Steep Rock Preserve — Shepaug Railroad Tunnel
Litchfield Hills / Washington, Connecticut
Activity
Hiking / Railroad Tunnel
Distance
2.2 mi round trip
Elevation gain
~150 ft
Route
Out & back
The adventure
Follow an abandoned railroad bed into a curved tunnel blasted through solid Connecticut rock. Follow an abandoned railroad grade into a hand-cut 235-foot tunnel blasted straight through Steep Rock Ridge in the 1870s.
Leave the main Steep Rock parking area and follow the yellow-circle route along Tunnel Road before taking the blue-square trail toward the old railroad grade. Find the stone portal, walk completely through the curved 235-foot Shepaug railroad tunnel, emerge from the opposite side, then return through the preserve to your starting point.
What to expect
- Follow an abandoned railroad grade into a hand-cut 235-foot tunnel blasted straight through Steep Rock Ridge in the 1870s.
- Use the main Steep Rock Preserve parking area beside the horse riding ring. From the lot, follow the yellow-circle trail along Tunnel Road. At the signed connection, take the blue-square route toward the Railroad Tunnel. Stay on the old railroad alignment until the stone tunnel portal appears. Walk through the entire tunnel, continue far enough to emerge from the opposite portal, then reverse the route back to the main parking area.
Good to know
- RAILROAD RELIC
- The tunnel was built in 1871–1872 for the Shepaug Valley Railroad.
- BLASTED BY HAND
- Workers carved the 235-foot curved passage using picks, dynamite and nitroglycerin.
- TRACKS GONE
- The railroad stopped operating in 1948, leaving the old grade to become part of today's preserve trail system.
- BRING LIGHT
- The tunnel stays cool, dark and damp. A phone light or small flashlight is worth bringing even on a bright day.
- TURN AROUND IN THE DARK
- Halfway through, stop and look back toward the curved tunnel entrance. The bend was intentional railroad engineering. It also makes the outside world disappear surprisingly fast.
- Fee
- Free — no required entrance or parking fee.
- Entrance fee
- No required entrance, parking, trail or tunnel-access fee is identified by Steep Rock Association for ordinary individual preserve use.
- Dogs
- allowed-on-leash.
- Season
- The preserve is normally open daily year-round from sunrise to sunset. Snow and ice can affect the road, trails and tunnel floor.
Photos
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