06078

Stony Brooke Park

★★☆☆☆

1 Cain Street, Suffield, CT, USA

Stony Brooke Park

Suffield Town Park

70 acres in Suffield, CT

Parking:

Trail Map          Trails: 1.8 miles       Rating: ★★☆☆☆


As of Fall 2022 all the hiking trails are still only accessible from the Remingston Street side.

Hiking

North Side – There is a nice moderately maintained loop hike in the northern section of the park starting from the parking area and heading into the forested trail which follows Muddy Brook for the majority loops back along Stony Brook and then not too far from private property for about 1.5 miles round trip. The backside of the loop (nearest the south side) can be a bit overgrown in summer, but the rest of the trails are wide and well maintained.

South Side – Walking through the large field off the parking area leads past the overgrown remains of the an footbridge taken originally from Remington Street which will be used in the near future as a permanent bridge over the brook to connect both sides of the park.  Currently there is a very short path along the brook leading up to the a stretch of railroad track abandoned since 2009.  The railroad bridge over the brook is slowly collapsing but can be crossed to extend the walk just a tad.

History

This 70-acre park was given to the town by Charles S. Bissell in 1968 for conservation purposes. The odd spelling of Brooke is due to an old deed of the property with the antiquated or possible misspelling.

From the Courant in 1968 about the donation:

“The conservation commission has the responsibility of developing the land to be used for conservation and preservation and propagation of wildlife,” the article read. “The parcel includes a brook as well as wooded area and should lend itself well to these purposes … possibilities proposed were nature trails and horseback riding trails. Cleaning up the brook for fishing is important.”

The railroad line is a roughly 3 mile spur coming from Windsor Locks originally built in 1870s by the independent railroad called the Windsor Locks and Suffield Railroad and its train was affectionately known as “The Huckleberry”. The line was then sold to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad which offered as many as six trips a day on the Suffield line. This diminished as the years went by and with the last trolley service to Suffield ending in the 1920s.  The line is currently owned by Connecticut Southern Railroad and made freight delivieries on the line most recently going to the Stevenson Lumberyard, which closed in 2008.  Connecticut Southern sought official abandonment of the line in 2012 but the town was attempting to fight it – given that the tracks are still there it appears the town won.


The information shown here is for general reference purposes only. exploreCT.org gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or reliability of this data. Parking in all areas, whether designated here or not, is at your own risk. exploreCT.org is not responsible for any damage or loss to vehicles or contents.
Last updated October 16th, 2022

Kings Island

★★★☆☆

41.954496, -72.612596

Kings Island

Eversource Land Trust

120 acres in Enfield and Suffield, CT

Parking: Access by water only, nearest boat launch is Kings Island Boat Launch

Trail Map        Trails: Informal fishing paths        Rating: ★★★☆☆


Note: During periods of seasonal low-water you will likely have to walk the majority of the distance from the boat launch to the island. 

I first visited Kings Island in a drought at the beginning of Fall 2020.  The Connecticut River was so low in this northern section at this time that I walked my kayak out a ways beyond the boat launch, paddle over a brief deeper channel and then walked over slippery rocks through the shallows the remaining 2/3rds to the island.  I stopped at the north point of the island and climbed up a steep bank to its plateau. The island has a well developed forest and a clear understory so walking cross-island was pretty easy.

River Camping

I passed the AMC’s new river campsite which was built in early 2019.  It is located about a quarter of the way down the island from the north on the eastern side and is easy to access from the water.  There are two raised platforms for tents, a bear box, and fire pit with an outhouse a short distance away.  The campsite is used on a ‘first come first served’ basis and is capable of holding up to 12 campers.  I counted at least three other unofficial campsites along the eastern side which I’m sure are officially discouraged.

Hiking

There are no official trails on the island though at times I came across faint paths.  The island is just shy of a mile long and I was able to easily do a full circuit tromping through the woods.  All the interesting points of note seem to be on the eastern side including the foundations of the Terry homestead.   These are located above a swale about 1000ft from the southern tip.  There was even an old horseshoe hanging from a tree.  The southern point has a couple fire pits, rough benches, and a rope swing for when the water is high enough.

I hiked back north along the western side of the island through the gorgeous fall colors, but found little of note.

NU Kings Island WMA

Map

Kings Island also falls under the state’s wildlife management areas as the NU (Northeast Utilities now Eversource) Kings Island WMA.  The designation is for waterfowl hunting.

History:

The earliest history of the island is as a Native American fishing camp who would string nets across the river to catch shad.  According to lore there are several burial grounds on the island.

The earliest documents from the colonial period date back to 1641 when a Native American woman named Quashebuck tried to sell the island to a man named John Lewis.  However, a Reverend Ephraim Huit of Windsor petitioned the Connecticut General Court that Quashebuck’s father had already sold him the island.  The court ruled with Huit and he became the first “official owner” of Kings Island.

Other owners included:

  • 1670-???? – A Massachusetts court awarded the island to John Pynchon for his work surveying the boundary between Massachusetts and Connecticut
  • 1717-???? – Reverend Ebenezer Devotion and Joshua Leavitt of Suffield
  • 1764-1774 General Phinehas Lyman
  • 1774-1787 – Roger Enos of Windsor
  • 1787-1800? – Colonel John Ely who built a dam across the west side and operated a sawmill
  • Unknown dates – King family who also owned land on the Suffield side shore and operated a ferry on the river to Enfield

By far the most interesting owner of the island is a DeWitt Clinton Terry (named after the Erie canal builder?) who owned the island from 1864-1889.  So interesting that the island was known for a long time as Terry’s Island.  Terry was known in his time as a good farmer and a ferry operator but is remembered for being a Millerite (a sect of Adventists) who predicted the end of days.  Groups of Millerites would gather on the island to celebrate before the end.  The most notable of these predictions was in 1873 when it was mentioned in the New York Times.

Terry eventually sold the island in 1889 and the house he built was moved from the island to somewhere on Suffield Street in Windsor Locks by the new owner.

The most recent owner, dating at least as far back at the late 1950s, was Connecticut Light & Power (now Eversource).  The company had hoped to use the island and section of the river for hydroelectric power, but nothing came of it.  The company kept the park as open public land and still maintains a page describing it.  An article from July 2020 about a fire that occurred on the north point quotes an official saying it was previously owned by Eversource and is now public property, but I’m unsure if it is at a town or state level.


Links:

The information shown here is for general reference purposes only. exploreCT.org gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or reliability of this data. Parking in all areas, whether designated here or not, is at your own risk. exploreCT.org is not responsible for any damage or loss to vehicles or contents.
Last updated September 28th, 2020

Windsor Locks Canal State Park

★★☆☆☆

41.986295, -72.605278

Windsor Locks Canal State Park

Connecticut State Park

4.5 miles in Suffield and Windsor Locks, CT

Parking:

Trail Map          Trails: 4.5 miles        Rating: ★★☆☆☆

 


Windsor Locks Canal State Park is one of the state’s linear parks which runs about 4.5 miles from Rt. 190 south to Rt. 140.  The paved path is a popular destination for casual strolls and bike rides.  It is usually closed from November to March 31st and occasionally closes in the summer for nesting bald eagles.

From the main north end parking area the trail heads off to the left over to a ramp that curves up onto Veteran’s Bridge (which extends the trail about 0.7 miles) and off to the right to enter the actual canal trail.  From the rusting initial lock you walk over a short bridge to a viewing platform of the Connecticut River and enter the narrow spit of land that holds the trail.

The path is flat with trees lining the edge and occasional views of the river or the canal.  About halfway between the two parking areas is a good view of King’s Island where Millerite Dewitt Terry held gathering anticipating the end of days.  I found it hard to justify walking the length of the trail so quickly turned around.  I aim to return with a bike and do the full length.

History:

The Windsor Locks Canal was constructed from 1827 to 1829 and operated until 1839 when a railroad was built on the opposite side of the Connecticut River.

The first push to turn the former tow footpath into a park was in the 1970s when, then State Senate majority leader, Cornelius O’Leary campaigned for one of his favorite childhood spots.  It took negotiating with Dexter Corp. who owned the actual canal, the DEEP to assume liability for the trail, and conservationists worried about the eagle nesting grounds on the banks of the Connecticut River.

In 1989 the state approved $2.75 million in fund to purchase land for the park

  • 1989 The state already owned 3.5 acres near the Enfield Dam
  • 1994 First major purchase of unknown acres
  • 1996 – 28 acres in Suffield

The pathway was paved in 1998 by the DOT contracted to Costello Industries out of Newington for $659,000.


Links:

The information shown here is for general reference purposes only. exploreCT.org gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or reliability of this data. Parking in all areas, whether designated here or not, is at your own risk. exploreCT.org is not responsible for any damage or loss to vehicles or contents.
Last updated September 28th, 2020