Your support advances sustainable trail development—planning, building, and restoring trails the right way. Using proven, low-impact methods, we reduce erosion, protect wildlife and water resources, and keep visitors safe for generations to come.
Sustainable trails matter—to the environment, to wildlife, and to you. Steep Rock Association is the leader in Connecticut in employing sustainable design and construction methods to build trails that last. Using materials sourced on-site and professional expertise, we are improving our trail system yard-by-yard, enhancing recreational opportunities, and reducing long-term ecological damage.
Funding for Sustainable trails is urgently needed. At Steep Rock, we’re seeing more trail damage than ever—from stronger winds, torrential downpours, frost heaves, and increased foot traffic. Sustainable trails are designed to handle these pressures. That’s why, with your help, we’re building stronger, more resilient trails now—before the damage is irreversible and we must close trails.
Your support will make possible:
· 78 hand-laid stone steps, each about 3 feet wide, to stabilize the steepest sections.
· 210 feet of swales—shallow drainage channels that redirect water off the trail instead of letting it erode the surface.
· 100 square feet of stone paving in the wettest sections to prevent washout and improve footing.
· 33 grade reversals—smart drainage features that guide water off the trail naturally.
· 900 feet of trail relocation to more sustainable terrain, while closing 400 feet of eroded, unsalvageable trail to allow the land to recover.
This is hard, hands-on work. We are committed to preserving this trail, and we can do it the old way—patching ruts and hoping it holds. But we know where that leads: back to the same problems, again and again. You can help us do it the right way—once—and make it last. By partnering with Tahawus Trails, respected across the Northeast for building durable, low-maintenance trails, we can ensure the repairs will honor both the land and the people who walk it.
Building the Backbone of a Regional Trail Network: Knollside Trail will be Steep Rock’s most ambitious trail yet. Nearly a mile long, this new route will wind through stunning upland forest and connect to the Stone Wall Loop—creating a 2.5-mile critically-important connector in a regional trail system linking to the 7-mile Shepaug Greenway, Mt. Tom State Park trail system, and longer Mattatuck Trail in the future.
In 2023, Steep Rock permanently protected 208 acres of critical forest with the help of generous individuals, foundations, and a state grant that requires public access. Now we’re ready to deliver that access. What makes this trail special is how it will be built. With help from professionals and volunteers, Knollside Trail will be carefully crafted to:
· Follow natural contours to prevent erosion
· Include 112 hand-set stone steps and 180 feet of tread hardening
· Use only on-site stone for walls and paving
· Meet the highest standards of sustainable trail construction
A spur has been constructed off the Boulders Trail to the Pinnacle Cliffs by the 2025 Trail & Preserve interns. The next step is constructing a longer trail that will expand hiking opportunities among giant boulders (glacial erratics) and beautiful mature forest.
This project builds an ADA-accessible bridge over Bee Brook to replace the current wooden footbridge. The project will include an accessible trail and picnic site that loops in with the Thoreau Bridge and main parking area.
#1: Boulders Trail @Macricostas Preserve: In 2022, SRA collaborated with Tahawus Trails LLC , a professional trail-building company, on the design and construction of a new 1.5-mile scenic loop on the Macricostas ridgeline that is named the Boulders Trail as it passes numerous unique and inspiring rock formations known as glacial erratics.
#2: River’s Edge Loop @Steep Rock Preserve: SRA contracted with Tahawus Trails in 2023 to restore a 0.33-mile section of the River’s Edge Trail (known locally as the “goat trail”) that hugs the Shepaug River in Steep Rock Preserve. Originally built as a horse trail in 1931, the trail had significant damage from storms, flooding, rockfalls, and erosion. Now, it’s a sustainable, safe, riverside hiking trail.
#3: Meeker Steps @Macricostas Preserve: Weather and a significant increase in hiker traffic on the Meeker Trail resulted in severe erosion, soil compaction, and tree root exposure on this popular trail leading to the Lookout and Waramaug’s Rock. Over two years, the Steep Rockers, a volunteer group, installed 31 stone steps to reduce impact from foot traffic, enhance safety, and restore the hillside. Stones were winched into place from the surrounding area, smaller stones crushed with sledgehammers act as a drainage base, and “gargoyles”–stones on either side of the step–hold everything in place.
#4: Stone Wall Loop @Hidden Valley Preserve: In 2023, SRA added 206 acres north of Hidden Valley Preserve, including two parcels adjacent to Mt. Tom State Park. In 2024, staff and volunteers completed the 1.4-mile Stone Wall Loop in Bantam Preserve. In 2026, SRA will complete its companion, the Knollside Trail. When opened, this combined 2.5-mile trail network will enable hikers to traverse some of the wildest, most remote areas in Washington.
