The 350 acre Osbornedale State Park is located in the Naugatuck Valley Hills opposite Derby High School. It has a 2 mile loop trail marked with red blazes with various rock features and a large pond near the huge car park. The park also has a number of shelters and building that you can use including charming outdoor fireplaces.
Full Guide
The Osbornedale State Park is located near Derby in Connecticut and has a very large car park so is easy to visit at any time of the year. The state park itself has a long history for being used for both farm land and mining activities and prior to that was used by the Paugussett Native Americans. The land was eventually gifted by the Osborne family ( married name Kellogg) and became the 350 acre State Park that it is today. The Blue Blaze Paugussett Trail is also not far from this area.
You may also be interested in my guide to the Best Trails in Connecticut here.
The Red Loop
The main trail is a red blazed loop that we walked clockwise round. The start and finish of the loop is near the pond. The loop meanders through both open fields and also through winding woods with various rock formations. The further away you get from the car park the prettier the park becomes. The red loop also has a marked yellow and blue trail to criss cross the loop and give you shortcuts and access to another pond area in the park.
Geologists Dream
The area has a very wide variety of rocks from Gneiss to Schist and quartz, feldspar and Biotite.
Charming Fireplaces
There are a number of structures in the park that are open but contain charming outdoor fireplaces where you can congregate and relax. many overlook the main pond where you can go ice skating when the weather permits. We found a fascinating group of locals relaxing there who visit it most days.
Walls and Mines
As you walk through the trail you will see plenty of signs of walls that were built in the past as well as places that may have been open faced quarries and mines in the past.
Map
Parking
GPX files
Click here to download the garmin gpx route we took round the park .
Verdict
The 350 acre Osbornedale State Park is located in the Naugatuck Valley Hills opposite Derby High School. It has a 2 mile loop trail marked with red blazes with various rock features and a large pond near the huge car park. The park also has a number of shelters and building that you can use including charming outdoor fireplaces.
