General Description: A work in progress, the Rec Path links the school campus area near downtown Shelton with Huntington Center. At it's completion, the entire path will be 8 to 12 feet wide and handicapped-accessible, wending its way through 500 acres of forested public open space, and skirting three scenic reservoirs.

The first sections of the Rec Path, near the Police Station, High School and Intermediate School, are very wide and covered with either woodchips or are paved.  Other sections are still natural earth hiking trails, but will be upgraded.

The beginning of the Rec Path is marked by a pedestrian bridge over the dam at Pine Lake (formerly Shelton Res.), visible from Shelton Avenue. The end of the trail is also marked by a pedestrian bridge, this one in Huntington Center, across the street from St. Lawrence Church.  The northern and southern sections of the Rec Path do not directly connect at this time, but by taking a scenic detour onto Dominick Trail you can hike the Rec Path from one end to the other.  We call this the "Bridge-to-Bridge Hike" (B2B).

COMPLETION STATUS: July 2008

Route acquisition: All of the proposed route has been acquired with the exception of one section about half way along the route.  This is why you need to detour onto Dominick Trail (orange) in order to reach Huntington Center. Where the route has been acquired, volunteers have constructed a trail.

Path surfacing: Most of the Path is currently a typical hiking trail not suited to baby strollers or street bikes. The exceptions are:

Pine Lake (Shelton Ave to Meadow Street): This is a very wide woodchip trail at the moment.

Meadow Street to the School campuses: 1/3 mile is paved and can be used with paved school paths to make a loop.

Silent Waters Dam:  Off Constitution Blvd North, across from the Intermediate School the path is 8-12 feet wide and consists of millings or hard packed dirt. A split rail fence keeps people from falling off the dam.

Lane Street (this is at the far end near Huntington Center): A section along a large meadow was surfaced with crushed stone by the Shelton Land Trust. 

In Progress:

Phase I surfacing:  A bid for $153,000 was received to surface 1/3 of the route, from Pine Lake to the intersection of Shelton Ave and Constitution Blvd North. The Conservation Commission is working on obtaining funding through a combination of State LoCIP funds, the Open Space Trust Account, and a Huntington Woods fund with $60,000.

Lane Street entrance: A wetland permit allows the City to upgrade the Path from where the Land Trust left off (at the boardwalk) to Lane Street.  Since there is currently no funding, volunteers are doing the best they can to prepare the way, and Randy Szkola has offer the use of his backhoe.

See page with detailed description and photos and print it out for your hike before you go.