January 27, 2024 – Greenwich, Connecticut

Difficulty: Easy

Length: Approximately 2.5 miles

Max elevation: 83 ft. – total elevation gain approximately 135 ft.

Map: Pomerance Park Trail Map

Parking: 101 Orchard St, Greenwich, CT 06830

Paved parking lot – Restrooms on site

Hours: Open year round, sunrise to sunset

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Park Overview:

Pomerance Park is located in Cos Cob, a neighborhood in the town of Greenwich, Connecticut. The Town-owned park is comprised of 107 acres that features hiking trails and the stone ruins of the former estate of Ernest Thompson Seton, who helped establish the Boy Scouts of America in the early twentieth century.

The park is also home to the 4.6-acre Cos Cob Pond, paved and unpaved trails, an elevated wooden boardwalk and some interesting historical remnants that are scattered about, such as the “Hobbit House” located not far from the entrance.

Pomerance Park is open to the public and managed by the Greenwich Department of Parks & Recreation.

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History:

The history of Pomerance Park is remarkable, beginning with naturalist-author Ernest Thompson Seton (August 14, 1860 – October 23, 1946) laying out his Wyndygoul estate in 1901. In Scottish Gaelic, Wyndygoul translates to Windy Gulch or Windy Glen.

There he created the Woodcraft Indians, a precursor to the Boy Scouts of America.

Ernest Thompson Seton is the father of distinguished historical fiction writer Anya Seton. Mr. Seton would eventually sell his estate in 1912 to financier Maurice Wertheim (February 16, 1886 – May 27, 1950), who willed the property to his three daughters, one of whom married into the Pomerance family, and another became the distinguished historian and Pulitzer winning author (twice), Barbara W. Tuchman. The property was then divided among the three sisters.

The home was demolished in 2014, but its stone walls have been preserved as a memorial to Seton. There is a plaque commemorating Wyndygoul and Seton in the park.

You can also see several features prominent in some of Seton’s writings about his home, including the pond and Medicine Rock.

In 2003, the Town acquired 75 acres of the Pomerance Property off Orchard Street. Then, in 2007 the Tuchman Property added 31 more acres.

For more information about Wyndygoul and the history of the park, check the links at the bottom of the page.

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Trails Overview:

The red-blazed trail is the main trail in the park. It runs mostly around the perimeter of the property, but passes by or near most of the points of interest. On the map it is listed as 1.3 miles long, but it may be a little longer.

There are unmarked footpaths, along with paved and dirt roads that criss-cross the property. Pomerance Park is adjacent to the 90-acre Montgomery Pinetum Park, which has more trails to explore.

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Hike Overview:

Pomerance Park may be accessed from Orchard Street in the Cos Cob neighborhood of Greenwich, CT. There is a paved lot that holds about 14 cars.

There are restrooms available, just across from the Hobbit House, not far from the entrance.

I happened to stumble upon this park while searching the internet for something else. After seeing some images of interesting stone structures, I decided to check it out. It’s only a 1/2 hour drive from the Tappan Zee Bridge and less than 5 miles from Greenwich Point Park, another great spot to check out.

We arrived at the park about 8:30am on a Saturday morning and there were several cars in the lot. Upon our return, at about 10am, there were still several spots available. From what I read and saw during my visit, it’s a popular spot for dog walkers.

This hike is mostly a counterclockwise loop using the Red Trail. The elevation gain is minimal and the woods, for the most part, are quiet, except for the occasional barking dogs and loud phone talkers.

It rained for days prior to our visit, and the ground was quite saturated, making the wet areas muddy, but passable. I recommend wearing waterproof boots.

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The Hike:

At the southeastern end of the parking lot, look for a break in the wooden fence with a red blaze on a tree. This is the start of the loop. Continue ahead, following the well marked trail which parallels Orchard Street, but soon turns left, heading north. The Red Trail soon approaches a paved road and turns left, now running along Brothers Brook.

In about 1/3 of a mile, the Red Trail reaches the southern end of Cos Cob Pond. Just before reaching the pond, there is a short spur trail on the left that leads to the Stone Arch bridge and a picturesque small waterfall. You may want to take a few minutes to enjoy this scenic spot.

Below is an old image before the  Stone Arch bridge was built.

Mr. Seton created the Cos Cob Pond after damming Brothers Brook. In addition, he populated the pond with trout, bass, duck and geese.

When you are ready to continue, return to the Red Trail, which follows the paved road uphill. In a short distance, the Red Trail veers right and leaves the paved road, now running along a wide dirt path.

The trail soon bears right at a fork. Bear left, leaving the trail momentarily to the site of an old root cellar.

When you are done checking out the root cellar, return to the Red Trail and turn left, heading northeast. A short distance later, the Red Trail comes to another junction and turns left, now joined by the Green Trail (from Montgomery Pinetum Park), which comes in from the right.

Follow the Red Trail as it passes under a trestle bridge. Immediately after passing under the bridge, turn left and follow an unmarked footpath uphill to the site of Wyndygoul.

In a very short distance, the trail reaches the stone ruins of Wyndygoul. You may want to take a little time here to explore this interesting area.

This viewpoint, once held a grand view of the pond and the garden below. The trees have since grown up, obscuring the view.

The stone garden just below the Wyndygoul site. We would be headed there soon.

Opposite the pond overlook is a curved stone wall with benches built in. The view extends over the woods and the Red Trail below.

When you are done checking out these historical ruins, retrace your steps back to the trestle bridge and cross it. 

At the split in the bridge, turn right to check out more ruins. 

Retrace your steps and follow a path that curves around to the left and meets up with the Red Trail. Turn right on the Red Trail and follow it downhill.

The Red Trail comes to a T-intersection and turns right. You should leave the Red Trail and follow another unmarked trail that runs along the left of the pond. This short footpath will bring you to the garden ruins along the edge of Cos Cob Pond.

When you are ready to continue, retrace your steps along the edge of the pond, rejoin the Red Trail and continue straight, now heading north.

Soon the Red Trail turns left, heading in a westerly direction. The trail now skirts private property as it runs along the northern perimeter of the park.

In a short distance, the Red Trail crosses a wooden bridge over Brothers Brook, the inlet stream of Cos Cob Pond, and turns right. After crossing the bridge, turn left at this junction, leaving the Red Trail briefly, and walk a short distance on the unmarked woods road.

A short distance down that road, on the left, there is an old chimney in the woods that was once the site of a log cabin. This may be hard to see when the foliage is grown in.

Below is an image of the cabin that used to be there.

Return to the junction with the Red Trail and turn left.

The trail heads west then curves south, bordering private homes on the right. The trail soon passes through wetlands, with wooden planks and stepping stones to help keep your feet dry.

The Red Trail soon emerges on a paved park road and turns right. Follow the paved road a short distance and keep your eyes open for an unmarked footpath on the left, marked with a stone with a plaque on it. Turn left on this footpath to the location of Medicine Rock.

When you are done, return to the paved road and turn left. Not far from Medicine Rock, is the Hobbit House.

I couldn’t find any information on the purpose of this unique looking structure, nor the year that it was built, but it makes for an intriguing stop along the trail.

You may want to return to the southern end of Cos Cob Pond, which is close by, for another look. 

When you are ready to continue, retrace your steps back to the Hobbit House and turn left. The restrooms are located opposite the Hobbit House, so if you have to go, this is a good time to do so.

Continue on the paved road (route of the Red Trail) and follow it a short distance back to the parking lot, where the hike began.

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Review:

Although short in distance, this hike packs a lot of points of interest. The Red Trail is well marked and easy to follow. The majority of people that we saw, were along the paved sections. We didn’t see anyone along the dirt (muddy on this day) trails. This is a really nice spot to visit for the historical features alone. I would recommend this hike for anyone looking for an easy hike in the woods.

Pros:

Scenic landscape, historical features, stone ruins, Cos Cob Pond, the Red Trail is well marked.

Cons:

Not much information available on some of the structures in the park.

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Take a hike!

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Sources:

• Seton Homes in Greenwich, Connecticut
• Ernest Thompson Seton Biography
• Historic Photos from Wyndygoul
• Woodcraft Indians History
• Seton and the Boy Scouts
• Pomerance Mansion: A Historically Sensitive Demolition Alternative
• The Gardens of August: Wyndygoul
• Ernest Thompson Seton Legacy Project Blog
• Seton’s Woodcraft Indians
• Camp-Fire Club of America

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