MADISON, CT Incorporated 1826/Population 18,000+

The eastern trailhead of the 25-mile Trail is in Madison at Hammonasset Beach State Park, Connecticut’s largest and most visited shoreline park. (The Trail’s western trailhead is at Lighthouse Point on New Haven Harbor).

VOLUNTEERS WE NEED YOU TO HELP! We are ready to help you have fun too!!   See what task below appeals to you, and email by Clicking here to get involved.

HELP STRATEGIZE TO RAISE CHALLENGE FUNDS for our generous challenge grant from the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.

JOIN THE VOLUNTEER TRAIL MAINTENANCE TEAM NOW to prepare for work on trail surface for final topping, remove invasive vines, even eradicate phragmites

Help to PLAN OUR FIRST BIKE EVENT  a Bike Safety Rodeo.

TALK TO LOCAL GROUPS about Madison’s spectacular Trail at Hammonasset Beach State Park. Orientation & Power Point provided. Flexible time.

Also, please check the VOLUNTEER section of our website.

Trail Development

Trail work in Madison is concentrated on the section in Hammonasset Beach State Park crossing an undeveloped area that is spectacularly beautiful. We have a very active trail building and maintenance program run by dedicated volunteers. We will hold trail work sessions frequently in coming weeks to clear heavy stones from the trail while we await the final topping and to clear invasive vines and liberate the trees and shrubbery along the trail. If you would like to be notified of work schedules and join us, please send a message by  Clicking here.

Trail Section Update

Even though it is not finished, this section is very walk able and ski-able. We have even had intrepid bikers on the trail. The bird watching is excellent.

• Most of the trail is cleared and covered with geo-textile fabric and the first layer of heavy process stone.
• The final layer will be finer stone compacted to make a pleasant hard/soft surface for walking, biking, wheelchairs, and strollers.
• Wetlands and flood permits have been obtained.
• Next steps will be to put down the final layer of stone, connect the two segments across the short stretch along the Post Road, and build the boardwalk across the marsh.

Trail Access: Until we build the boardwalk across the marsh, this trail section can be accessed by walking through the Hammonasset campground, or from the Post Road between Webster Point Road and the park entrance. Parking is allowed on the grassy strip along the Post Road as long as the car is fully off the pavement.

A Few Words of Thanks

The Madison Team was thrilled to received word recently that The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven has made a grant of $60,000 over three years to help build the trail section in Hammonasset. The second and third years of the grant are in the form of a challenge requiring that we raise funds to be matched by the Foundation.

Progress to this point on this section has been made possible by a major grant from Anthem Blue Cross as well as generous grants from the Madison Newcomers Club and the Madison Jaycees and donations from many individuals. We have about half of the funding we need to complete this section and are deeply grateful to all for the support.

We are also grateful to the staffs of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and of Hammonasset Beach State Park for their abundant assistance and advice as we work our way through the permitting process and across the Park property.

And we deeply appreciate all the volunteers who work on the trail. Despite snow and cold in early January, members of Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Society came to the Hammonasset section of the trail to clear brush and invasive vines. Twenty-one workers of all ages, about half youth and half adults joined the effort. The group coordinator Ann Kadlecek commented, “It looks cold, but when you get to work, you warm up quickly and realize this is a great time to be out in the woods working. It was a beautiful day.” Trail Maintenance Chair John Paulson expressed sincere thanks on behalf of all members of the Madison trail team. This same group worked on a section of the trail in East Haven last spring.

Heroic Owl Rescue on the Trail

Every once in a while working or walking on the Trail, you may get a special treat. Last spring a walker came upon a little ball of fuzz that turned out to be a baby great horned owl fallen out of its nest. The owl was immediately dubbed Greenway. Our guess is that Greenway’s parents set up housekeeping in a secondhand nest left by smaller birds. Owls are known to be lazy about nest building. Greenway simply grew bigger than the original occupants, and the nest could not support him. Wind Over Wings came to the rescue, checked the baby over, and installed him on a portable platform high in a tree overlooking the trail. The owl parents returned and continued to nurture their offspring, but Greenway went over the side again.

His second rescue team came from A Place Called Hope. This time they installed a bigger platform giving Greenway more room to maneuver. They placed it higher in the tree with more shade and a railing to prevent Greenway from toppling a third time. His parents returned and continued to feed him as he progressed from that first fuzzy ball to a full-grown owl about 18 inches tall. When last seen he was hopping from branch to branch which is the usual stage just before owls are fully fledged. So as you walk the Trail in Hammonasset, keep an eye out for Greenway.

Madison Video Featured on Channel 18

Videographer Lynne Charles created a beautiful video about building the Trail in Hammonasset. The video was shown on Madison’s local access TV Channel 18 last fall, and we are delighted to be able to now offer it on the web site. Thanks to Lynne for this superb work.

Madison Team Meetings

All those who wish to promote the trail in Madison are welcome to join us on the second Thursday of most months (but not all). We have changed our meeting time and place from evenings to mornings at 10AM in Room B at Town Campus. Since we sometimes do not meet or the town changes our venue, please Contact Us to request that your name be added to our meeting information list or to volunteer to help build the Trail.