In order to hike these trails, a permit from the Regional Water Authority (RWA) is required.
The Maltby Lakes, dotted with tiny islands, provide a water reservoir, recreation opportunities, and solitude only minutes from downtown New Haven.
The Mark Schaefer Trail encircles most of the property and provides access to all other trails. It climbs the ridge on the west side where the power line clearing provides an excellent view of the New Haven skyline.
The Spruce Trail is a shortcut on the western side of the Mark Schaefer Trail and avoids the power lines and instead goes through a Norway Spruce stand.
There are several short trails, each with its own unique features. The Evergreen Trail connects Lakes 1 and 2 and circles back to the Mark Schaefer Trail in a shady grove of white pine and spruce trees planted after the 1938 hurricane. The Mil Deprey Trail passes interesting ledge outcrops of phyllite. Phyllite is a metamorphic rock intermediate between slate and schist. All three rocks are formed by compressing lake bottom mud under thousands of feet of other sediments. Phyllite is resistant to erosion which is one reason why the land around the Maltby Lakes is so hilly.
The Tulip Tree Trail is a short but rugged loop, named for the tall, straight trees common along some of the best soils in the area. The 1904 Trail is named for the year in which the oldest white pine trees along the west sides of the path were planted by students of the far west.
Read more at the South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG) website (West Haven).
A permit can be acquired through the RWA recreation website.
Review the RWA Rules and Regulations for the complete list of park rules.
From the Wilbur Cross Parkway (Route 15) take exit 57. Off of the exit head east on Derby Avenue (Route 34) towards New Haven. The Maltby Lakes entrance and parking lot will be on an access road in about 3 miles.
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