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

Penwood State Park’s Color Trails

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Penwood State Park’s Color Trails

Penwood: A Rainbow of Fun! Penwood State Park, Bloomfield & Simsbury Multiple Visits I am fortunate to live very near the MDC Reservoirs - Talcott Mountain State Park - Penwood State Park - Wilcox Park corridor of woods and trails. There are countless routes one can take to see different parts of these properties … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Bloomfield, Great Views, Hartford County, penwood state park, Simsbury

Hop River State Park Trail: Section 1

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Hop River State Park Trail: Section 1

Let's Get Hoppin' Colonial Road to Bolton Notch State Park, 6.9 Miles Manchester, Vernon, Bolton, June 2020 Alright, let's get going with this thing. 20.2 miles of graded stone dust trail from the center of Manchester east to the Airline Trail in Windham. (I suppose I should mention that means Calvin and I will … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bike Trails, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Bolton, bolton notch state park, Calvin, cycling, Hartford County, Hop river state park trail, Manchester, rails-to-trails, Tolland County, Vernon

Hop River State Park Trail: Section 2

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Hop River State Park Trail: Section 2

Spurring Adventure Rockville Spur, 3.7 Miles Vernon, June 2020 I first began chronicling these rails-to-trails trails when my son Calvin could join me. I sort of ignored them for a many previous years until I realized that several are actually Connecticut state parks... and since I'm visiting every Connecticut … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bike Trails, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Calvin, cycling, Hop river state park trail, rails-to-trails, Tolland County, Vernon

Tunxis State Forest Intro

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Tunxis State Forest Intro

Tunxis State Forest Barkhamsted, Granby, & Hartland Although the CFPA's Tunxis Trail takes hikers south down to Southington, the state forest of the same name only covers land in the northernmost towns along the way. The forest surrounds the Barkhamsted Reservoir and always feel remote. Because it is remote. I like … [Read more...]

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

Devil’s Hopyard State Park Intro

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Devil’s Hopyard State Park Intro

Devil's Hopyard State Park East Haddam At the time of this writing, the official state of Connecticut website states: Could the round holes in the falls really be the work of the devil? Or, just nature and water making their mark for future generations? Visit Devil's Hopyard and find your own answer to this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: devil's hopyard state park, East Haddam, Middlesex County

Gillette Castle State Park Intro

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Gillette Castle State Park Intro

Gillette Castle State Park East Haddam & Lyme The large majority of you only think of the iconic castle when you think about this state park. And that's fine. It certainly is one of the most striking places or things in the entire state. But here at CTMQ, we give equal time to the trails and the former private … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: "See Before you die" list, East Haddam, Gillette Castle State Park, Lyme, Middlesex County, New London County

Talcott Mountain State Park Intro

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Talcott Mountain State Park Intro

Talcott Mountain State Park Avon, Bloomfield, & Simsbury Ah, yes. My backyard. Almost literally. Nearly everyone in north central Connecticut can see Talcott Mountain's Heublein Tower on their daily commute if they try. It is the pillar that stands sentry over both the Farmington River and Connecticut River … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Avon, Bloomfield, Simsbury, Talcott Mountain State Park

Penwood State Park Intro

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Penwood State Park Intro

Penwood State Park Bloomfield & Simsbury Penwood is the sister state park to Talcott Mountain - both of which are very near my house. As such, I've spent more time in both than all other state parks combined. Probably. More people probably visit Talcott than Penwood for the tower up there, but Penwood certainly … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Bloomfield, Great Views, Hartford County, penwood state park, Simsbury

Hop River State Park Trail: Section 3

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Hop River State Park Trail: Section 3

Another Notch in Our Belts Bolton Notch State Park to Parker Bridge Road, 8.5 Miles Bolton, Coventry, & Andover, May 2020 As Calvin and I rode the first mile or so of this section of the Hop River State Park Trail, I pondered aloud, "This may be one of the coolest stretches of Rails-to-Trails in all of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bike Trails, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Andover, Bolton, bolton notch state park, Calvin, Coventry, Covered Bridges, cycling, East Coast Greenway, Hop river state park trail, rails-to-trails, Tolland County

Dr. William A. Niering NAP

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Dr. William A. Niering NAP

I Could Take a NAP Here Dr. William A. Niering Natural Area Preserve, Waterford August 2013 I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that no one goes to the Niering NAP with no intention of going anywhere else. Well, maybe that's not true. Perhaps birders go here just to go here. Not that it's not a lovely … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Birds, Harkness Memorial State Park, natural area preserve, New London County, Waterford

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