The Train Trail & Gillette's Railroad

The Train Trail is the purple-blazed path at Gillette Castle State Park that follows the bed of William Gillette's quarter-scale railroad. DEEP's map puts it at 1.14 miles. It crosses footbridges and wooden trestles and runs through a 75-foot tunnel that DEEP warns is very dark. Paired with the Blue Trail it makes DEEP's featured 1.5-mile walk, rated easy to moderate.

Gillette's Railroad

Gillette loved trains from childhood. In 1927, according to the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park, he built a quarter-scale, narrow-gauge railroad around his estate: three miles of track with bridges, turnarounds and a tunnel, two engines (one steam, one electric) and several passenger cars. He drove it himself and used it to ferry friends around the grounds. DEEP links archival film of Gillette at the controls from its park page.

The railroad is gone, but its bed is the backbone of the trail system. DEEP notes that Gillette's own walking paths were built with near-vertical stone steps, stone-arch bridges and wooden trestles spanning up to forty feet.

Walking the Train Trail

The purple blazes follow the old railbed, and DEEP rates the walk easy to moderate. Along the way you cross footbridges and trestles and pass through the tunnel. DEEP's description: depending on your idea of fun, the tunnel is either exhilarating or a little creepy. Bring a light.

To continue to the river, pick up the Blue Trail, which leads to Yukitaka Osaki's house and the wreck of Gillette's houseboat (Aunt Polly). That combination is DEEP's 1.5-mile featured route. Mileage for every blaze is on the trail map page.

Grand Central Station

Gillette's railroad station, Grand Central, faced the Connecticut River and housed his rail cars. DEEP has converted the stone and wood building into the park's picnic pavilion, with picnic tables and a view down the river (plan your visit).

See the Locomotive

The Friends say one of Gillette's restored locomotives is on display in the visitor center by the main parking lot, along with the gift shop and restrooms.

The Tree Walk

The East Haddam Garden Club created a Tree Walk along part of the railroad route. The Friends describe it as winding through the woods, over a bridge and a trestle to the tunnel, with trees, shrubs and ferns along the way and around the lily pond labelled. The Friends post the Tree Walk map on their site.

Good For / Maybe Skip If

• Good for: families with kids (the tunnel is the highlight), first-time visitors, and anyone who wants a gentle walk after a castle tour.
• Maybe skip if: you need step-free, paved ground. The trails are unpaved and have stretches with roots and steps; the paved park roads give castle views without them (plan your visit).

Rules on the Trail

DEEP's map says the hiking trails are for foot travel only. Leashed dogs are welcome on trails and in picnic areas (rules). The Friends note that trails are not cleared of snow and ice in winter.