Sandy Brook Trail

That Colebrook Magic
Colebrook Land Conservancy’s Sandy Brook Trail, Colebrook
September 2024

Man, Colebrook is a pretty town. And making the drive from Peoples State Forest in Barkhamsted to this parcel of woods in Colebrook is quite the drive. Skinny roads that wind along mountain streams for miles… I know a lot of Connecticut residents have never been up in this area, but you’re missing out. It’s transporting.

Sandy Brook Road follows Sandy Brook connecting route 8 (which is a two-lane road just south of the Massachusetts border) and Route 183, the main drag through Colebrook. Deep woods Connecticut for sure. The Sandy Brook Preserve is a small piece of land pretty much within the Algonquin State Forest. I found Beech Hill Road and its hiker parking area just across a bridge and began the 1.5 mile loop hike.

Here’s the thing: this trail has no views, no outstanding rock features, no waterfalls… it’s just a well constructed and blazed loop trail through the woods of Colebrook.

And you know what? It’s wonderful. All the Colebrook Land Conservancy trails are wonderful. They are remote and clean and peaceful, with just the right amount of climb and effort needed. I know my affinity for these far-flung towns is not shared by everyone, but I’m not going to change.

The Sandy Brook Forest Preserve is part of a large protected wilderness corridor that includes the Algonquin State Forest, the Phelps Research Area, and Aton Forest. Sandy Brook and North Brook, also known as Viets Brook, are the main stream systems in the Preserve and partly border the trail. The Sandy Brook watershed is one of the major hydrologic basins in the West Branch of the Farmington River, a National Wild and Scenic River. Sandy Brook is an outstanding mountain stream in a dramatic setting with steep slopes, cascading feeder streams, spectacular wildlife, pocket wetlands, and a three-mile run through one of the largest state forests.

See? Wonderful.

If you want to avoid the most climb, take this trail counter-clockwise. As noted above, the trail is hemmed in by North Brook and Sandy Brook. Both are beautiful. In fact, both look like something you’d see in New Hampshire. North Brook has carved smooth paths across stone as it tumbles towards Sandy Brook.

North of the property lies the YMCA’s Camp Jewell, and north of that is Bobriwka… and just north of that is Massachusetts. I didn’t see any rogue trails heading up the river to the camps, but I’m sure a couple people make that bushwhack trek every now and again.

I did not and instead followed the proper trail west, up a hill and then down towards Sandy Brook. There are a few steep patches, but nothing crazy and before I knew it, the trail was near the waterway, which is more a river than a book.

You may notice there are still healthy stands of hemlock and ash here, which is quite rare in Connecticut. I chalk it up to the magic of Colebrook. Magic like trees that appear to grow out of trees:

Sorta.

I don’t think you’ll ever find yourself up here by accident, and I know not too many people are going to make the effort to find this place to hike, but if you’re the type of person who does exactly that – and you likely are if you’ve read down to here – go for it. Go for all the short hikes in Colebrook. And thank me later.

Colebrook Land Conservancy
CTMQ’s Colebrook Land Conservancy Hikes