I visited Gillette Castle State Park on 2022-2-16, 2022-2-17, and on 2022-2-20. I made an interactive map with location numbers. Here's a link to the interactive map: https://arcg.is/uvfbm0 . Here's a static screenshot of the interactive map.
I'll put in the pictures in the order that I took them, starting with 2022-2-16.
4. William Gillette had a three-mile, narrow-gauge railroad on his estate. This structure is on the circuitous railroad route.
Near 4. The purple-blazed trail runs on top of the old railroad embankment here.
5. The purple trail runs through a railroad cut here.
14. Some of the places where the railroad ran on bridges no longer have bridges that can be walked on.
10. The old railroad tunnel is in good shape.
Near 8. The railroad route is walkable here.
8. This railroad bridge has been unwalkable for a long time.
Near 8. An interesting rock formation that the train ran by.
8. You can sit inside the rock formation.
8. The orange trail touches the purple trail above the broken bridge.
Near 8. Looking back at the broken bridge.
7. I wasn't sure what this structure had been built for. I now suspect it was an enclosure to hold a cooking fire.
9. A cliff along side of the white-blazed road.
15. A look at a broken bridge from below.
11. I don't know if the train crossed this bridge.
16. One of several large white oaks in the state park.
Now, for the 2022-2-17 pictures.
17. This information is posted in several places in the park.
Between 5 and 4. A yellow-blazed trail runs under the purple-blazed trail.
13. Another large white oak.
18. The blazing is confusing in places. I wasn't sure if this blaze was supposed to be here.
Between 23 and 24. The castle can be viewed through the arch.
23. A view of another no-longer-useable bridge.
19. A small stream runs under an unblazed trail that looks like it was part of the railroad route.
Near 19 on the red trail.
Near 19. Did the train run through here?
Near 19. I saw the ruins of what looked like bridges running northerly along the rock face.
Near 19. Looking up at the bridge that the unblazed trail uses.
20. This is some species of chestnut tree, or possibly a hybrid between American chestnut and an Asian chestnut species. Several people on iNaturalist thought this was an American chestnut tree, despite the fact that the tree has produced nuts. Typically, American chestnut trees in Connecticut sprout from old roots and, when they get to be about three inches in diameter, die from the chestnut fungus.
20.
Near 20. There I am by the Connecticut River.
Near 21. I don't think any of the wooden railroad bridges are original.
Between 23 and 24. Did the train run through this structure?
25. The castle. Someone has been tending the plants in the plant room although the castle is not open to the public currently.
27. What's the reason-for-being for this giant "A"?
29. The path I took back up to the tower from the Connecticut River.
24. Another view of the castle.
This is an old picture I found online of wooden structures that aren't there anymore.
Now, for my 2022-2-20 pictures. I went back because people on iNaturalist thought the chestnut tree I photographed was an American chestnut, although Connecticut chestnut expert Sandra L. Anagnostakis said it couldn't be an American chestnut, although she didn't say why, or what species the tree was.
Between 23 and 24. I was trying to see if someone could use a walker or wheelchair go get from the main parking lot to the castle. I found that you can get to the castle from the parking lot without dealing with any curbs or steps, but there is this incline on gravel you would have to negotiate. There is a similar incline on gravel to get to the castle from the eastern side
Between 23 and 24. A stretch of tracks of the guage that William Gillette used for his railroad. The tracks look to be about two feet apart.
20. I went back to the chestnut tree because someone on iNaturalist.org said that it would be good if I had a picture that showed the base of one of the leaves and a picture that showed the lateral buds, not just the buds at the ends of branches.
20. A 2022-8-14 picture.
20. Another 2022-8-14 picture.
20. Another 2022-8-14 picture. A hybrid of American Chestnut and Chinese Chestnut?
12. And what can be the reason this stone structure was created?
Near 4. These partially buried rock structures looked like the structure at 7. Was this a picnic area and the stone circles cooking-fire enclosures?
6. It looks like this is where there was a railroad bridge connecting two embankments. I think it would be interesting to see a map of the railroad route overlaid on a map of the current trails.
1. I wandered northwesterly into a section of Gillette Castle State Park where there are no trails. This bench is actually outside of the park boundaries.
Near 1. This view of riverside wetlands is inside of the park boundaries.
2. I crossed a small stream which runs over natural rock steps.
Near 2. There is a dim trail that runs from the bench to this ford where someone had strung a rope.
3. Did a road cross the stream here?
11. More confusing blazing Actually, a white-blazed road goes right here and another green blaze suggests that the green-blazed road goes left here, despite the right-turn blaze.
26. Apparently, you can legally camp here if you come by "paddlecraft" and make a reservation. The ruins of William Gillette's houseboat can be seen here in the Connecticut River when the water is very low, I read.
28. This set of rock-defined terraces is another structure at Gillette Castle State Park that I don't understand. Why does it exist?
I went back to Gillette Castle State Park on 2022-8-14. Here's my current understanding of where the train route was. I drew in the route in black.
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