North Brook Trail to be Fully Accessible   

By Andra Moss

The third time was the charm for the Norfolk Rails to Trail (R2T) committee’s grant application to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Connecticut Recreational Trails Program. When the official announcement was made on May 15, Norfolk was one of only 50 communities statewide selected to share in a $9 million grant program to plan, build, expand and improve multi-use trails. 

The award for Norfolk R2T is $399,725, to be used for the design and construction of a state-owned section of the abandoned Central New England Railroad (CNE) bed known as the North Brook Trail, situated on the north side of Haystack Mountain State Park. The grant represents 80 percent of the total cost of construction, estimated at $500,000. The balance is covered by previous grants, donations and in-kind services.

Bob Gilchrest, chair of Norfolk’s Rails to Trails Committee, recalled that the group began the grant process with the state as far back as 2018, each year refining the vision and strengthening the case for accessibility and economic development opportunity. He is thrilled, he says, by the award, noting that “We are now not just a fundraising committee but finally trail builders as well.”

In recent years, R2T volunteers have widened the trail by selectively clearing overgrown vegetation, envisioning a 10-foot wide handicapped-accessible trail that will take advantage of the gently sloping gradients and will allow everyone to appreciate Norfolk’s unspoiled beauty.

With the new funds, the group will upgrade the trail with appropriate base materials and minor retaining walls that will provide ADA accessibility at the trail ends, located at Ashpohtag Road and Route 272 respectively. Culverts and small wooden bridge crossings will be upgraded, and a boardwalk will be installed to raise the path above the area currently shared with an active community of beavers. Gilchrest says the planning process will begin this fall, and construction of the rail trail should be completed in a year.

From the beginning, the members of the R2T committee have kept moving steadily toward their goal of a multiple-use trail that will provide access for persons of all abilities and draw visitors to Norfolk. 

David Beers, an early R2T committee member, recalls a confluence of events and groups that helped bring Norfolk and R2T to this point. “In 2013, Norfolk Now hosted a program for their 10th anniversary at Infinity Hall that included a brainstorming session on what Norfolk could be like in 10 years,” he recalls. “West Lowe proposed that we should pursue the rail trail. That’s the first time I heard the idea.” Beers went on to explain how he first met Gilchrest at a Norfolk Land Trust trail work event soon after. As they spent the morning working together, they discussed the rail trail idea and became enthusiastic about the possibilities. This led to an afternoon bike ride by Gilchrest, Beers, Lowe and Bill Couch along a section of the trail, followed by a brainstorming session at the pub. Beers, a member at the time of the Norfolk Farmers Market committee, suggested that “Perhaps a R2T group could similarly be supported under the auspices of the Norfolk Economic Development Committee (EDC).” Soon, the EDC had voted to allow R2T to become a subcommittee, and the first R2T meeting was held.

Slowly, their plans grew. Grants from Athletic Brewing Co. and local foundations, as well as proceeds from the annual “Tour de Forest” bike ride, helped cover preliminary costs and engineering studies for the North Brook Trail. In 2022, the rail trail was officially designated as a Connecticut greenway. Finally, it all came together with the announcement of the nearly $400,000 grant.

First Selectman Matt Riiska says he has always seen the CNE railbed in Norfolk as providing a great opportunity to finally connect the northwest corner to other major recreational corridors like the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail and the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. “This (grant) is a real opportunity for the town to get this project moving forward,” he affirms. “The rail trail will be a great addition to Norfolk.”

North Brook, says Gilchrest, will be the first of many sections of trails that will eventually link North Canaan, Norfolk center and even the town of Winchester. “Once the North Brook Trail is complete,” he says, “we can work on moving forward with developing other sections in town, as well as work with neighboring communities to link up and extend the system beyond our borders.”

The process may have taken time, but the resulting trail—and, hopefully, a full trail system to come—will be a tremendous addition to all that the town of Norfolk has to offer its residents and visitors. Says Lowe, “It’s a vision finally turned into reality.” Another R2T committee member, Marie Isabelle, joins Beers, Lowe and many others in crediting one person especially for this accomplishment: “We have all worked hard on this project, but the inspiration and dedication goes to Bob Gilchrest.”