CFPA Trails & The Blue Trails Challenge

Connecticut Forest & Parks Association Trails
2006 –

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CTMQ’s Massive Connecticut hiking table of contents is here.

There are nearly 1,000 miles of CFPA hiking trails in many different towns in little ol’ Connecticut. This list follows the organization’s Blue Trails Challenge List and their published Walk Books.

The CFPA is a fantastic organization that has been around since 1895. 1895! A non-profit, assisted by legions of volunteers, CFPA is an advocate, a fighter, a doer, and an endurer. When I began writing CTMQ as Connecticut Museum Quest, it was to be “just museums…” but almost immediately expanded to include CFPA trails because, well, I had to.

For decades, there existed something called the Connecticut 400 Club which recognized those who have hiked all the CFPA trails of Connecticut. Since the “Club’s” creation, over 400 more miles were added to the task, but no one bothered to update the name.This is an interesting read; an old NYT article about the CT 400.

Since “400” made no sense, the CFPA changed things up in 2015 and retired the Club. Now you can earn rewards by hiking various lengths of CFPA trails: 200, 400, and 800 miles. I’m okay with the change.

Another 21st century change was the designation of The New England Trail as a National Scenic Trail. This includes the Menunkatuck, Mattabessett, and Metacomet Trails in Connecticut. (It continues north through Massachusetts to New Hampshire for a total of 215 miles.) Soon after that happened, we got a new edition of the Connecticut Walk Book (my favorite book) and an online map.

Let’s hike!

CFPA Blue Trails Challenge Trails

This page is a work in progress so for now, as I’m converting the trail listing to match the CFPA’s ordinging and groupings in the Walk Book’s 20th edition. Just go with it and enjoy.

Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Sherman to Salisbury
The New England National Scenic Trail

Menunkatuck Trail Intro, Guilford
Mattabesett Trail Intro, Berlin to Middletown
Metacomet Trail Intro, Berlin to Suffield

Alain & May White Nature Trails, Torrington
American Legion & Peoples State Forest Trails Intro, Barkhamsted
Aspetuck Trail, Newtown, Redding, & Easton
Bigelow Hollow State Park Trails, Union
Case Mountain Trails, Manchester & Glastonbury
Chatfield Trail, Killingworth
Cockaponset Trail(s) Haddam & Chester
East-West Trail Intro, Bloomfield to Cornwall
Falls Brook Trail Hartland
Field Forest Trails, Durham
Finch Brook Trail, Wolcott
Gay City State Park Trails, Bolton, Glastonbury, Hebron
Goodwin State Forest Trails, Hampton
Hancock Brook Trail, Waterbury
Hibbard Trail, Lebanon
Highlawn Forest Trails, Middletown, Middlefield
Housatonic Range Trail, New Milford
Iron Trail, North Canaan, Canaan
Jericho Trail, Waterbury
John Muir Trail
Kettletown State Park Trails
Lillinonah Trail
Macedonia Brook State Park Trails
Mattabesett Trail
Mattatuck Trail
McLean Game Refuge Trails
Menunkatuck Trail
Metacomet Trail, Berlin, Meriden, Southington, Plainville, New Britain, Farmington, Avon, West Hartford, Bloomfield, Simsbury, East Granby, Suffield
Mohawk Trail
Narragansett Trail
Natchaug Trail
Naugatuck Trail
Nayantaquit Trail
Nehantic Trail
Nipmuck Trail (2010 – )
Old Furnace Trail
Pachaug Trail
Paugussett Trail Pequot Trail
Pine Knob Loop Trail
Pomperaug Trail
Quinebaug Trail
Quinnipiac Trail
Regicides Trail
Risley Pond Loop Trail
Salmon River Trail
Saugatuck Trail
Scovill Loop Trail
Shenipsit Trail Intro, East Hampton to Stafford, 50 mi.
Sleeping Giant State Park Trails
Stony Creek Trails
Sunny Valley Preserve Trails
Tunxis Trail Intro, Southington to Hartland, 83 mi.
Whitestone Cliffs Trail
Walcott Trail
Waterbury Area Trails
Zoar Trail

https://www.ctwoodlands.org/blue-blazed-hiking-trails/trail-info

Cockaponset Trail and Cockaponset Forest Side Trails, 3/15/2009
Falls Brook Trail, 1/19/2008
Gay City Trail Network, 6/15/2009 & 6/24/2009
Hancock Brook Trail, 3/31/2009
Jericho Trail, 5/18/2009
Kettletown State Park Trails, 4/14/2009
Lillinonah Trail, 12/9/2007
Lone Pine Trail, 8/1/2008
The Mattabesett Trail, 5/23/2008 – 11/9/2008 (NET)
McLean Game Refuge Trails, 10/12 – 13/2008
Muir Trail, 9/13/2008
Nayantaquit Trail, 7/8/2007
Paugussett Trail, 10/27/2008
Ragged Mountain Trail, 2009-2010
Regicides Trail, 1/6/2008
Salmon River Trail, 8/19/2007
Saugatuck Trail, 12/9/2007
Shenipsit Trail, and Shenipsit Area Trails, 11/24/07 – 5/16/2010
Sleeping Giant State Park Trail Network, 12/23/2010 – 10/21/2012
Sunny Valley Preserve Trails, 7/13 – 11/22/2009
The Tunxis Mainline Trail, and Tunxis Area Trails, 2/17/2008 – 10/21/2013
Whitestone Cliffs Trail, 3/31/2009
Wolcott Trail, 9/13/2008
Zoar Trail, 4/14/2009

Accurately edited blaze on the Tunxis Trail in Barkhamsted

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In Progress:

Highlawn Forest Trails, 4/17/2009 – ?
Metacomet Trail, 4/29/2007 – ? (NET)
Nipmuck Trail, 7/23/2010 – ?
Pachaug Trail, 12/14/2008 – ?
Quinebaug Trail, 12/14/2008 – ?
Quinnipiac Trail, 10/21/2012 – ?

Rainy day on the Quinebaug in Plainfield

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The 10 highest peaks in Connecticut – and my climbs of them.