Putnam Memorial State Park

Parking: Medium sized lot near 73 Putnam Park Rd, Redding, CT or 148 Putnam Park Rd Bethel, CT

Park Map Trails: 2 miles Rating: ★★★☆☆

Putnam Memorial State Park is named for Israel Putnam the Connecticut revolutionary war general officer. The park is the site of a 1778-9 war camp in southwestern Connecticut. There is a visitor center museum, reconstructed replicas, and a statue of Putnam. The park also holds events including reenactments and seasonal walks.

Hiking

I’d be hard pressed to call this a hiking area but I thoroughly enjoyed my lap of the sites along the park’s gravel road. Passing the park’s gate up the hill through the guard towers is the stone obelisk standing atop a small knoll. Constructed in 1888, standing 42ft tall, it memorializes the three Continental Army camps who wintered here.

Continuing to the right to the quarter mile straightaway known as Company Street where the soldiers camped in 116 log huts. The remains are the collapsed stone piles of the chimneys known as “firebacks”. These firebacks sit two by two and walking among them imagining these winter quarters with each 16×12 hut occupied by as many as a dozen men leaves a strong impression.

Just beyond the long rows of firebacks is the replica chimney (built in 1890) of the officers cabin. It now sits in a marshy area set far back from the road. Climbing the ridge behind the chimney leads to Phillip’s Cave. Stone steps climb along the rocky ledge and a narrow crack leads into the jumble of boulders opening into a small “cave”. Local legend says that after the war one of the men who camped here lived in the cave as a hermit for awhile.

The backside of the loop returns to the parking area passing more sites including the gunpowder building, Barlow’s Circle, camp oven, and Lake McDougall.

Across Rt. 58 there are also multiple picnic areas with views of Putnam Park Pond and more trails for easy strolling.

History:

It is the oldest state park in Connecticut, established in 1887. 110 years had already passed since the Revolutionary War by then but the site was preserved, replica buildings built, and rough research conducted. It’s interesting to see the more modern updates and corrections to these early efforts. The cemetery that is likely an officer’s cabin or the officer’s cabin that is likely a gunpowder building.

Putnam Memorial State Park