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A fun, challenging and scenic escape from the city.


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Map Key

5.4

Miles

8.7

KM

65%

Singletrack

215' 66 m

High

110' 34 m

Low

281' 86 m

Up

283' 86 m

Down

2%

Avg Grade (1°)

9%

Max Grade (5°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Unknown

Family Friendly Nice, wide, easy trails are available with lots of nature to explore.

The park is open from sunrise to sunset. Please stay off the trails for 24 hours after heavy rain and keep the singletracks single.

Overview

Mianus River Maze is a fitting name for this ride as it travels through the warren of trails that run through Mianus River Park. This gives riders a great deal of variety to modify this loop to taste or the day's schedule. This quintessential Connecticut park is very scenic and offers wide carriage trails, rolling hills full of boulders and roots, log jumps, drop-offs, and steep technical sections.

Need to Know

  • The park has two parking lots, one on the Stamford side and one on the Greenwich side. You can start this ride from either one, jumping on at any of the three available yellow trailheads. Both of the parking lots are far off the main roads, so use your GPS.
  • While this ride primarily follows the Yellow Loop, it can get very confusing. Each section of the yellow loop has its own trail names, so you have to be mindful of both the name and the blaze lest you end up completely off the ride.
  • Be aware that the carriage roads are very popular with other users. Once you move on to the singletrack, the crowd thins out significantly.

Description

Starting from the Greenwich parking lot, the ride begins on the Main Road. This is not your traditional flat wide road, it is hilly and full of rocks and roots. When you reach your first junction point, turn left off of the Main Road on to the Oak Trail. This trail is full of interesting obstacles, many in tight succession creating a nice trials-like course. There are large boulders and rock faces, as well as many rocks, roots and logs. You won't get bored here.

This continues on to the Second Loop Trail where you'll find technical climbs and descents. Veer off the Second Loop Trail briefly to spin around the purple-blazed Poplar Trail which loops back to the Second Loop Trail.

You'll meet back up with the carriage road for a ride along the Mianus River. Its features are very similar to the earlier carriage road. It will end at the main entrance on the Stamford side. You'll take a short ride to your left on Merriebrook Lane. Before you cross the bridge, the yellow trailhead will be on your right for the start of the Riverwalk Trail. There are some very challenging rock steps to climb and descend at the start. After that, you are back to boulders, rocks, roots and technical climbs and descents. This will continue through the Indian Rock Trail and the Laurel Trail.

You finish up the singletrack portion of the ride on the Swamp Trail, which has some tight technical switchbacks and complex sequential obstacles. The trail meets back up with the Main Road, which leads back to the parking lot.

History & Background

The Mianus River Park is a single park that is made up of three sections that span the cities of Stamford and Greenwich. The three sections are Mianus River and Natural Park, Mianus River Park and Mianus River State Park (known as Treetops).

Contacts

Shared By:

Cheryl Ladota

Trail Ratings

  3.9 from 9 votes

#2430

Overall
  3.9 from 9 votes
5 Star
22%
4 Star
56%
3 Star
11%
2 Star
11%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#8

in Connecticut

#2,430

Overall
16 Views Last Month
5,360 Since Nov 27, 2017
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Photos

follow the trail under the tree and over the stream
Nov 28, 2017 near Cos Cob, CT
Where riverwalk meets indian rock
Dec 9, 2017 near Riverside, CT
choose your line: down the rock face or among the rocks and roots
Nov 28, 2017 near Riverside, CT
quintessential Connecticut terrain
Nov 28, 2017 near Cos Cob, CT
A great view of the Mianus River
Nov 28, 2017 near Riverside, CT
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Weather


Current Trail Conditions

Minor Issues 80 days ago
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