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Ride Summary:
a convenient and fun ride close to town.
Trail Description:
West Rock Park is a popular ride among the locals because it is so convenient to the city. The ride consists of a loop that circles the mountain. There are some other trail here too worth exploring. From the parking lot, go straight along the stream and ride up the steep side of the mountain. At the top, turn left and head past the Judges Cave and onto the blue trail (you need to hike here because bikes are banned). Follow that until it reaches a paved road. Turn right up the paved road and follow it for about .25 miles to a hard to spot singletrack trail on the left. Follow this back down to the bottom keeping right at all intersections. This will lead you back down to your car.
How to get there:
From the Wilbur Cross Parkway, take Exit 59 and turn right onto a road which blends into Whalley Ave. and head towards New Haven. After about a mile, turn left onto Blake Street. Then take the second left onto Stone Street. Park at the end of Stone Street.
| Posted by: Dave Taddei on 3/4/2008 |
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Just to warn anybody who may read this, i recently
saw a couple of bear tracks when i was riding up
the red trail near the mountain road entrance to get
to the white trail. there was still some snow on the
ground and any other tracks were already walked
over, but they were definitely bear tracks, five claw
marks with a pad about half a hands worth. so
watch out for bears
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| Posted by: Matt Fitzgerald on 9/20/2005 |
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Since my previous post I have had an opportunity to ride north from the end of the lake. It is excellent. Eventually, if you can first find your way through the small farm and out the other side, you will come to the blue trail, I think, and that will take you up to the ridge. It is very rocky and steep, but serious mtb fun for a trials rider like myself.
At that point the blue trail moves on and off the ridge road, and other trails are also available on the east side of the road.
The eventual link up with Brooksvale is cool, but watch out for hunters in the woods behind the park.
Matt
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| Posted by: WhoShotYa on 8/31/2005 |
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If you're up to explore these trails, this is some of the most fun riding you'll have anywhere around here. the trails mentioned here are good, but ive been riding here for a few years and am always finding more behind the lake, off the west ridge, etc. plus free ride city off the back of the west (N?) ridge! if you ride it all the way to hamden you can actually connect to brooksvale with a short road connection.
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| Posted by: Matt Fitzgerald on 7/29/2005 |
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I guess I busted the word limit last time - here's more:
If memory serves, the trail down the face is not easily rideable, and I can't remember where it goes. Head back down the road and hop on the blue trail by Three Judges Cave.
From there you can ride down to the red trail and loop around the lake. Keep on red and eventually you will hit the switchback single track that will take you back to the original climb, about midway up.
Here is a link to the map:
http://dep.state.ct.us/stateparks/maps/westrock.pdf
If anyone wants more detailed info, or wants to give me more detailed info, please e-mail me:
kingkongdong@gmail.com
Matt Fitzgerald
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| Posted by: Matt Fitzgerald on 7/29/2005 |
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I would like to give West Rock a 5, but it takes a little too much trail knowledge to rock the good stuff. But the good stuff is great. The red and red+white trails offer mini-epic single track that can, quite possibly, blow your mind. But only for twenty minutes or so, depending on your riding speed.
Climb up from the baseball fields off Blake St and go most of the way to the top. If you are good you can make it easily to the downed tree, no pushed to the side. After that is a short reprieve followed by baby heads near impossible without some rear suspension. It's a tough way to start a ride, but it is worth it. Near the top there is a cut back to the right. Follow that along the south face and up to the top parking lot.
The world is your oyster.
The view is fabulous; amazing how pretty New Haven looks when you can't see the finer details.
If memory serves, the trail down the face is not easily rideable, and I can't remember where it goes. Head back down the road and h
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| Posted by: Guy on 6/29/2004 |
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The place to start is at Lake Wintergreen. Parking there is usually better than at the ballfield off Blake St. There's a ton of stuff to do. Just watch out for dog pooh!
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| Posted by: Dan on 9/11/2001 |
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The yellow trail is a downhill trail and u need some good skills but it is really fun and fast with tons of sharp and big rocks to be careful of. there are logs in the middle of the trail so be careful. i am a good rider and i still fell off
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| Posted by: Chris Vincent on 12/25/2000 |
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First off to Paul aka Johny Appleseed Valentine you'r a f@%#ing losser!!!!! Didn't the state tell you to stop planting your danm tulliups and kuntucky blue gras. Get a life. there are no danm mt loins on west rock. Now for everyone else west rock is a ok weekday ride, although supply pond is much better. watch out for broken glas on the rock (it's every were). there's a alright trail selecton off baldwin dr. and mt rd. just stay off CT blue trails (even though some parts aren't marked well) if you find you'r self on one hike off. some trails are real soft so tred lightly. You can get maps at sleeping giant (the park ranger is cool as hell and real helpfull to bikers) Finaly if your not in the wrong don't be intimadated by Johny Appleseed (tall weird guy).
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| Posted by: Paul Douglas Valentine on 8/19/2000 |
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I write that the East Ridge (Springside Avenue up to the South Overlook) is a waste of time because it is banned to bikers, and due to the fact I'm there every day no one even trying will get far. For years we have been working hard to rehabilitate this pedestrian path yet bikers just don't seem to want to respect it or the rules.To all obliging bikers I, the DEP, and the State of CT Parks Dept. ask you to pass the word.
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| Posted by: dsafgdjasgfjfj g on 8/19/2000 |
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swwwweeeeeettttttttt
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