only have a paper map you can easily pinpoint exactly where you are at all times.

With glistening rocks, fun footbridges, rocky hills and a lake view this trail is jam packed with stuff in such a small distance.

There are also other red, white and yellow blazed trails and loops in the parks so you can explore more and even create a different route for the way back if you do a loop instead of the end to end we did.

Useful Information

Parking – Easy parking at the Bridgewater Town Park
Bridgewater, CT 06752

Distance and Elevation – 4 miles – 675 ft

Garmin Connect and GPX files click here