Home › Connecticut › Old Lyme › Elizabeth B. Karter Watch Rock

Elizabeth B. Karter Watch Rock

4.9 ★★★★★ 8 Google reviews · Running trail in Old Lyme, Connecticut · Hours vary

Runner's snapshot

Surface: Natural surface
Distance: Not reported
Shape: Not reported
Shade: Not reported
Access: Not reported

Confirmed from Elizabeth B. Karter Watch Rock's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.

Elizabeth B. Karter Watch Rock — running trail in Old Lyme, CT, photo 1

Elizabeth B. Karter Watch Rock — running trail in Old Lyme, CT, photo 2

Elizabeth B. Karter Watch Rock — running trail in Old Lyme, CT, photo 3

Elizabeth B. Karter Watch Rock — running trail in Old Lyme, CT, photo 4

Elizabeth B. Karter Watch Rock — running trail in Old Lyme, CT, photo 5

Natural surfaceRestroomsTrailhead parking

What runners say about Elizabeth B. Karter Watch Rock

Pulled from public reviews of this trail (8 of them) — the things people bring up again and again, in their own words. Nothing here is written by us.

Easy to disbelieve the directions to the parking area. It's in a quiet residential neighborhood. Easy to mistake the entrance for someth5other than the entrance to the park. Put on bug spray! Mosquitos wasted no time to get on me. Poison ivy is along both trails.

★★★★☆ — Lee , Aug 2025

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 8 reviews →

Trail conditions & character

What this trail is actually like underfoot and overhead, taken from its own listing and from reviews. Each one links to every other trail with the same character. Busy or quiet is reported as a plain fact, not a plus or a minus — a runner heading out alone at dawn often wants company on the path, and someone running intervals wants an empty one.

 🅿️ Trailhead parking 2 mentions 
“Easy to disbelieve the directions to the parking area.”
More trails like this →
 🌲 Natural surface / singletrack  
“A family was crabbing at one rocky outcrop.”
More trails like this →
 🚻 Restrooms  
More trails like this →

Plan your run at Elizabeth B. Karter Watch Rock

The practical stuff

AccessHours vary — hours are not posted for this trail, so check before an early or late run
SurfaceNatural surface — easiest on the joints and the most fun, but expect roots, rocks and mud after rain
DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
Websiteoldlymelandtrust.org

Where to find Elizabeth B. Karter Watch Rock

7 Joel Rd, Old Lyme, CT 06371

Get directions

Running trails near Old Lyme

Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.

Fort Saybrook Monument Park

4.5 ★★★★★ 156 reviews

Old Saybrook, CT

BoardwalkScenic

17-acre park with storyboards depicting the history of Saybrook Colony, a boardwalk & bird watching.

1.7 miles away

Mile Creek Preserve

4.6 ★★★★★ 5 reviews

Old Lyme, CT

1 miLoopNatural surface

2.2 miles away

The George & Woodward H. Griswold Preserve

4.6 ★★★★★ 5 reviews

Old Lyme, CT

2.3 miles away

McCulloch Family Open Space

4.6 ★★★★★ 9 reviews

Old Lyme, CT

2.6 miles away

Lay Preserve Trailhead

5 ★★★★★ 4 reviews

Old Lyme, CT

3.6 miles away

Lay Preserve

4.8 ★★★★★ 4 reviews

Old Lyme, CT

Natural surface

3.6 miles away

All running trails in Old Lyme, CT →

Nearby towns

Running trails in Niantic, CT (4 trails)
Running trails in Old Saybrook, CT (4 trails)
Running trails in East Lyme, CT (2 trails)
Running trails in Lyme, CT (5 trails)
Running trails in Waterford, CT (2 trails)
Running trails in New London, CT (3 trails)
Running trails in East Haddam, CT (1 trail)
Running trails in Quaker Hill, CT (1 trail)

Listing verified July 2026 from public records, the trail's own website and runner reviews. Trail conditions change — paths flood, gates close at dusk, and shaded woods stay muddy for days after rain. Something out of date? Report a correction. Manage this trail? Send us the details — it is free.