From Rails to Trails
North Haven Tidal Marsh Trail reveals secrets of its railway past
photos by Ian Christmann
He tells hobo tales to captivate the audience gathered on the grassy slope, recounting fables of those who rode the rails in bygone days. Behind him, the Quinnipiac winds its way through the North Haven marshes, bearing its own unspoken stories of a railroad era as it passes the vine-wrapped light platforms and towers that once guided the freight cars of Cedar Hill.
Master storyteller Jonathan Kruk, and his hobo tales, are just one of the many events organized by the North Haven Trail Association to peek the public’s interest in the scenic Tidal Marsh Trail that stretches a half mile between portions of the abandoned rail yard and Quinnipiac’s marshy banks.
The trailhead begins behind Target on Universal Drive, offering sweeping views westward over the river and marsh grass, with East Rock’s Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument and Sleeping Giant’s dozing profile in the distance. Small fishing paths lead down eroded banks to the water’s edge, where you may find osprey, heron and even eagles hunting in the
To the east, the forest floor bears evidence of Cedar Hill rail yard’s former glory. Steel tracks curve through grasses, leaves and tree roots. Rusted light towers — now home to nesting ospreys — rise in the distance. At the trail’s end, unofficial and mostly-overgrown footpaths lead to more abandoned remnants: collapsed pump houses, derelict warehouses and eerie concrete tunnels.
At its hey-day, Cedar Hill was the largest rail depot east of the Mississippi, covering more than 880 acres and stretching seven miles from New Haven to North Haven. Built between 1910 – 1920, Cedar Hill served as a major terminal for the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. It held 14 of New Haven’s 25 yards, and handled a record of 9,415 cars in a single day.
After WWII, with advancements in transportation methods, Cedar Hill grew quiet. By the 80s, most of the yards and tracks were abandoned. What remains today adds mystery and intrigue to the woodland trail, and reminds us of the complex history of development in New Haven and its impact on the watershed, whether through injury or apathy.
The latter still apparent on the trail today. Rather than rails and freight, rows of boxy retail stores and restaurants, built with their back to the river, and thousands of patrons who daily frequent the area, with no awareness of the beauty just behind them.
