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CTMQ > Hikes, Bikes & Paddles

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State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites
State Highpointing Intro
Why State Highpointing?
Land Trust Trails
Connecticut Hiking Challenges & Rewards
CFPA Trails & The Blue Trails Challenge
Town Owned Trails
Peakbagging Tallies
Highpointing and Peak-Bagging Intro

Nehantic State Forest Intro

June 1, 2023 by Steve Leave a Comment

Nehantic State Forest Lyme & East Lyme A couple nice trails are blazed through these woods, which are lovely woods... but not much more than that. Nehantic was the first state forest in New London County, and has all been purchased since 1925. Considerable difficulty was experienced in selecting the site. Although … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: East Lyme, Lyme, nehantic state forest

Rocky Neck State Park Intro

June 1, 2023 by Steve Leave a Comment

Rocky Neck State Park East Lyme Here we are... at Connecticut's "other" big beach state park. Hammonnasett's kid brother. Everything here is smaller... or lacking. Hammonnasett got a brand new updated nature center right around when Rocky Neck's was shuttered. The beach here is much smaller. The parking lot is tiny … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: East Lyme, Rocky Neck State Park

Harrison Park

May 9, 2023 by Steve Leave a Comment

Harrison and Garrison Harrison Park Park, Wallingford March 2023 When I put together my lists of trailed properties, one place I would always check is the parks and recreation section of each town's website. On several occasions, I'd list some little league diamond with a "walking trail" that is merely a 200 yard … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, Town Land Hikes Tagged With: Wallingford

Julius M. Hansen Park

May 4, 2023 by Steve Leave a Comment

Buttress Dolerite, Amirite?! Julius M. Hansen Park, North Haven April 2023 I think it's safe to say that I'm in my busiest years of my life. I'm deep into my career and have a decent amount of responsibility. My sons are teenagers and the soccer player one has me traveling all over the northeast on an … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, Town Land Hikes Tagged With: North Haven

Mashamoquet Brook State Park Trails

April 20, 2023 by Steve Leave a Comment

Do The Mash...amoquet Mashamoquet Brook State Park, Pomfret April & July 2011, August 2017 I've hiked the 6.5 miles of trails at Mashamoquet at different times and for different reasons. This page is a combination of previously published slightly divergent pages. I don't know for sure, but Mashamoquet might be … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Biology & Geology, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, Hiking Challenges, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Calvin, Damian, Hikes with my Boys, Mashamoquet Brook State Park, Pomfret, Sky's the Limit Challenge, Swimming

Pitch Pines Park

April 19, 2023 by Steve 1 Comment

Here Comes The Pitch... Pitch Pines Park, North Haven April 2023 Southern Connecticut fans of pitch pines (Pinus rigida) who were saddened when the 2018 tornado tore through the trees at Wharton Brook State Park will be happy to know that there still stands a mighty stand of pitch pines nearby in North Haven. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, Town Land Hikes Tagged With: North Haven

Wharton Brook State Park & Pitch Pine Natural Area Preserve

April 12, 2023 by Steve Leave a Comment

Pitch Imperfect Wharton Brook State Park & Pitch Pine Natural Area Preserve, North Haven & Wallingford April 2023 Central Connecticut took a serious hit in May 2018 from a rather strong tornado. It took down a ton of trees at Sleeping Giant State Park and continued eastward to Wallingford where it heavily damaged … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: natural area preserve, North Haven, Wallingford

American Legion & Peoples State Forests Intro

April 11, 2023 by Steve Leave a Comment

American Legion & Peoples State Forests Barkhamsted The state bundles these two forests together online and on maps and... well, I guess that's all that matters to me. They are certainly contiguous, split by the west branch of the Farmington River. Most of the "stuff" is in Peoples, but my favorite trail here is in … [Read more...]

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

Mashamoquet Brook State Park Intro

April 10, 2023 by Steve Leave a Comment

Mashamoquet Brook State Park Pomfret Ignoring the two state parks in my proverbial backyard... and ignoring Hammonassett Beach... I think I've been to Mashamoquet more than any other state park. Weird, right? Out in Pomfret? Yeah, we used to go there all the time on the UConn cycling team on hilly Route 44 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Mashamoquet Brook State Park, Pomfret

Putnam Memorial State Park Intro

April 10, 2023 by Steve Leave a Comment

Putnam Memorial State Park Bethel & Redding Is it me or do all of the state parks out in this part of the state cross town lines? This one is half in Redding and half in Bethel. It was the site of the Continental Army's 1779 winter encampment under the command of General Israel Putnam. The site consists of remains … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Bethel, putnam memorial state park, Redding

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