Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Downs Road


Downs Road, located between the towns of Hamden and Bethany, Connecticut. What once was a complete route from one town to another is now an abandoned dirt road with gates blocking the entrance and exit. The remnants of foundations and rock walls are all evidence that remain of this road’s past.
We have experienced this road in both the afternoon and night. The afternoon makes for a great scenic drive through the woods with a peaceful hike thereafter. The night...well that is a different story. When we arrived on site after a long and quit spooky drive through the woods we were greeted by a long dark dirt road (Downs Road). While walking the entire stretch we heard on multiple occasions what appeared to be screaming in the distance, as well as figures appearing ahead of us on the trail. It made for one scary night. So if you are up for a good scenic drive and day hike Downs Road in the afternoon is the place for you. If you are the more adventurous thrill seeking type, the night time is what it is all about.

Be mindful of Private Property! Do not walk across peoples lawns!







23 comments:

  1. can you give a better idea of where this is? Only downs road I see on bing is paved & still active. if you can, email me

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    1. Shoot me an Email, ill be happy to give you a map

      Mike P.
      AbandonedCT@yahoo.com

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    2. Ok so I live on this street and no one fucking told me this so now I want to move

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  2. i know where this is. but is it private property? or do people use it as a walking trail? im looking to go here this weekend and need to know if i need town permission or owner permission to enter this property.

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    1. Property is owned by Southern CT Gas Company or Regional water athority... Can't remeber which one. You need to park at the end off the dead end road and walk in. They do not mind people on the property

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  3. I currently live in Hamden and can't seem to find this road. If anyone knows the exact direction/location and wouldn't mind emailing it to me, that would be awesome! Thank You!

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    1. You're not missing anything. One town over, Cheshire, is where a lot of eerie things happen but the residents keep it hushed up. For example, 4 descendants of those executed at the Salem Witch Trials reside there. Hillside Cemetery is a hoot.

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    2. Proceed north on Whalley Ave. in New Haven,CT. Bear right on RT 69 North.
      Proceed past the reservoir on your right. As you pass the reservoir Downs Road is on your oblique right. This puts you on Downs Rd. from Hamden.
      To enter from Bethany, pass the mentioned oblique right proceeding north on RT 69 into Bethany. Look for Gaylord Mountain Drive on your right. Follow that road to the intersection of Gaylord and Downs Rd. If you take your left you will proceed to the YMCA camp If you take a right you will follow Downs Rd. to it's other blocked end. Good luck....I suggest you not go alone at night. I'm serious.

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  4. Replies
    1. On the Bethany/ Hamden town line. Searchable on google maps

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    2. right by broken arrow nursery

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  5. It's not haunted. I've walked down there at night several times without any issues. Huge disappointment.

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    1. That's a super cool story bro tell it again

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    2. I've ridden all the way on Downs Rd on a motorcycle alone before it was blocked off on one afternoon from the Bethany side via Gaylord Mtn. Rd.
      I'm not at all superstitious about anything however somewhere along the ride I felt an eerie feeling and shook it off as my imagination. This had to be sometime in the summer of 2010.
      Fast forward to 2012. I'm surfing the web and discovered that Downs Rd was blockaded by the Hamden and Bethany authorities because of "Teenagers holding keg parties on that road"! THAT IMO is a very flimsy reason to shut down a portion of a public byway! That also piqued my curiousity. Believe what you want. I don't by the "keg parties" as a valid reason. SOMETHING is being covered.

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  6. Downs rd is named after the Downs family that settled the area. also owned a construction Co Frank Downs trucking & Const. in Bethany I believe the farm across from this road is their farm

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  7. used to go parking up there

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  8. There's another abandoned road right next to it, between Brooks Rd. and Baldwin Dr. (which is itself abandoned).

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  9. Went up there one night about 6 months ago and saw 2 black shapes, one small maybe the size of a small dog and the other was significantly larger, the large one moved towards us so we booked it, could have been bears but not sure #spooky

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  10. Went up there one night about 6 months ago and saw 2 black shapes, one small maybe the size of a small dog and the other was significantly larger, the large one moved towards us so we booked it, could have been bears but not sure #spooky

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  11. A bunch of people were shot and killed up there in the 70's while making out on a date

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  12. I lived on Gaylord mountain rd near the stop sign by downs road. I knew downs road before ALL the houses that are around it were built. I've hiked there, sold cookies to the neighbors, ridden my bike there and NEVER EVER heard of this road being Haunted. EVER. Sorry to disappoint you ask but as a believer in the supernatural, I'd have to say this would be a huge waste of your time. My parents have lived there since 1970. My grandparents since 1940. They NEVER hear of a murder on that road either.

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  13. I believe it isn't actually downs road, but if you go the the end of West Shepard Ave in Hamden (which is blocked off)...right where it meets Baldwin there is an abandoned road/trail that cuts due west to Bethany...zoom in on a google map and it's still outlined.

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  14. http://ct.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.19840626_0042285.CT.htm/qx

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