Tankerhoosen Wildlife Management Area
449 acres in Vernon, CT
Parking:
- From the north at Walker’s Reservoir near 129 Reservoir Rd, Vernon, CT
- From the south through Belding WMA near 420 Reservoir Rd, Vernon, CT
Trail Map Trails: 1.1 miles Rating: ★★☆☆☆
The Tankerhoosen WMA, one of Connecticut’s wildlife management areas, is trailed almost entirely by the blue blaze Shenipsit Trail.
Oddly, the trail doesn’t follow the Tankerhoosen River through the heart of the property and instead crosses Baker Rd and within sight of busy I-84. With 400 acres to work with here the trail could certainly be rerouted away from I-84 to avoid the noise, fencing, and trash but I’m sure there are good reasons why it hasn’t.
After about 0.6 miles pinched against the highway the Walker Reservoir West will come into view on your right and the trail turns away from the highway and around the pond. The trail comes out on Reservoir Rd to join the road walk part of Walker’s Reservoir.
Previous Section: Belding WMA
Next Section: 1.0 mile road walk to the Tolland Agricultural Center
History:
Much of the land was bought in the early 1900s by Lebbeus Bissell (along with Belding WMA’s Frederick Belding) who used the properties for year-round family recreation, stocking the river with trout and the forests with pheasants and partridge. They kept three hunting and fishing cabins along the brook, maintained paths, cross-country ski trails, lumbered where necessary, and hiked throughout the property. Remnants of their stonework and bridges can be seen along the river.
The land was purchased by the state in 2011 for $3 million.
Links:
Peter Marteka – State Purchases 450 Acres Along Tankerhoosen River (2012)
The Tankerhoosen – Tankerhoosen WMA
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Last updated October 19th, 2020
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