Deer Lake

Deer Lake Day Camp

Pathfinders Inc Private Property

255 acres in Killingworth, CT

Parking: Shoulder parking near 100 Papermill Rd, Killingworth, CT

Trail Map         Trails: 1.7 miles      Rating: ★★☆☆☆

There are a number of trails here around the property though I’m uncertain how open they are to anyone’s use.  So I’ve only included this section of the blue blaze Chatfield Trail with it’s highlight Fat Man’s Squeeze so far.

Hiking

The beginning of this section coming from Paper Mill Road climbs a small hill to enter the woods to walk alongside an unnamed brook. After crossing the brook you’ll be along the backside of the Deer Lake Day Camp on and old road behind the camping lean-tos.

A rocky ledge will rise to your right and you’ll recross the brook after a brief corduroy road.  The splits soon after with the Yellow Boundary trail continuing along the rise and the blue trail descending to cross the brook once again.  From here you’ll enter the rocks and as you navigate to Fat Man’s Squeeze.  The rocks are by far the best part of the trail and should be explored.

After the squeeze the trail enters an open area recently cut where you’ll be able to see the outposts at the edge of the camp.  You’ll descend a long hill to rejoin another old woods road to a roadwalk on the dirt Champlin Road.

Next section: Cockaponset State Forest

Previous section: Brief road walk to River Road terminus

History:

Formerly a Boy Scouts of America camp run by the Connecticut Yankee Council.  The scouts announced they was selling the land for $4.62 million to a real estate developer, Margaret Streicker, who was also a board member of the scouts’ council. This raised a community conservation movement and after much back and forth ultimately the property was bought by Pathfinders as a Day camp and private open space in September 2022.

Links:

• CT Mirror – Deal near to preserve Deer Lake in Killingworth as open space (2022)

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Last updated April 25, 2022