475.63 acres in Wolcott, CT
Parking:
Trail Map Trails: 3.7 miles Rating: ★★★☆☆
This area goes by many names so it’s difficult to pick the most widely known – Woodtick Recreation Area and Scovill Recreation Area both apply to the whole property while Mill Pond Way is the name of the 3.5 mile loop around the reservoir and Wolf Hill is the western section with a fitness trail loop. I’ve included all these and should probably add the Scovill Reservoir to try and provide as much information as I can to queries from across any of them.
The park features hiking, boating, fishing, and swimming as well as courts, fields, and a pavilion.
The trail here is called the Mill Pond Way an ADA compliant mostly crushed stone path that travels 3.5 miles around the Scovill Reservoir. It can be accessed from any of the parking areas listed above and is very popular for easy strolls, runs, or just interacting with nature.
I started from the Wolf Hill area on the western side of the reservoir among deep pines, traveling downhill to the water’s edge and participating in a few of the standard fitness trail items, pull ups, pushups, and a balance beam among others. I took the loop clockwise following the gently rolling hills of the trail towards Munson Road. There are plenty of views along the water though I did notice that much of the entire loop was edged with plenty of poison ivy.
Off Munson Road the trip dips off the road to a small peninsula that I assume once had a bridge but perhaps just high water levels have blocked this section of the loop. Thankfully there is a clear path alongside the road that appears to be a common and long standing workaround. Past the Munson Road parking area the trail turns south to follow a paved driveway to a police training area and group boat storage. The trail curves around the fence and through a long wooded stretch around the entire eastern side of the reservoir. There are tons of interesting stone features along the trail and thanks to a rainy summer lots of interesting fungi.
There is a brief stretch along a dam where I saw nearly a dozen gold finches flitting among the tall grass and trees as well as a cormorant out on the water. The trail passes the boat launch, a small picnic area, and another wooded section before reaching the main swimming area. The trail then briefly crosses Nichols Road and recrosses for beautiful view of the beach and dam waterfall across the water.
The hike was easy enough with easy footing and largely flat with only a few gentle hills. It was popular even on a Monday morning with lots of people out walking dogs, with their family, or on a run. While the views of the water was great and there were plenty of sights along the way the trail felt less of a hike and more of a stroll.
The reservoir was constructed in 1917 and was originally associated with the prominent Scovill Manufacturing Company, which needed large amounts of water to produce brass.
The property was purchased by the town in July of 1986.
CTMQ – Scoville/Woodtick Reservoir Loop (2021)
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201 Nichols Rd, Wolcott, CT 06716, USA
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