North of the park, the trail passes under CT 8 and Old Town Road and crosses the Pequonnock River. Frederick Law Olmsted designed the park, which offers numerous playing fields among its rolling acres. That stretch-a more popular starting point for recreational trail users-begins at the residential corner of Crown Street and Glenwood Avenue and extends north along the edge of the adjacent Beardsley Zoo, the only zoo in Connecticut, and Beardsley Park. Due to its lack of scenery and short length, this portion is often omitted from Pequonnock River Trail itineraries, though it is well used and appreciated by Bridgeport residents reaching bus and train lines by foot.Ī short but difficult to traverse gap separates the Berkshire Spur stretch of the Pequonnock River Trail from a newer portion farther north. The paved side path was built in 2001 on the site of the piers of the Housatonic Railroad’s former Berkshire Spur, an elevated line that once served a handful of industrial customers to the north. The first of a handful of disconnected trail segments begins at the Bridgeport Transportation Center in downtown Bridgeport and extends north to North Avenue (US 1), immediately paralleling Housatonic Avenue for its entire route. Indeed, the names you will see along the route or in other sources-such as Housatonic Railway Rails to Trails or Monroe Housatonic Railbed Trail-reflect this railroad heritage. Formalized in 2001 by the state, the regional trail pieced together existing paths that had developed separately on the former Housatonic Railroad line-one of New England’s first-from urban Bridgeport to rural Monroe, with additional segments opening since then. Along the way, keep an eye out for kangaroos, wallabies, woodland birds and mobs of emus running across the plains.The Pequonnock River Trail is not a name you will see on the ground along this developing trail in southwestern Connecticut. Or you can ride into nearby Yetman for a pub lunch and a drink at the Codfish Hotel. There are plenty of scenic spots to enjoy a leisurely picnic while you rest your horses. Work up a canter through the magnificent forests of ironbark and cypress pine – there’s bound to be log or two to jump along the way.

In summer you’ll relish the rich orange–coloured trunks of the smooth–barked apple trees shedding their bark. Starting from Inverary Homestead, the trails are most popular in autumn and winter. Whatever you choose, you’re sure to experience a rare sense of remoteness and solitude here. Horse riders can enjoy over 70km of long distance endurance trails and short loops through the national park’s gently undulating wilderness. There is limited mobile reception in this park.Please consider minimising the impact of introduced weeds and plants on Dthinna Dthinnawan National Park by feeding horses a weed-free diet for 2 to 4 days prior to any extended trip to reduce the risk of seeds being spread through manure.Please read our code of practice for horse riding in parks before you set out on your adventure.A GPS will be handy in this remote area.Contact the Tenterfield office for horse riding maps.

Great plains trail ride with gps