Connecticut trails · Mattatuck Trail

Mattatuck Trail

A 4.2-mile out-and-back in Connecticut, with 436 ft of climbing. Reaches Black Rock and other lake/summit/viewpoint destinations. Managed by the state.

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Length

4.2 mi

Elevation gain

436 ft

Difficulty

Hard

Max grade

36%

Steepest mile

+430 ft

Tread at ≥10% grade

1.9 mi

Shape

out-and-back

Bikes

Horses

Managed by

State

Elevation profile

The climbing leans toward the final third: 46% of the ascent falls between mile 2.8 and mile 4.2. It gives back about 748 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.

3-D terrain

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Black Rock (summit)
Black Rock Pond (lake)
Crane's Lookout (viewpoint)

Getting there

Mattatuck Trail junction. About 25 min drive (10 mi, 2 of them unpaved) from Waterbury. 41.65166, -73.10483 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:35 a.m., the sun rises at 7:03 a.m. and sets at 6:13 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:41 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 10 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 8.4-mile round trip takes roughly 3 h 33 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 10:35 a.m. — 7 h 37 min before sunset.

Loop options

Unnamed trail + Mattatuck Trail — 1.1 mi loop, 331 ft gain