The Steep Rock Centennial Loop, formerly the Steep Rock Loop, leads hikers on a 4-mile trek through old hemlock forests, along the scenic Shepaug River, and up to the Steep Rock Summit. It also offers a balanced mix of steep and flat terrain, making it a great way to get a taste of everything that Steep Rock Preserve has to offer.
Unfortunately, both sections of the trail that lead up to the Steep Rock Summit were in dire need of restoration. Years of foot, and hoof traffic, and an unsustainable design led to serious erosion, exposed roots, and unstable gravel. All of these factors increased risk of injury, increased sedimentation of an unnamed stream that parallels the trail, and created difficulties for emergency response vehicles.
SRA launched the Sustainable Trails Initiative in 2025 to help fund sustainable trail projects. Luckily SRA’s generous donors understood the importance of upgrading this section of trail to be sustainable. With their support, SRA was once again able to hire Tahawus Trails LLC for this project. Tahawus install 78 stone steps in areas where the slope of the trail exceeded 10%, dug 3 swales to help keep water of the trail, built 33 drains to help shed water off the trail, and relocated 900 ft of trail to more sustainable grades between November 2025 and April 2026.
The trail is now open to the public. Next time you visit Steep Rock be sure to try out the new and improved trail!
To learn more about other sustainable trail initiative projects contact merlin@steeprockassoc.org or visit https://steeprockassoc.org/sustainable-trails/
(Note, horses will need to use the fords to access the summit).
