Nehantic Trail
Encyclopedia
The Nehantic Trail is a 13 miles (20.9 km) Connecticut
hiking
trail and is one of the Blue-Blazed hiking trails
maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association
.
The trail is located in the towns of Voluntown
and Griswold
and is almost entirely within the Pachaug State Forest
.
and extends from Green Falls Pond in Voluntown to the Hopeville Pond State Park in Griswold. Most of the Nehantic Trail is on state land within the Pachaug State Forest
and connects three public recreation areas maintained by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
: Hopeville Pond State Park, the Chapman Recreation Area and the Green Falls Pond Recreation Area. Each of these recreation areas provide seasonal camping, and public swimming areas are available at the Green Falls and Hopeville Ponds.
Much of the Nehantic Trail is flat or has gradual ascents and descents and is suitable for casual walking or hiking
, running
- or snowshoe
ing in the winter. The steepest section is where the trail traverses Mt Misery. All trails in this area cross streams and wetland areas that are subject to flooding in periods of significant rain and snow melt.
The trail overlaps with or connects to other Blue-Blazed trails in the Pachaug Forest: the Pachaug Trail in the Mt Misery section, and the Narragansett Trail
at Green Falls Pond. The Nehantic-Pachaug Crossover trail is a secondary trail in the Green Falls Pond section connecting these two trails and is marked with blue and red blazes (a blue blaze with a red bar in the lower half of the blaze). The Laurel Loop is another secondary trail in this area and is marked with blue and yellow blazes. This side-trail features extensive growths of Mountain Laurel
and is well worth hiking in early Summer when these shrubs are in bloom.
to the west of the Voluntown center. The trail continues through woods and then joins Rt 49
for a section before entering the Chapman Recreation Area. The trail continues through woods and then joins with the Pachaug Trail where they pass over the top of Mt Misery (41.5887°N 71.8730°W). The two trails diverge west of the Mt Misery "summit", with the Nehantic continuing north through woods before crossing Rt 201
to the Hopeville Pond State Park.
The Nehantic-Pachaug Crossover runs East-West and joins the Nehantic Trail just south of where it crosses the access road to the Green Falls Pond area and connects to the Pachaug and Laurel Loop Trails at the Eastern Terminus. The Laurel Loop runs to the north from there and loops back to the section of the State Forest where access roads from Rt 49 and Rts 138/165 join together.
The connecting main and side trails provide numerous opportunities for loop hikes. Since parking is available at each of the recreation areas (subject to State DEP fees in peak season), extended through-hikes are also popular on this trail.
and Griswold, Connecticut
The Pachaug Forest features large extents of undeveloped land, consisting of mature growths of hardwood and evergreens, along with swampy areas having extensive coverage by Mountain Laurel and other shrubs and smaller trees.
as part of the Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail system.
. More information can be found on the CFPA website (http://ctwoodlands.org/blue-blazed-hiking-trails) including updates on trail conditions and closure or restrictions. Contact information is also available on the site for trail users to report adverse trail conditions or submit other feedback or questions.
Weather along the route is typical of Connecticut
. Conditions on exposed ridge tops and summits may be harsher during cold or stormy weather. Lightning
is a hazard on exposed summits and ledges during thunderstorms. Snow is common in the winter and may necessitate the use of snowshoes. Ice can form on exposed ledges and summits, making hiking dangerous without special equipment.
Landscape is low-lying and trails cross wetland areas. Extensive rain and snow melt will lead to wet and muddy conditions, and in this case fairly high waterproof boots are recommended.
Biting insects can be bothersome during warm weather. Parasitic deer tick
s (which are known to carry Lyme disease
) are a potential hazard. Encounter with small wildlife is always possible and hikers should be alert to signs of erratic behavior or other disease symptoms and take evasive action if warranted.
Seasonal hunting is permitted on state forest land, so wearing bright orange clothing during the hunting season (Fall through December) is advised.
State regulations govern use of state forest land. The land, plants and animals should generally be left undisturbed, especially endangered and protected species.
Specific to this trail:
Nearby trails and the Pachaug Forest:
Connecticut hikes and related information:
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trail and is one of the Blue-Blazed hiking trails
Blue-Blazed Trails
The Blue-Blazed trail system, managed by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, and the related trail systems documented in the two volume 19th Edition of the "Connecticut Walk Book" comprise over 800 miles of hiking trails in Connecticut.There are now over 825 miles of CFPA Blue-Blazed...
maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association
Connecticut Forest and Park Association
The Connecticut Forest and Park Association , established in 1895, is the oldest private, nonprofit conservation organization in Connecticut. The organization is credited as an important early pioneer of the national land conservation movement and as an early advocate of long distance trail building...
.
The trail is located in the towns of Voluntown
Voluntown, Connecticut
Voluntown is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,528 at the 2000 census. From 1726 to 1881 Voluntown had been part of Windham County.-Geography:...
and Griswold
Griswold, Connecticut
Griswold is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,807 at the 2000 census. Griswold contains one borough, Jewett City, and also contains the villages of Doaneville,Rixtown, Glasgo, Hopeville, and Pachaug...
and is almost entirely within the Pachaug State Forest
Pachaug State Forest
Pachaug State Forest is the largest forest in the Connecticut state forest system, encompassing over 27,000 acres of land. It is located on the Rhode Island border in New London County, and parcels of the forest lie in the towns of Voluntown, Griswold, Plainfield, Sterling, North Stonington, and...
.
Trail description
The Nehantic Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trailBlue-Blazed Trails
The Blue-Blazed trail system, managed by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, and the related trail systems documented in the two volume 19th Edition of the "Connecticut Walk Book" comprise over 800 miles of hiking trails in Connecticut.There are now over 825 miles of CFPA Blue-Blazed...
and extends from Green Falls Pond in Voluntown to the Hopeville Pond State Park in Griswold. Most of the Nehantic Trail is on state land within the Pachaug State Forest
Pachaug State Forest
Pachaug State Forest is the largest forest in the Connecticut state forest system, encompassing over 27,000 acres of land. It is located on the Rhode Island border in New London County, and parcels of the forest lie in the towns of Voluntown, Griswold, Plainfield, Sterling, North Stonington, and...
and connects three public recreation areas maintained by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is a state agency of Connecticut. The department oversees the natural resources and environment of the state, as well as regulating public utilities and energy policy...
: Hopeville Pond State Park, the Chapman Recreation Area and the Green Falls Pond Recreation Area. Each of these recreation areas provide seasonal camping, and public swimming areas are available at the Green Falls and Hopeville Ponds.
Much of the Nehantic Trail is flat or has gradual ascents and descents and is suitable for casual walking or hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
- or snowshoe
Snowshoe
A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....
ing in the winter. The steepest section is where the trail traverses Mt Misery. All trails in this area cross streams and wetland areas that are subject to flooding in periods of significant rain and snow melt.
The trail overlaps with or connects to other Blue-Blazed trails in the Pachaug Forest: the Pachaug Trail in the Mt Misery section, and the Narragansett Trail
Narragansett Trail
The Narragansett Trail is a Connecticut hiking trail and is one of the Blue-Blazed hiking trails maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association and the Narragansett Council, the Rhode Island chapter of the Boy Scouts of America....
at Green Falls Pond. The Nehantic-Pachaug Crossover trail is a secondary trail in the Green Falls Pond section connecting these two trails and is marked with blue and red blazes (a blue blaze with a red bar in the lower half of the blaze). The Laurel Loop is another secondary trail in this area and is marked with blue and yellow blazes. This side-trail features extensive growths of Mountain Laurel
Kalmia latifolia
Kalmia latifolia, commonly called Mountain-laurel or Spoonwood, is a species of flowering plant in the blueberry family, Ericaceae, that is native to the eastern United States. Its range stretches from southern Maine south to northern Florida, and west to Indiana and Louisiana. Mountain-laurel is...
and is well worth hiking in early Summer when these shrubs are in bloom.
Trail route
The southern end of the Nehantic Trail starts in the Green Falls Pond Recreation Area, near the swimming and camping areas and the start of the Pachaug trail. The trail leads generally north, connecting with the Nehantic-Pachaug Crossover trail and then crossing Rts 138/165Connecticut Route 165
Route 165 is a state highway in southeastern Connecticut running from Norwich to the Rhode Island state line in Voluntown, and continuing as RI Route 165.-Route description:...
to the west of the Voluntown center. The trail continues through woods and then joins Rt 49
Connecticut Route 49
Route 49 is a Connecticut state highway from Route 2 in Stonington to Route 14A in Sterling, in the southeast part of the state. It is a scenic route that runs through the Pachaug State Forest.-Route description:...
for a section before entering the Chapman Recreation Area. The trail continues through woods and then joins with the Pachaug Trail where they pass over the top of Mt Misery (41.5887°N 71.8730°W). The two trails diverge west of the Mt Misery "summit", with the Nehantic continuing north through woods before crossing Rt 201
Connecticut Route 201
Route 201 is a state highway in southeastern Connecticut, running in an inverted "L" pattern from Stonington to Griswold.-Route description:Route 201 begins at an intersection with Route 184 in northwestern Stonington and heads north into North Stonington. In North Stonington, it continues...
to the Hopeville Pond State Park.
The Nehantic-Pachaug Crossover runs East-West and joins the Nehantic Trail just south of where it crosses the access road to the Green Falls Pond area and connects to the Pachaug and Laurel Loop Trails at the Eastern Terminus. The Laurel Loop runs to the north from there and loops back to the section of the State Forest where access roads from Rt 49 and Rts 138/165 join together.
The connecting main and side trails provide numerous opportunities for loop hikes. Since parking is available at each of the recreation areas (subject to State DEP fees in peak season), extended through-hikes are also popular on this trail.
Trail communities
The Nehantic Trail passes through land located within the following municipalities, from south to north: Voluntown, ConnecticutVoluntown, Connecticut
Voluntown is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,528 at the 2000 census. From 1726 to 1881 Voluntown had been part of Windham County.-Geography:...
and Griswold, Connecticut
Griswold, Connecticut
Griswold is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,807 at the 2000 census. Griswold contains one borough, Jewett City, and also contains the villages of Doaneville,Rixtown, Glasgo, Hopeville, and Pachaug...
Landscape, geology, and natural environment
Landscape in the area is generally low-lying and flat with some rolling hills. The most prominent ascent is Mt Misery in the Chapman / Mt Misery Recreation Area, with an ascent of 100 feet or so to an elevation of 440 feet. This is one of the higher elevations in the area so the peak offers good views of the forest to the south.The Pachaug Forest features large extents of undeveloped land, consisting of mature growths of hardwood and evergreens, along with swampy areas having extensive coverage by Mountain Laurel and other shrubs and smaller trees.
History and folklore
The Blue-Blazed Nehantic Trail was created by the Connecticut Forest and Park AssociationConnecticut Forest and Park Association
The Connecticut Forest and Park Association , established in 1895, is the oldest private, nonprofit conservation organization in Connecticut. The organization is credited as an important early pioneer of the national land conservation movement and as an early advocate of long distance trail building...
as part of the Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail system.
Origin and name
The original Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails were named after Native American people and place names, in recognition that many of the trails followed historic foot paths. Trails added since often follow this convention, so many of the BBHT's have Native American names. The Niantic people or Nehantic is one of several Algonquian speaking people occupying the shoreline of Southern New England in the early colonial period of the region. The name is also used for the Nehantic State Forest as well as the borough of Niantic in East Lyme.Historic sites
No historical sites have been identified along the route. Stone walls indicate that much of the landscape was used for settlements and farms. Stone foundations and extensive stone walls can be found in a section of the Nehantic-Pachaug Crossover.Folklore
The town name of Voluntown is attributed to the fact that it was settled by Volunteers of the Narragansett War in 1700 who received land grants to settle there. The land was remote and difficult to farm and many of the original settlements were subsequently abandoned, so stone walls and foundations can be found throughout the forest today. The in-hospitality of the land has been cited as the origin for the names "Mount Misery" or "Misery Hill" and "Hell Hollow".Hiking the trail
The mainline trail is blazed with blue rectangles. Trail descriptions are available from a number of commercial and non-commercial sources, and a complete guidebook is published by the Connecticut Forest and Park AssociationConnecticut Forest and Park Association
The Connecticut Forest and Park Association , established in 1895, is the oldest private, nonprofit conservation organization in Connecticut. The organization is credited as an important early pioneer of the national land conservation movement and as an early advocate of long distance trail building...
. More information can be found on the CFPA website (http://ctwoodlands.org/blue-blazed-hiking-trails) including updates on trail conditions and closure or restrictions. Contact information is also available on the site for trail users to report adverse trail conditions or submit other feedback or questions.
Weather along the route is typical of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. Conditions on exposed ridge tops and summits may be harsher during cold or stormy weather. Lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
is a hazard on exposed summits and ledges during thunderstorms. Snow is common in the winter and may necessitate the use of snowshoes. Ice can form on exposed ledges and summits, making hiking dangerous without special equipment.
Landscape is low-lying and trails cross wetland areas. Extensive rain and snow melt will lead to wet and muddy conditions, and in this case fairly high waterproof boots are recommended.
Biting insects can be bothersome during warm weather. Parasitic deer tick
Deer Tick
Deer Tick is an American indie folk band from Providence, Rhode Island led by guitarist and singer-songwriter John McCauley. Deer Tick's music has been described as a combination of folk, blues, and country.-History:...
s (which are known to carry Lyme disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
) are a potential hazard. Encounter with small wildlife is always possible and hikers should be alert to signs of erratic behavior or other disease symptoms and take evasive action if warranted.
Seasonal hunting is permitted on state forest land, so wearing bright orange clothing during the hunting season (Fall through December) is advised.
State regulations govern use of state forest land. The land, plants and animals should generally be left undisturbed, especially endangered and protected species.
Image gallery
See also
- Blue-Blazed TrailsBlue-Blazed TrailsThe Blue-Blazed trail system, managed by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, and the related trail systems documented in the two volume 19th Edition of the "Connecticut Walk Book" comprise over 800 miles of hiking trails in Connecticut.There are now over 825 miles of CFPA Blue-Blazed...
- Quinebaug TrailQuinebaug TrailThe Quinebaug Trail is a Connecticut hiking trail and is one of the Blue-Blazed hiking trails maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association....
- Pachaug State ForestPachaug State ForestPachaug State Forest is the largest forest in the Connecticut state forest system, encompassing over 27,000 acres of land. It is located on the Rhode Island border in New London County, and parcels of the forest lie in the towns of Voluntown, Griswold, Plainfield, Sterling, North Stonington, and...
- Pachaug Trail
External links
Trail Maps:Specific to this trail:
Nearby trails and the Pachaug Forest:
- The Story of the Yawgoog Trails - Connecticut Countryside - Part I
- DEP-Pachaug State Forest
- DEP-Chapman Area
- DEP-Green Falls Area
Connecticut hikes and related information: