464 acres in Salem, CT
Parking: Small lot near 220 Round Hill Road, Salem, CT
Trail Map Trails: 1 mile Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Note: As a wildlife management area this area is open to hunting so it is recommended to wear orange especially September – December.
There is a small picnic area just up the hill from the parking area with an old chimney.
From the parking area there is a well cleared path heads gradually downhill towards the pond and out over its dam. Beyond the dam the forest was actively managed in Fall 2020 to create young forest habitat for eastern cottontail. I poked around among the downed trees and there are paths that loop around the area, but I didn’t see any reason to explore further.
Before reaching the pond there is a small side trail down towards the pond likely serving as a fisherman’s path. However, before reaching the water’s edge it heads northwest around the pond. The highlight of following this trail is a car graveyard with the remains of three very old cars (much like the Pierce Arrow car at Salem’s nearby Walden Preserve) and a bus, perhaps left by the Zemko family ages ago. Following this trail I had a hunch it would lead to private property and sure enough the property line near the north end of the pond and headed into someone’s backyard.
Zemko Pond is named for the 3 generations of the Zemko family that lived in Salem and operated the Zemko Sawmill northwest of the Pond. I'm not certain when the state acquired the property and was guessing pre-1983 based on maps, but the last sale date is from 2002 for $985,000 for the core 331 acres. An additional purchase of 134 acres was made in 2004.
The Day – Zemko Pond Wildlife Management Area (2010)
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295 Round Hill Rd, Salem, CT 06420, USA
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