Buckingham Reservoir–Gay City Pond, 4 lakes is a 6.8-mile out-and-back in Buckingham Reservoir Watershed near Bolton, CT. The route passes Gay City Pond, Gay City State Park Beach and Buckingham Reservoir before reaching Shoddy Mill Pond at the turnaround, 3.4 miles in. It climbs 925 ft. It scores 37/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Buckingham Reservoir–Gay City Pond, 4 lakes
6.8 mi · ▲ 925 ft · 2 hr 44 min
Elevation 401–860 ft
Out & Back · Buckingham Reservoir Watershed
Trailhead: 41.72272, -72.44539
Weather Aug 4: Heavy showers, high 77°F / low 68° · precip 99% · wind 8 mph · sunrise 5:47 AM · sunset 8:07 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading N.
- 50 ftPass Gay City Pond.
- 50 ftPass Gay City State Park Beach.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 50 ftBear right, heading NW.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 50 ftBear left, heading W.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 1 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading SW.
- 100 ftSharp left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 100 ftBear right, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading W.
- 350 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 200 ftSharp right, heading SW.
- 200 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 250 ftBear left, heading NW.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading SE.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 150 ftBear right, heading NW.
- 350 ftBear left, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 100 ftBear left, heading W.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading NW.
- 0.5 miPass Buckingham Reservoir.
- 0.2 miSharp right, heading NW.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftSharp left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 450 ftPass Shoddy Mill Pond.
- 450 ftBear left, heading S.
- 50 ftReach Buckingham Reservoir, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftBear right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftSharp left, heading W.
- 50 ftSharp left, heading W.
- 0.7 miBear right, heading NE.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading E.
- 100 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 200 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear right, heading NE.
- 350 ftBear left, heading E.
- 150 ftBear right, heading E.
- 50 ftBear left, heading E.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading NE.
- 250 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 350 ftBear left, heading E.
- 150 ftSharp left, heading E.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 300 ftSharp left, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 50 ftBear left, heading N.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 100 ftSharp right, heading N.
- 50 ftSharp left, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 1 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 250 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 150 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Gay City State Park Viewpoint–Gay City Pond, 5 lakes 3.4 mi · ▲ 302 ft
- Albasi Lake–Gay City Pond, 3 lakes 5 mi · ▲ 605 ft
- Strombery Pond–Gay City Pond, 4 lakes 5.5 mi · ▲ 769 ft
- Buckingham Reservoir Watershed Viewpoint–Buckingham Reservoir, 5 lakes 7.6 mi · ▲ 1,055 ft
- Lookout Mountain–Gay City Pond, 3 beaches 8.2 mi · ▲ 1,275 ft
- Nike Missile Site–Gay City Pond, 3 sights 8.3 mi · ▲ 1,166 ft
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