Coginchaug Greenway Open Space

Middle of a Field
Coginchaug Greenway Open Space, Middlefield
December 2025

I’m ridiculous. This website is ridiculous. And you know what? You’re ridiculous.

There I was, driving down Strickland Road in Middlefield, after hiking the trails at the Independent Day School – which I probably shouldn’t have been, but, as you’re about to understand if you didn’t already, I hike every trail in every town so I couldn’t help myself – on my way to walk around Peckham Park when I passed a big open field with a small parking area and a sign.

You know what that means. I slammed on my brakes and did a 180 in the middle of the road, and pulled into the little lot.

I was previously unaware of this place. What is this place?

Why, it’s the Coginchaug Greenway Open Space of course, managed and maintained by the Middlefield Conservation Commission. And there’s a loop trail here. Let’s hike.

CTMQ is a blessing and a curse. I love hiking every trail in every town. No one has attempted to redline Connecticut before (the term for such lunacy) and it’s impossible to catalog them all. But I try. But it’s experiences like this that make me realize I need help from locals along my journey. (And, y’all have been great. Just this week I was told of new trails in two towns I “completed” years ago – Ellington and Marlborough!

This place is, more or less, a big field. That’s right, I hiked through the middle of a field in Middlefield. Look at this big boy hawk in the middle of a field in Middlefield:

That fat boy has been eating well.

The town of Middlefield purchased this 45.5 acre former dairy pasture in 2001 from Justin Strickland. The little slab of concrete I parked on was a former farm building foundation. (The sign felt the need to tell me that, so I’m now sharing with you.)

I walked this area counter-clockwise which took me along the lower edge of the field and into the woods. The trail here is very well maintained, even in December. Once into the woods, I veered right because, well, because I wanted to see this entire property. Even though I knew this spur was a dead end.

But I also knew (the trailhead map told me) that it would take me to Durham Meadows WMA’s Middlefield parcel. I was already familiar with the Durham parcel.

I jogged down the hill and… the map didn’t lie. It dead-ended at a flooded brook so I turned around and walked back up the hill to the field from where the loop trail took me to the top of the hill. There is a nice view to the west and southwest here. It’s a straight shot to Powder Ridge Ski area and to the left of it in the picture below, that’s our old friend The Sleeping Giant. Maybe.

And that was that. The loop without the dumb spur to the flooded area is, I’d guess like 3/4 mile. But it’s great the town is keeping this a proper meadow and I did see a lot of birds enjoying life here.

In the Middle of a field in Middlefield.

CTMQ’s Middlefield Town Trails