Garnet Trail

Explore the Garnet Trail

Garnet was named the Connecticut state mineral in 1977 by the General Assembly.  Our state is one of the finest sources of garnets in the world, found in several formations around the state.

The Garnet Trail was created by the state geologist in 2009 and updated in 2021.  While not a literal trail it is a series of notable locations where the state mineral (Almandine garnet) occurs along existing greenways, state parks/forests, and designated open space.

The state maintains a map of locations here:

• 2022 https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a0a51a84e8c744b68a5f7da2405b28cf
• 2009 https://www.depdata.ct.gov/maps/GarnetTrail/index.html

Unfortunately, the accompanying guide to the Garnet Trail was lost when the state transitioned to their current online portal. The official guide has been updated by current state geologist Margaret Thomas in 2022.

Reminder: Please do not collect the minerals. Collecting minerals is prohibited on state land. These minerals are for all of the citizens of Connecticut to enjoy. Please be considerate of others and take nothing but photos.

Location List

• Eisenhower Park – Milford — Unexplored
• Hammonasset Beach State Park — Unexplored
• Rocky Glen State Park —  Unexplored
• Salmon River State Forest — Garnets can be found in the Comstock bridge section in the sandy bottom of the river
• Lisbon Landing Shopping Center — Unexplored
• Tiboni Property – Glastonbury — Unexplored
• Shenipsit: Garnet Ledge — Unexplored
• Bolton Notch State Park — Abundant garnets can be spotted in the exposed rocky outcrops in Littleton Schist
• Gerber Lane Roadcut — Unexplored
• Quartzite Hill – Stafford — Unexplored

See also (Geology)