Fairfield, CT —
My Most Cherished Walking Trail in Fairfield

Everyone who walks this trail, especially my dogs, agrees that this is one of the most wonderful places to go to decompress and gain inspiration in Fairfield, Connecticut’s beach area. You may find yourself alone with the wildlife (and your dogs), or you may see other people dog-walking, jogging or bicycling.

There is convenient access from several beach area neighborhoods. One entrance is on Old Dam Road. You can jump on the trail from the Meadows condo complex off South Pine Creek Road, or you can enter at Mona Terrace by the soccer field and senior center. The latter is my favorite because there is a cut-through from an additional neighborhood near me at the Veres Park cul-de-sac. A parking lot is also available at the senior center, next to the soccer field. When entering from Mona Terrace, I like the fact that you have options. You can choose to go for a short and sweet stroll along the marsh-side path that leads out to Oldfield Road. Or for a bigger commitment, you can jump onto the wide trail and go through the woods, across the bridge, and past the Meadows condos and Old Dam Road to the end of the trail and back.

Last, but not least, if you take the full route to the end, you will get the prize. What makes this my favorite trail is that it narrows along a little strip of raised land, where you start to wonder where you will end up. But it leads you to the sweetest of surprises. The tail takes you to a final destination, where (spoiler alert) you are surrounded on three sides by the water of a tranquil lagoon. Beyond the edge of the lagoon, to the right, you can see two more waterways. Old Dam Road flanks the lagoon with Pine Creek behind it. And behind that, you see Fairfield Beach Road and the Long Island Sound. Three different waterway views all at once, what a rare treat! Your dogs can go for a swim, you can take some photos as I’ve done here, and then, you can head back to reality feeling renewed.