322 acres in Ledyard, CT
Parking: Small pull-off near 113 Whalehead Drive, Ledyard, CT
Trail Map Trails: 2.65 miles Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Pine Swamp Wildlife Corridor is the banner name for the parcels like the Slosberg-Andersen Woodlands, Dow Centennial Preserve, and Harry Leiser Preserve
While there are technically eight trailheads to this property I stared from the only one with off the road parking at Whalebone Road. The trail heads off into the woods on an old access road that winds down to a small view of the water passing blue blazes. You soon reach the utility corridor which is undergoing expansion work by Eversource through at least 2023.
The trail and power lines are a narrow strip through interesting ponds. They’re unnamed as far as I can tell and provide nice views and even some open water access on both sides encircling what I assume are the namesake swamps.
Following the gravel road through the construction zone you evenutally reach a sign for the turn off to the blue dot loop trail. At just 1.3 miles the loop is short but packs many different sights. Rocky glacial till, marshy seasonal stream, open pine forest, a sea of ferns, close to private private property, tight tunnel through thick overgrowth, and more all flowing into each other.
I missed the yellow trail out to Friar Tuck Drive, it may have been there and I just missed it. The red spur towards Hillside Drive was very clearly marked but I decided to skip the extra 1.3 out and back. The blue dot trail flowed right back into the blue blazed utility corridor. I searched the sides for the other yellow trail but didn’t have any luck. It’s possible it’s unmaintained while Eversource is working on the lines or I was just looking at the wrong points.
It turned out to a great and varied short loop with plenty of reasons to explore again on a return trip.
This area was possibly known to the Pequots as Ohomowauke meaning ‘owls’ nest’ or Cuppacommock meaning ‘the hiding place’ as a refuge for its remoteness and inaccessibility.
In colonial times, Pine Swamp was known as “Mast Swamp” for its supply of ship masts and spars for over a century. The last known pines were removed from the swamp in 1820, the final ones having been cut to supply ships in the Revolutionary War and War of 1812.
The North Tract, 162.81 acres, comprising:
And the South Tract, 102.11 acres, comprising
Peter Marteka – A Visit To Ledyard’s Land Of Boulders And An Ancient Pine Swamp (2013)
Avalonia E-Trails Blog – Pine Swamp Wildlife Corridor Part 1 and Part 2 (2014)
Peter Marteka – A Visit To Ledyard’s Land Of Boulders And An Ancient Pine Swamp (2013)
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113 Whalehead Road, Gales Ferry, Ledyard, Gales Ferry, CT, USA
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