Schmid Overlook

Schmid Overlook

Joshua’s Trust

20 acres in Coventry, CT

Parking: Shoulder parking near 88 Flanders Road, Coventry, CT

Trail Map         Trails: 0.6 miles            Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Schmid Overlook, one of Joshua’s Trust newest properties, isn’t quite ready for a grand opening.  A trail has been brush hogged and blazed, trash has been removed, and more plans are in the works, but a bit more needs to be done before it’s really worth checking out.

Hiking

The trail starts at a small pull-off about halfway between the bridge over the Willimantic River and the Country Store.  The classic Joshua’s Trust yellow blazed trail heads down among the trees and quickly forks into a loop trail.  Taking the right fork brings you between a vernal pool and the large swamp on the property.  This area was a dumping ground in the past so a couple hundred feet of the trail were littered with broken glass, pottery, and rusting metal meticulously cleaned up by the Trust.

Past this the trails gets a bit rougher, but still blazed and easy enough to follow.  It soon reaches the Willimantic River and offers a few nice views along the water.  One small stream runs through the property and only a log for a bridge so may be impassable when the water is high.  A few curves of the river later you cross over some sandy patches and return to the parking area.

The hike took about 15 minutes even with a few minutes enjoying the views along the banks of the river.

Boating

Looking forward, there are hopes to add a boat launch into the river here.

History:

This area was owned by the Coutu family and was mined for sand and gravel many years ago. The Dunnack family who had a homestead nearby built a baseball field in a clearing on the property, but it has long since disappeared.

Links:

• Joshua’s Trust – Newsletter Winter 2019 pg. 17
• Joshua’s Trust – Blog December 2020 ‘JT Trustee Walk: Schmid Overlook’

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Last updated March 12th, 2021