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CTMQ > Hikes, Bikes & Paddles > State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites

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State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites

Nipmuck State Forest: Bear Den/Paine Hill

November 17, 2022 by Steve Leave a Comment

Bearing Your Paine Nipmuck State Forest Bear Den/Paine Hill Block , Union Immabout to blow your mind. But first... wait. You're blowing my mind simply by the fact that you're on this page reading it. What brought you here? Why are you here? I regret to inform you that I don't really have much for you … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: cycling, nipmuck state forest, Union

Bigelow Hollow State Park (West)

July 6, 2022 by Steve 1 Comment

Big and Low Bigelow Hollow State Park, Union November 2020 & June 2022 Bigelow Hollow is geographically a little weird. The state park itself is pretty small, but pretty much everyone who goes up to Union to enjoy the trails and lakes assumes it's just "the whole thing." It's not. "The whole thing" is mostly … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: bigelow hollow state park, Calvin, nipmuck state forest, Union

Nipmuck Trail: Section 4

June 28, 2022 by Steve 1 Comment

Section 4: The State of the Union Barlow Mill Road to MA State Line, ~7.5 Miles November 2020 & June 2022 This is a fairly rugged seven or so miles, but the kicker is that no matter who you are or how you hike it, you must hike several more miles to get back to a car. I suppose you could have a kayak left at the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: bigelow hollow state park, Blue Trails Challenge, Eastford, nipmuck state forest, Nipmuck Trail, Union, yale myers forest

Shenipsit State Forest Intro

February 14, 2022 by Steve Leave a Comment

Shenipsit State Forest Ellington, Somers, and Stafford Shenipsit State Forest began in 1927 with the purchase of land at the summit of Soapstone Mountain in Somers to erect a fire tower to keep a lookout over the forests of the eastern woodlands. Over time, additional acreage was purchased to form the sprawling … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Ellington, shenipsit state forest, Somers, Stafford

Mattatuck State Forest

January 21, 2022 by Steve Leave a Comment

Mattatuck State Forest Harwinton, Litchfield, Plymouth, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown What started as an over-timbered little 723 acres gifted to the state in 1926 has grown to 4,510 acres in 20 parcels across six towns. Most of what people are familiar with is in Thomaston, Waterbury, and Watertown though. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: mattatuck state forest, Plymouth, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown

Nassahegon State Forest Intro

January 13, 2022 by Steve Leave a Comment

Nassahegon State Forest Burlington I don't know how many of Connecticut's state forests are contained entirely in one town like the Nassahegon is. The forest was originally designated in 1926 to protect the watershed for the state fish hatchery, now called the Burlington Trout Hatchery. Today the forest is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bike Trails, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Burlington, nassahegon state forest

Osborndale State Park

December 17, 2021 by Steve Leave a Comment

Osborndale State Park Derby & Ansonia It's kind of amazing that a 350-acre state park even exists (almost entirely) within the teeny tiny city of Derby. The land was once the lushly forested hunting grounds of the Paugussett Indians of course, but its preservation as public land is directly tied to the two museums … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: derby

James L. Goodwin State Forest Trails

December 16, 2021 by Steve 1 Comment

A Good Win For All Goodwin State Forest Chaplin & Hampton Good ol' Goodwin. As you can imagine, I doubly enjoy our state forests with a good trail system. And I triply enjoy those with a good trail system and a museum. There are more than you realize, trust me. In fact, as I type this sentence I'm going through my … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: chaplin, Hampton, James L. Goodwin State Forest, Natchaug State Forest

Lamentation Mountain State Park

December 14, 2021 by Steve 1 Comment

Lamentation Mountain State Park Berlin & Meriden A wildfire in October 2024 burned up a lot of this place. I've seen this small, unremarkable state park also referred to as a "state park scenic reserve." Because Connecticut doesn't like to make anything easy. Lamentation Mountain itself includes a long ridge … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Berlin, lamentation mountain state park, Meriden

Enders State Forest Intro

December 2, 2021 by Steve Leave a Comment

Enders State Forest Barkhamsted & Granby Enders is known primarily for its eponymous waterfall - one of the state's best for sure. Viewing the falls has been made much safer with the installation of stairs, but I'm sure people will still find a way to hurt themselves here. Enders became a state forest in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Barkhamsted, enders state forest, Granby

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