River Road
Preserve located in
Roxbury, CT. is nestled in a very
rural part of town along the
Shepaug River.
This parcel of land is part of the
Roxbury Land Trust and is looked
after and maintained year round so
the trail system is always in
great shape.
The River Road's blue trail loops
around the preserves perimeter and
takes a hiker through thick
woodlands and along the river's
edge, creating a very peaceful and
serene environment. The trail is
not long but it's a great hike as
there is a variety of terrain
along the way.
River Road is the perfect place to
find some peace and quiet. Bring a
good book or some lunch and relax
on the banks of the Shepaug River.
The trail head is a little tricky
as it's easy to mistake the
entrance to a local town swimming
hole footpath as the beginning of
the trail. But the trail actually
starts at the extreme left corner
where the parking lot and main
road meet.
Once you take a good look to the
left as you pull in, the blue
marking and trail sign are easily
seen.
Be careful not to hike down
towards the large pond that is
open only to Roxbury
residents...especially during
summer months when the residents
use this spot to cool off from the
weather. Please respect their
right to private property and stay
on the trail (Although during
winter months it wouldn't be that
big of a deal to stroll past the
pond and meet up with the trail
from there. Obviously, during cold
weather not many folks will be
takin' a dip in the pond!)
As you make your way into River
Road you're quickly transported
into a thick forest canopy with
plenty of tall trees and a hilly
terrain that is quite manageable.
After a short scramble up a rocky
hill there's more woodlands before
you find yourself at the river's
edge.
At this point you have a decision.
You can proceed back towards your
car for a nice river walk along
the banks of the Shepaug, or you
can incorporate Ersbacher
Preserve into your
hike by proceeding over the
footbridge. Ersbacher has a larger
loop trail than River Road so you
would be more than doubling your
hiking distance. Ersbacher takes
you deeper into the woods and
passed some nice open fields.
In the summer months the area of
River Road and Ersbacher see
plenty of activity with all the
local wildlife thriving within the
seclusion of the land and having a
nice water source provided by
Shepaug River.
The preserve is an easy hike and
will definitely provide hikers
with a "get away from it all"
feel. Bring a camera or paintbrush
if you're into those hobbies.
You're sure to find some great
scenes to capture.
Directions: The
directions we're giving assume
that you'll get to Roxbury using
Route 67 west/south direction.
For custom directions you can map search River Road;
Roxbury, CT.
Follow Route 67 via
Brookfield/Bridgewater/New Milford
way and over the Roxbury townline.
Shortly after the townline sign 67
curves sharply to the left.
A short distance later you'll see
a small bridge spanning the
Shepaug River. Take a right here
onto Weller's Bridge Road.
A few hundred yards up Weller's
Bridge Road is River Road which
becomes part dirt road.
Take a right onto River Road and
the River Road Preserve parking
lot will be on your right a few
tenths of a mile up the dirt road.
Printable
version of the River Road
Preserve page
If you have any trail updates to
share or have feedback/questions
please click
here to send email or call
203.788.7665
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