2024

2024 Year in Exploration

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Hikes by Month

January

Windsor Center Trail – Quick morning loop on New Years Day
Angelo Sferrazza Memorial Park – Quick hike on the out and back with the CT River running swift
Upper Three Mile River Preserve – Great loop hike with rugged terrain, dense mountain laurel, and clear swift waters
Sellew Preserve – The outer loop offers wooded views, rushing brook water, and access to the Air Line Trail
Pocotopaug Preserve – very short well-traveled loop near the lake
Upper Pine Brook Preserve – Steep descent in the brook valley looping past the ruins (of an old paper mill?)

February

Church Farm – Rexplored the property to visit the new (to me) blue access trail and reacquaint myself with the rugged loop
William Jezek Memorial Preserve – Short rooty trails down to a view of the Moodus Reservoir
Sabine Reserve – Winding trail loops along an abandoned road with old foundations and history
PeGus’s Path Preserve – First hike, parking was a bit awkward, climbed the ridge and back
Roaring Brook Reserve –
Miller Farm Preserve – Just a plain loop in the snow
Batz Property – Was pleasantly surprised by this loop hike in the snow
Mattabesett East Terminus – First hike of this end of the trail, bit snowy and wet but hiked 80% out and back

March

Fenton Ruby Park – Hiked through a couple of the trails, really enjoyed the adirondack chairs on the first sunny day in a long time
Blue Flag Meadow – Rehiked this loop after remembering Teale doesn’t allow dogs
Tower Hill Preserve – First hike since making the movie last year, the waterfall was flowing good
Bradley Buchanan Woods – Rains and beaver activity have flooded key trails here
Torrey Preserve – First hike since my full tour of the JT properties, still a simple short loop off the Nipmuck
Banningwood Preserve – Well selected trail loop with history, geology and viewpoints
Honey Hill Preserve – Short woods loop through glacial till
Saunders Preserve – Surprised at how well established these new trails are
River to Ridgetop North – Two visits to this property, long hike options, overlooks galore
Natchaug State Forest – Rehiked the CCC loop and loved it, they’ve expanded/rerouted the trail since my last hike
Hemphill Woods – First hike here in about 7 years, lots of freshly fallen trees and wet trail but a nice loop hike

April

Cockaponset State Forest – Hiked the length of the blue blaze Cockaponset Trail and then worked back on the rest of the trails
Raymond Brook Preserve – Hiked in from a different parking area for a change of pace
Woodtick Recreation Area – Rehiked this popular flat walking path around Scoville Reservoir
Whitestone Cliffs Trail – This hike as everything you could want overlook, waterfall, and great hiking in one short loop
Five Mile Rock – Short hike to this out of the way historical landmark
Merrow Preserve – Figure eight double loop that doesn’t see much hiking but gets down to Lake Hayward Brook
Urbanik Reserve – Hiked the double loop and sat in the adirondack chairs next to the pond on a beautiful spring day
Lena Reserve – First hike and was surprised to find newly expanded green and purple trails

May

Nayantaquit Trail – First hike here in a couple years, this section of the Nehantic State Forest is being actively managed so there were a few large clear cuts slightly disrupting the trail
Potter Meadow – This hike was foiled by flooding in both directions on this short loop trail
Wolf Rock – This section of the Nipmuck trail has a new slight reroute from eroded old wood steps to well placed stone steps
Mahoney Pond – Hiked this short trail and found fresh forest management before taking another crack at searching for Devil’s Den
Lillinonah Trail – First hike of this rugged blue blaze loop, great rock features and surprisingly challenging
Pootatuck State Forest – Hiked out the fantastic overlook and then down into Squantz Pond State Park to see the impressive Council Rock

June

Nipmuck: Boston Hollow – Had some elements added that make it feel like someone’s grief trail? Still love the rugged loop
Hollister Preserve – Last hiked when I made the movie, still a gem of an overlook
Sheep Farm – First hike, did the shorter loop here and was surprised to find a waterfall
Atkinson Preserve – First hike of the trails here and branched out into Nathan Lester to see the remains of the Ledyard Oak
Stickney Hill – Just outside the heart of Rockville, this trail seems like it should be popular with locals but isn’t
Adams Mill Trail – Despite seeing some complaints of a vaguely sketchy area, I thought this was a fantastic hike and have high praise for the Hockanum River volunteers who built this trail
New State Trail – First hike, continued explorations of the varied Hockanum Trail, this one feels unique but I’m not sure why

July

Friedman Forest – Did the standard loop on a sticky July day
Mt Misery and the Rhododendron Sanctuary – Sky’s the Limit, the sanctuary is always a crowd pleaser and the misery overlook was better than I remembered
Giddings Park – The ninja warrior course is a bit more weathered but still fun
Natchaug State Forest – Just looking for a good loop on a sunny afternoon before wading in the river
Iron Mine Valley – Last hike here was 8 years ago! Finally explored the trail across Boston Hollow Brook
Hidden Valley Farm Preserve – First hike, ruins of a mill hide at the center of this hidden valley, nice water views too
Moodus Forest – First hike, an out and back on this trail cobbled from three properties
Golet Farm Preserve – First hike, short loop options that feel more like an ATV racetrack

August

Bailey’s Ravine – I’ll mention every time how no two hikes have ever been the same here
Sprague Land Preserve – Revisited green and blue for an afternoon hike
Devils’ Hopyard – Explored the red trail for the first time despite the rain
Hayward Reserve – A newish lasso loop trail that’s just darn pleasant
Dorwart Preserve – Newfound enjoyment on this trail, much better than I remember
Peoples State Forest – Hit Indian Shelter caves for Sky’s the Limit and then over to the Lighthouse and lookout, fantastic hiking abounds here
Massacoe: Great Pond – First hike, explored the popular loop here for Sky’s the Limit, interesting to see all the birds in the pond
Laidlaw Recreation Area – First hike, simple short town park loop, that recently received some TLC
Weigold and Auperin and Tobiassen Forest – W & A were new to me but Tobiassen was last hiked eight years ago, loved the mossy rock features
Chenes Roches Preserve – My third Joshua’s trust property that I hadn’t hiked since 2016, explored the new dense mountain laurel ridge trail

September

Couch Preserve and Williams Preserve – First hike here since Williams opened in 2018, trails have become established, a new blue trail has been added, and the viewpoint at the river has been cleared

October

November

December

Whitestone Cliffs Trail

★★★★☆

Whitestone Cliffs Trail, Plymouth, CT, USA

Whitestone Cliffs Trail Connecticut Blue Blaze Trail and Connecticut State Forest 310 acres in Plymouth, CT Parking: Small pull-off near 331 Mt Tobe Rd, Plymouth, CT Trail…

Cockaponset: Pattaconk Reservoir

★★★☆☆

Pattaconk Recreation Area (Cockaponset State Forest), State Forest Road, Chester, CT, USA

Cockaponset State Forest: Pattaconk Reservoir Connecticut State Forest acres in Chester and Haddam, CT Parking: South (Cockaponset Trail): Small pull-off near 1 Sypher Rd, Chester, CT South… Read more…

Mattatuck: Leatherman Cave

★★★☆☆

Old Leatherman Cave Trailhead, U.S. 6, Watertown, CT, USA

Mattatuck: Leatherman Cave (Rock House) & Jericho Trail Connecticut State Forest 945 acres in Watertown, CT Parking: Alternate Parking at Black Rock State Park North End: Shoulder… Read more…

Pachaug: Mt Misery & Rhododendron Sanctuary

★★★☆☆

Chapman Campground, Voluntown, CT, USA

Pachaug State Forest: Chapman Area Mt. Misery & Rhododendron Sanctuary Connecticut State Forest acres in Voluntown, CT Parking: Small lot near Cutoff Rd, Voluntown, CT Trail Map … Read more…

River to Ridgetop North

★★★★☆

Johnston Preserve, Birch Hill Road, Lyme, CT, USA

River to Ridgetop North Pleasant Valley Preserve, Jewett Preserve, Johnston Preserve Lyme Land Trust, Lyme Town Park, The Nature Conservancy 920 acres in Lyme, CT Parking: North… Read more…

Honey Hill Preserve

★★☆☆☆

15 Clark Rd, Lyme, CT, USA

Honey Hill Preserve Lyme Land Trust 40 acres in Lyme, CT Parking: Small pull off near 15 Clark Hill Rd, Lyme, CT Trail Map …

Banningwood Preserve

★★★☆☆

Banningwood Preserve, Lyme, CT, USA

Banningwood Preserve Lyme Land Trust 102 acres in Lyme, CT Parking: Small lot near 14 Town St, Lyme, CT Trail Map Trails:…

Saunders Preserve

★★☆☆☆

53 Hedlund Rd, East Haddam, CT 06423, USA

Saunders Preserve East Haddam Land Trust 69 acres in East Haddam, CT Parking: Small pull-off near 103 Honey Hill Rd, East Haddam, CT Trail Map …

Mattabesett East Terminus

★★☆☆☆

1501 River Rd, Middletown, CT, USA

Mattabesett Trail: East Terminus Connecticut Blue Blaze Trail 508 acres in Middletown, CT Parking: East end: Small pull off near 1501 River Rd, Middletown, CT West end:…