Jericho Trail

Hiking trail in Connecticut, US

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Jericho Trail

Jericho Brook water falls over ancient broken dam into pool below.

Length| 3.4 miles (5.5 km)[1]
Location| Mattatuck State Forest, Watertown (near Thomaston and Plymouth), Litchfield County, Connecticut
Designation| CFPA Blue-Blazed Trail
Use| hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, rock climbing, geocaching
Highest point| Crane's Lookout, 810 ft (250 m)
Difficulty| Easy to moderate difficulty, some rock scrambling.
Sights| Naugatuck River Valley, White stone cliffs, Rock House, Crane's Lookout.
Hazards| hunters, deer ticks, poison ivy

The Jericho trail is a 3.4-mile (5.5 km) Blue-Blazed hiking trail in Watertown, near the border with Thomaston and Plymouth, Litchfield County, Connecticut. The trail is contained almost entirely in a section of the Mattatuck State Forest. The mainline trail is a linear north–south "hike-through" trail.

The trail is listed as one of the three short Waterbury Area Trails in the Connecticut Walk Book West.

The Jericho trail is a linear trail with a trailhead and parking area at the trails southern terminus on Echo Lake Road and a connector trail leading to Connecticut Route 262 in the west. The northern terminus terminates at the trail's intersection with the Mattatuck Trail near the Rock House and Crane's Lookout. Notable features several scenic overlook views including an 810-foot summit with a 270 degree panorama (Crane's Lookout 41°37′45″N 73°03′23″W﻿ / ﻿41.6293°N 73.0565°W﻿ / 41.6293; -73.0565). The trail stops just before Crane's Lookout and the Rock House underneath, both which are on the Mattatuck Trail.[2] The trail is maintained largely through the efforts of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association.

## Trail description

[edit]

Jericho Trail head sign at junction with Mattatuck Trail.

The Jericho Trail is primarily used for hiking, backpacking, rock climbing,[3] and in the winter, snowshoeing.

### Trail route

[edit]

From the north it is also possible to connect to the Jericho Trail via the Mattatuck Trail (which can be found in Black Rock State Park), or to hike in using either of two unmarked paths (which include dirt road portions), one off of Park Road the other on.[4]

Inside the main room of the famous Rock House at the intersection of the Jericho and Mattatuck trails.

### Origin and name

[edit]

The trail is named for Jericho Brook which the trail follows for a length of less than a mile in the upper northern half of the trail route.[1]

### Folklore

[edit]

The Leatherman was a nineteenth-century vagabond who traveled approximately ten miles a day in a thirty-four (34) day circular route between New York's Hudson River in the west and the Connecticut River in the east. His circuit was also bounded by Long Island Sound in the South and the Litchfield Hills in the north.[4]

He was found dead in March 1889 near Ossining, New York, in his Saw Mill Woods rock shelter (apparently of mouth cancer due to his use of tobacco) and is buried at the Sparta Cemetery, Route 9, Scarborough, New York.[5]

## Hiking

[edit]

The mainline trail is blazed with blue rectangles. Trail descriptions are available from a number of commercial and non-commercial sources, and a complete guidebook is published by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association in the Connecticut Walk Book west. A map of the Thomaston and Watertown sections of the trail is available from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection at its website.[6]

Weather along the route is typical of Connecticut. Conditions on exposed ridge tops and summits may be harsher during cold or stormy weather.[7]

## See also

[edit]

* Blue-Blazed Trails
* Leatherman (vagabond)
* Mattatuck State Forest
* Naugatuck Railroad
* Naugatuck River
* Watertown

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Colson, Ann T. (2006). Connecticut Walk Book West (19th ed.). Connecticut Forest and Park Association. ISBN 0-9619052-6-3.
2. ^ Connecticut Walk Book: A Trail Guide to the Connecticut Outdoors. 17th Edition. The Connecticut Forest and Park Association. Rockfall, Connecticut. Undated.
3. ^ "Outdoor rock climbing at Whitestone Cliff Plymouth CT & Whitestone climbing partners - Climbfind.com". Archived from the original on 2009-07-08. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
4. ^ a b Department of Environmental Protection (2011-11-08). "DEEP: Letterboxing Clues for Mattatack State Forest". ct.gov. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
5. ^ Research by Dan W. DeLuca Archived 2006-12-06 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved July 21, 2006)
6. ^ "Mattatuck State Forest: Thomaston and Waterbury". Conn. Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
7. ^ "National Weather Service | NOAA". weather.gov. Retrieved 31 May 2016.

## Further reading

[edit]

Books – Connecticut hiking [edit]

* Colson, Ann T. (2005). Connecticut Walk Book East (19 ed.). Rockfall, Connecticut: Connecticut Forest and Park Association. pp. 1–261. ISBN 0961905255.
* Colson, Ann T. (2006). Connecticut Walk Book West (19 ed.). Rockfall, Connecticut: Connecticut Forest and Park Association. pp. 1–353. ISBN 0961905263.
* Emblidge, David (1998). Hikes in southern New England: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont (1 ed.). Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. pp. 1–304. ISBN 0-8117-2669-X.
* Keyarts, Eugene (2002). Pietrzyk, Cindi Dale (ed.). Short Nature Walks: Connecticut Guide Book (7 ed.). Guilford, Connecticut: Falcon Publishing. pp. 1–192. ISBN 0-7627-2310-6.
* Laubach, Rene; Smith, Charles W. G. (2007). AMC's Best Day Hikes in Connecticut (1 ed.). Guilford, Connecticut: Appalachian Mountain Club Books. pp. 1–320. ISBN 1-934028-10-X.
* Ostertag, Rhonda; Ostertag, George (2002). Hiking Southern New England (2 ed.). Guilford, Connecticut: Falcon Publishing. pp. 1–336. ISBN 0-7627-2246-0.

Books – Connecticut history and geography [edit]

* De Forest, John (1853). History of the Indians of Connecticut from the earliest known period to 1850. Hartford, Connecticut: Wm. Jas. Hamersley. pp. 1–509.
* Hayward, John (1857). New England Gazetteer: Containing Descriptions of the States, Counties, Cities and Towns of New England (2 ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Otis Clapp. pp. 1–704.
* Trumbull, Benjamin (1797). A Complete History of Connecticut - Civil and Ecclesiastical. Vol. I (1818 printing ed.). New Haven, Connecticut: Maltby, Goldsmith & Co. and Samuel Wadsworth. pp. 1–1166.
* Trumbull, Benjamin (1797). A Complete History of Connecticut - Civil and Ecclesiastical. Vol. II (1818 printing ed.). New Haven, Connecticut: Maltby, Goldsmith & Co. and Samuel Wadsworth. pp. 1–1166.

## External links

[edit]

Specific to this trail:

* CT Museum Quest Article on the Jericho Trail
* CT Museum Quest Article on the Whitestone-Jericho Connector

Government Links:

* State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection page for the Mattatuck State Forest, including a map
* State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Forestry Division Letterboxing Clues for Mattatuck State Forest
* Town of Watertown Website

Leatherman:

* The Legend of the Old Leatherman
* Cold Spots: The Legend of the Leatherman

* v
* t
* e

Hiking trails in Connecticut

* Airline
* Alain and May White
* American Legion
* Appalachian
* Arthur A. Harris
* Aspetuck Valley
* Bigelow Hollow
* Case Mountain
* Charter Oak Greenway
* Chatfield
* Cockaponset
* East Coast Greenway
* Falls Brook
* Farmington Canal Heritage
* Gay City
* Hancock Brook
* Hop River
* Housatonic Range
* Iron
* Jericho
* Kettletown
* Lillinonah
* Lone Pine
* Macedonia Brook
* Mattabesett
* Mattatuck
* McLean Game Refuge
* Menunkatuck
* Metacomet
* Mohawk
* Moosup Valley
* Muir
* Narragansett
* Natchaug
* Naugatuck
* Nayantaquit
* Nehantic
* New England
* Nipmuck
* Old Furnace
* Pachaug
* Paugussett
* Peoples
* Pequot
* Pine Knob
* Pomperaug
* Quinebaug
* Quinnipiac
* Ragged Mountain
* Regicides
* Salmon River
* Saugatuck
* Shenipsit
* Sleeping Giant
* Still River Greenway
* Stony Creek Quarry
* Sunny Valley Preserve
* Tunxis
* Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
* Westwoods
* Whitestone Cliffs
* Williams
* Wolcott
* Zoar

* v
* t
* e

Protected areas of Connecticut

National Park Service|

* Weir Farm National Historical Park

National Wildlife Refuges|

* Silvio O. Conte
* Stewart B. McKinney

National Trails|

* Appalachian Trail
* New England National Scenic Trail
* Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route

Wild and Scenic Rivers|

* Ashaway River
* Eightmile River
* Farmington River
* Green Fall River
* Housatonic River
* Pawcatuck River
* Salmon Brook
* Shunock River
* Wood River

State Parks|

* Above All
* Air Line
* Beaver Brook
* Becket Hill State Park Reserve
* Beckley Furnace Industrial Monument
* Bennett's Pond
* Bigelow Hollow
* Black Rock
* Bluff Point
* Bolton Notch
* Brainard Homestead
* Burr Pond
* Camp Columbia
* Campbell Falls
* Chatfield Hollow
* Collis P. Huntington
* Connecticut Valley Railroad
* Dart Island State Park
* Day Pond
* Dennis Hill
* Devil's Hopyard
* Dinosaur
* Eagle Landing
* Farm River
* Farmington Canal
* Fort Griswold Battlefield
* Fort Trumbull
* Gardner Lake
* Gay City
* George Dudley Seymour
* George Waldo
* Gillette Castle
* Haddam Island
* Haddam Meadows
* Haley Farm
* Hammonasset Beach
* Harkness Memorial
* Haystack Mountain
* Higganum Reservoir
* Hop River State Park Trail
* Hopemead
* Hopeville Pond
* Horse Guard
* Housatonic Meadows
* Humaston Brook
* Hurd
* Indian Well
* John A. Minetto
* Kent Falls
* Kettletown
* Killingly Pond
* Lake Waramaug
* Lamentation Mountain
* Larkin State Park Trail
* Lovers Leap
* Macedonia Brook
* Machimoodus
* Mansfield Hollow
* Mashamoquet Brook
* Mianus River
* Millers Pond
* Minnie Island
* Mohawk Mountain
* Mono Pond
* Moosup Valley State Park Trail
* Mooween
* Mount Bushnell
* Mount Riga
* Mount Tom
* Old Furnace
* Osbornedale
* Penwood
* Platt Hill
* Pomeroy
* Putnam Memorial
* Quaddick
* Quinebaug Lake
* Quinnipiac River
* River Highlands
* Rocky Glen
* Rocky Neck
* Ross Pond
* Salt Rock State Campground
* Satan's Kingdom State Recreation Area
* Scantic River
* Selden Neck
* Seth Low Pierrepont
* Sherwood Island
* Silver Sands
* Sleeping Giant
* Southford Falls
* Squantz Pond
* Stillwater Pond
* Stoddard Hill
* Stratton Brook
* Sunnybrook
* Sunrise
* Talcott Mountain
* Tri-Mountain
* Trout Brook Valley
* Wadsworth Falls
* West Rock Ridge
* Wharton Brook
* Whittemore Glen
* Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail
* Windsor Meadows
* Wooster Mountain

State Forests|

* Algonquin
* American Legion
* Centennial Watershed
* Cockaponset
* Enders
* James L. Goodwin
* Housatonic
* Massacoe
* Mattatuck
* Meshomasic
* Mohawk
* Mohegan
* Nassahegon
* Natchaug
* Nathan Hale
* Naugatuck
* Nehantic
* Nepaug
* Nipmuck
* Nye-Holman
* Pachaug
* Paugnut
* Paugussett
* People's
* Pootatuck
* Quaddick
* Salmon River
* Shenipsit
* Topsmead
* Tunxis
* Wyantenock

Wildlife Management Areas|

* Aldo Leopold WMA
* Assekonk WMA
* Babcock Pond WMA
* Barber Pond WMA
* Barn Island WMA
* Bartlett Brook WMA
* Bear Hill WMA
* Belding WMA
* Bishops Swamp WMA
* Black Pond WMA
* Candlewood Hill WMA
* Cedar Swamp WMA
* Charles E. Wheeler WMA
* Cromwell Meadows WMA
* Durham Meadows WMA
* East River Marsh WMA
* East Swamp WMA
* Eightmile River WMA
* Franklin Swamp WMA
* Goshen WMA
* Great Harbor WMA
* Higganum Meadows WMA
* Housatonic River WMA
* King's Island Coop WMA
* Kollar WMA
* Larson Lot WMA
* Little River Fish and Wildlife Area
* Lord's Cove WMA
* Maromas Coop WMA
* Meadow Brook WMA
* Menunketesuck WMA
* Messerschmidt WMA
* Newgate WMA
* Nod Brook WMA
* Nott Island WMA
* Pease Brook WMA
* Plum Bank WMA
* Quinebaug River WMA
* Quinnipiac River Marsh WMA
* Ragged Rock WMA
* Raymond Brook Marsh WMA
* Robbins Swamp WMA
* Roger Tory Peterson Wildlife Area
* Roraback WMA
* Rose Hill WMA
* Ross Marsh WMA
* Salmon River Cove and Haddam Neck WMA
* Sessions Woods WMA
* Simsbury WMA
* Skiff Mountain Coop WMA
* James V. Spignesi WMA
* Stanley Works WMA
* Suffield WMA
* Talbot WMA
* Tankerhoosen WMA
* Wangunk Meadows WMA
* Wopowog WMA
* Zemko Pond WMA

Reservoirs|

* Aspetuck Reservoir
* Barkhamsted Reservoir
* Beaver Dam Lake
* Candlewood Lake
* Easton Reservoir
* Far Mill Reservoir
* Hemlock Reservoir
* Hop Brook Lake
* Lake Lillinonah
* Mansfield Hollow Lake
* Means Brook
* Saugatuck Reservoir
* Trap Falls Reservoir
* West Hartford Reservoir
* West Pequonnock Reservoir
* Lake Zoar

Private|

* Aspetuck Land Trust
* Aton Forest
* Audubon Center at Bent of the River
* Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens
* Bear Mountain
* Beckley Bog
* Branford Land Trust
* Case Mountain
* Cathedral Pines
* Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield
* Connecticut College Arboretum
* Devil's Den Preserve
* Earthplace
* Great Mountain Forest
* Higby Mountain
* Highstead Arboretum
* Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust
* McLean Game Refuge
* New Canaan Nature Center
* Peter's Rock
* Pine Mountain Reserve
* Saltonstall Mountain
* Stamford Museum & Nature Center
* Steep Rock Association
* Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust
* White Memorial Foundation
* Woodcock Nature Center
* Yale-Myers Forest

Trails|

* American Legion State Forest Trails
* Aspetuck Valley Trail
* Blue-Blazed Trails
* Chatfield Trail
* Hancock Brook Trail
* Housatonic Range Trail
* Lillinonah Trail
* Mattabesett Trail
* Menunkatuck Trail
* Metacomet Trail
* Narragansett Trail
* Natchaug Trail
* Naugatuck Trail
* Nehantic Trail
* Nipmuck Trail
* Paugussett Trail
* Pequot Trail
* Quinnipiac Trail
* Regicides Trail
* Salmon River Trail
* Shenipsit Trail
* Tunxis Trail
* Westwoods Trails
* Whitestone Cliffs Trail
* Zoar Trail

Nature centers|

* List of nature centers in Connecticut

Local Government
Forest/Parks|

* Bear Mountain Reservation
* Beardsley Park
* Burr Farm Protected Open Space
* East Rock Park
* Gurski Farm Protected Open Space
* Happy Landings Protected Open Space
* Lighthouse Point Park
* Lillinonah Woods
* Mill River Park
* Old Bridge Sanctuary
* Pleasure Beach
* Roosevelt Forest
* Salt Meadow Park
* Seaside Park
* Webb Mountain Discovery Zone
* Webb Mountain Park

* Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

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