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CTMQ > Hikes, Bikes & Paddles

Read this first

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

Simsbury’s Town Trails

November 8, 2016 by Steve Leave a Comment

Simsbury's Town Trails Simsbury taught me some lessons. The very first CTMQ page, ever, was about the Pinchot Sycamore in Simsbury. The very first non-CFPA trail on the CTMQ was in Simsbury. The town showed me that I needed to expand my horizons beyond the original confines of this site. And that's when, way … [Read more...]

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

TSTL’16.9: Squantz Pond State Park

October 26, 2016 by Steve Leave a Comment

The Sky's the Limit 2016 Hiking Challenge #9 Pootatuck State Forest/Squantz Pond State Park, New Fairfield August 30, 2016 I know the title here is Squantz Pond, but 99% of this hike was not in the state park but rather in the Pootatuck State Forest. “Squantz.” Go ahead. Say that word a few times in your … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Calvin, Damian, Great Views, Hiking Challenges with Rewards, new fairfield, pootatuck state forest, Sky's the Limit Challenge, Squantz Pond state park

TSTL’16.8: Windsor Locks Canal Trail State Park

October 24, 2016 by Steve 1 Comment

The Sky's the Limit 2016 Hiking Challenge #8 Windsor Locks Canal Trail State Park, Suffield/Windsor Locks July 2016 This section, notably the southernmost bit and parking area, has been cleaned up and is much nicer than the apocalyptic wasteland described below. Of all the Sky’s the Limit Challenge hikes we’ve … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Calvin, Canals and Dams, Damian, Hikes with my Boys, Hiking Challenges with Rewards, Sky's the Limit Challenge, Suffield, Windsor Locks, Windsor Locks Canal Trail State Park

Audubon, Nature Conservancy, RWA, and US Army Corps of Engineers Trails

October 22, 2016 by Steve 1 Comment

Audubon, Nature Conservancy, South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority, and US Army Corps of Engineers Trails I've thrown a bunch of very different entities' trails together on this one main page because... because I wanted to. And while you may think these are not hikes worth your time and effort, I'm here … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audubon, Nature Conservancy, RWA, &US Army Corps of Engineers Trails, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, US Army Corps of Engineers Trails Tagged With: Animals, Audubon trails, Birds, Nature Centers, Nature conservancy trails, RWA Trails, US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TRAILS

TSTL’16.7: James L. Goodwin Forest

October 3, 2016 by Steve Leave a Comment

The Sky's the Limit 2016 Hiking Challenge #7 James L. Goodwin Forest, Hampton June 26, 2016 Nobody ever thinks about Hampton, Connecticut. Your mind is probably drifting away from the thought of Hampton right now. Stop doing that – focus! Sometimes you’ll see Hampton mentioned in geo-oddity blurbs because … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, Hiking Challenges, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, Calvin, Damian, Hampton, Hikes with my Boys, Hiking Challenges with Rewards, James L. Goodwin State Forest, Sky's the Limit Challenge, video

Massport to Nachursetts: Wellfleet Bay

September 28, 2016 by Steve Leave a Comment

Passport to Nature, Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay, Wellfleet August 2016 At this point, I've only been to two Mass Audubon properties (of 21). Regardless, I imagine this one at Wellfleet Bay has to be one of the best. The Nature Center is large, modern, informative, and quite impressive. And the trails out to the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audubon, Nature Conservancy, RWA, &US Army Corps of Engineers Trails, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, Non-CT, Travel Tagged With: Animals, Birds, Calvin, cape cod, Damian, Hoang, Massachusetts, Nature Centers, passport to nature

Massport to Nachursetts: Long Pasture

September 27, 2016 by Steve Leave a Comment

Passport to Nature, Mass Audubon Long Pasture, Barnstable August 2016 The little center in Barnstable on the western end of Cape Cod is, I think, the newest of the Mass Audubon Centers. It's in a house that has been converted to... well, most of it appears to still be a house, but the living room is now a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audubon, Nature Conservancy, RWA, &US Army Corps of Engineers Trails, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, Non-CT, Travel Tagged With: Animals, Beach, Calvin, cape cod, Damian, Giant Goofy Things, Hoang, Massachusetts, Nature Centers, passport to nature

Mass Audubon Passport to Nature

September 27, 2016 by Steve Leave a Comment

Mass Exodus? Mass Audubon Passport to Nature Warning: This page/challenge is absurd for me to even consider. It’s in Massachusetts. I don’t “do” Massachusetts on this website. Yet, here I am. “Doing” Massachusetts. Sigh. Though, if you sully yourselves and click on the links or tags, please know I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audubon, Nature Conservancy, RWA, &US Army Corps of Engineers Trails, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, Non-CT, Travel Tagged With: Animals, Birds, Massachusetts, passport to nature

South Johnson Hill

September 26, 2016 by Steve Leave a Comment

South Johnson Hill Hartford County Highpoint (1,398 Feet), Hartland September 26, 2016 Connecticut has eight counties. (Actually, our counties are officially “pseudo-counties,” but let’s ignore that.) Each one has a highest point. Only one is worth visiting (Litchfield’s on Mt. Frissell) and several are … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, Peakbagging, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: CT county highpoints, Damian, Hartland, Hikes with my Boys, tunxis state forest

Baker’s Cave

August 21, 2016 by Steve Leave a Comment

"D'Oh! Another Fake Cave” Baker's Cave, East Lyme August 2016 Tuesday in August, no camp/school/activities for the boys. What to do, what to do... I didn't really know as I buckled them into the car and headed south. The forecast called for rain, and lots of it. So I thought we'd go to Rocky Neck State Park … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Biology & Geology, Everything Else, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Calvin, Caves & Dens, Damian, East Lyme, Hikes with my Boys, Rocky Neck State Park

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