Middlebury,CT; New Letterbox
Middlebury,CT; New Letterbox
MIDDLEBURY GREENWAY LETTERBOX:
MIDDLEBURY, CONNECTICUT
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Planted: May 22, 2002
Length: Route 63 parking lot to Route 64 parking lot; 4 miles
Route 63 parking lot to Letterbox; 3 miles
Route 64 parking lot to Letterbox; 1 miles
Meadowview Park to Letterbox; mile
Difficulty: Moderate. Hilly, road crossings and paved except for a mile of packed gravel.
Directions: Take exit 17 off of I84.
Westbound; the exit brings you right onto Route 64 West. When you reach the junction
of Route 63, continue straight on Route 64 for 1.3 miles and turn left onto Chase Road for
the Chase Road parking lot. Continue along Route 64 until you reach the top of the hill
above the entrance to Quassy Amusement Park on your right. The Route 64 parking lot
will be on your left. Its gravel and has a large sign board. Meadowview Park is located
South on Route 188, just past the junction with Route 64. Dont take the first turn onto
Route 188 off of Route 64, as this is the Northern junction.
To reach the Route 63 parking lot, turn left off of Route 64 at the Route 63 junction. Before you cross under the I84 underpass, you will see where the trail begins in front of the Maggie McFlys Restaurant on your right. Turn right at Service Road and go behind the restaurant. You will see a sign that says "additional parking" up a small hill.
Eastbound; Take a left off the exit onto Route 63. Proceed underneath the underpass to the Route 63 parking lot on your left. See above directions.
The Middlebury Greenway follows the rail bed of a former trolley line which ran from the city of Waterbury Woodbury. It was built in 1908 by the Connecticut Company and closed in 1930. In 1992, the route was turned into a multi-use trail and has been improved upon yearly. It is now almost fully paved, except for a short mile section. For the most part, it parallels Route 64, with extensive landscaping, fencing, granite benches and a babbling brook. Most road crossings have crosswalks, but there are some steep inclines along the route.
Starting from the Route 63 parking lot, the trail heads Northwest away from Route 63 and soon parallels Route 64 in a more or less east-west direction. After a mile youll come to a nice brick patio area with benches for a quick rest. Another mile brings you to the Chase Road parking lot. After traveling 2 miles you come to a newly completed tunnel underneath Route 188. Next to the benches is a stone opening, circa 1907, that I believe to be an old trolley stop. Proceed through the tunnel and up an incline. As your descending down the other side, look for a grassy area with a granite bench on your left. If the trail turns to gravel, youve gone too far. From the bench, take a reading of 120 degrees. Sight a large, fern covered boulder on the hillside. A dead tree is lying across the top of the boulder. Go to the dead trees base and look under a rock for the prize you seek. Continuing along the trail, the pavement ends at the 3 mile mark and turns to packed gravel for a mile. Along this stretch, you pass by Meadowview Park, where they are presently building a rest room pavilion. You go along the ballfields and the alongside Route 64 again. Down to your left is Lake Elise. You descend down, then up a hill and as you are going around a curve, look to your right across the road to spot another old trolley stop. As you crest this hill, on your left will be the gravel, Route 64 parking lot, along with a sign post. You may descend down the hill for another 3/10 of a mile to the Quassy Ball Fields, where the trail ends. Across the road is the Quassy Amusement Park, fronting Lake Quassapaug.
HH