So Much Canal Old Canal Way Trail, Simsbury November 2024 99,999 times out of 100,000 times you mention the Canal Trail in Simsbury, people will assume you're talking about the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. And, frankly, 99,999 times out of 100,000 times people mention the Canal Trail in Simsbury, they are … [Read more...]
Saville Dam, Barkhamsted Center & Hollow
Damn! No, really... Damn! Saville Dam & Barkhamsted Center, Barkhamsted September 2024 The Saville Dam is surely a top 10 Connecticut beauty spot. If it didn't require a walk in order to get the perfect shot, I'm sure it would be top 3. As it is, you still have to wait in line on weekend days in October in order … [Read more...]
Great Falls
Sometimes Great Great Falls, Canaan/Salisbury February 2017 At some point someone dubbed Great Falls - also known as Canaan Falls - "The Niagara Falls of New England." In 2015 or so, the go-to New England waterfall resource first said, "If you are unable to make it to Niagara Falls in New York this summer, this … [Read more...]
Stevenson Dam & Bridge
Bridge Over Troubled... Dam? Route 34 and The Stevenson Dam Monroe & Oxford Stop me if you've heard this one before: "the Stevenson Dam is one of only two dams in the country that has a public road over the top." Wait. That's ridiculous, even if I've seen it in print. The actual claim is more specific: "the … [Read more...]
Nepaug Dam & Reservoir Trails
Damn! Nepaug Dam & Reservoir Trails, Burlington, Canton, & New Hartford December 2020 My favorite fact about this property is that the main paved path here used to be a road open to vehicular traffic. I don't know when this was changed, but I'm pretty sure it was in my lifetime. Yes, Torrington Avenue used to veer … [Read more...]
Windsor Locks Canal Trail State Park (North)
Route Canal Windsor Locks Canal Trail State Park, Suffield November 2017 This path follows the route of the canal and... route canal?! C'mon, give me some love for the title above. Although a walk or ride along the full length of this state park trail isn't quite as painful as the dental procedure, it's had its … [Read more...]
Windsor Locks Canal Trail State Park Intro
Windsor Locks Canal Trail State Park Suffield & Windsor Locks It's kind of impressive how many "Trail State Parks" we have in Connecticut. These long, serpentine state parks that travel along rivers and old railroad routes are not your typical state parks, and I enjoy their oddness. And they often come with … [Read more...]
USACE Trails Intro
US Army Corps of Engineers Trails Colebrook, Mansfield, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Plymouth, Thomaston, Thompson, Waterbury, Watertown It's amazing. 14 years into this massive CTMQ project I've decided to throw this page together. These properties have just sort of lingered on the periphery of how I organize things on … [Read more...]
Oil City Dam
Snake Oil Oil City at Rainbow Reservoir, Windsor There is a lot going on at Northwest Park in Windsor. Today, you can find all sorts of stuff from a little nature museum to a tobacco history museum to a dozen miles of trails and more. And stuff has been happening here for a long time. I don’t typically … [Read more...]
Northwest Park (Windsor)
Dams, Dinosaurs and a Dump Northwest Park, Windsor January 19, 2013 This page is a beast because Windsor’s Northwest Park is a beast. I say that as a compliment… this place is a gem and I’m fortunate that it’s so close to my home. Not only that, it is very near my older son’s special needs school and as a result, … [Read more...]