Natchaug Trail
Encyclopedia
The Natchaug Trail is a Blue-Blazed
hiking
trail "system" which meanders through 19.5 miles (31.4 km) of forests in northeast Connecticut
—primarily in Windham County
. It is maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association
. Its southern trailhead begins in the James L. Goodwin State Forest in the towns of Chaplin, Connecticut
and Hampton, Connecticut
and the northern terminus is at its intersection with the Nipmuck Trail
in Natchaug State Forest
in Eastford, Connecticut
.
For much of its length the Natchaug Trail travels through two Connecticut state forests—the James L. Goodwin State Forest and Natchaug State Forest
as well as the much smaller Nathaniel Lyons Memorial Park. Camping permits may be obtained by backpackers for both state forests.
In addition to the Nipmuck Trail
there are several smaller hiking trails which connect to the Natchaug Trail as well as several park and forest roads and the multi-use Airline State Park
Linear Trail.
In Natchaug State Forest
the CCC Trail is a historic loop trail which was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps
during the Great Depression in the 1930s.
Two of the several trails inside the James L. Goodwin State Forest are connected to the Natchaug Trail have recently been blazed as official CFPA trails. According to signs at the James L. Goodwin State Forest the White Trail is being (or has been) re-blazed as a blue-white trail named the "Pine Acres Lake View Trail". A CFPA blue-orange blazed trail also intersects with the Natchaug Trail during the stretch between Pine Acres Lake and Black Spruce Pond.
, backpacking
, picnicking, and in the winter, snowshoe
ing.
Portions of the trail are suitable for, and are used for, cross-country skiing
and geocaching
. Site-specific activities enjoyed along the route include bird watching, hunting
(very limited), fishing
, horseback riding, bouldering
and rock climbing
(limited).
1200 feet south of Eastford Road in Ashford, Connecticut in northern Natchaug State Forest. After crossing the unpaved Moon Road, the northern third of the trail generally parallels Bigelow Brook until it merges with the Stones and Stills brooks to become the Natchaug River
. For most of the southern two thirds of the trail's length it follows both Connecticut Route 198 and the Natchaug River through the Natchaug and James L. Goodwin State Forests to the southern end at at the James L. Goodwin Conservation Center at the southern end of Pine Acres Lake.
Hampton, Connecticut
,
Chaplin, Connecticut
,
Ashford, Connecticut
,
Eastford, Connecticut
.
As it did not appear in the 1969 version of the CFPA Connecticut Walk Book and it appears in the 1973 version it would appear to have been created during the 1969-1973 period.
The name Natchaug is used as a geographical place name throughout Eastern Connecticut and particularly in Tolland and Windham counties in Northeastern Connecticut. It was not the name of a native American tribe or group, but of a particular area in Connecticut.
Today the name Natchaug appears as the name of a trail, river, hospital and state forest.
The James L. Goodwin State Forest is named for, and occupies land donated by its namesake.
James L. Goodwin was one of the first Yale University School of Forestry graduates and began using modern forest management practices in the northeastern part of Connecticut. He also created and donated the James L. Goodwin Conservation Center to the state to educate the people of Connecticut regarding "general, wildlife and forest conservation."
There are two memorials to Nathaniel Lyon
, the first Union general to die in the US Civil War
along the Natchaug Trail.
Nathaniel Lyon Memorial State Park contains the birthplace of General Lyon, although only the very large fireplace remains.
General Nathaniel Lyon Memorial in General Lyon Cemetery (established 1805) is located in the Phoenixville section of Eastford just north of the northern end of a portion of General Lyon Road overlaps with the Natchaug Trail.
There are several letterboxes cached along both trails including two official State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) letterboxes. One is in Natchaug State Forest on the CCC Trail and the other is in the James L. Goodwin State Forest near Pine Acres Lake close by a three-sided cellar hole where the local legend says that the smell of wood smoke can often still be detected on cold January nights from a long gone chimney.
There is a trail register notebook in a can affixed to the northern end of a foot bridge over Stones Brook on the Natchaug Trail approximately 0.6 mile south of Connecticut Route 44.
It is regularly maintained, and is considered easy hiking, with very few sections of rugged and moderately difficult hiking.
Much of the trail is close to public roads. There are camping facilities along the trail in the two state forests. Otherwise camping is generally prohibited in the other areas along the trail. There are nearby commercial camping accommodations available on Connecticut Route 198
, in particular the Charlie Brown Campground in Eastford and the Nickerson Park Family Campground in Chaplin (visible on the western bank of the Natchaug River from the CCC side trail).
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.
Biting insects can be bothersome during warm weather. Parasitic deer tick
s (which are known to carry Lyme disease
) are a potential hazard.
Almost all of the trail is adjacent to, or is on lands where hunting and the use of firearms are permitted.
Wearing bright orange clothing during the hunting season (Fall through December) is recommended.
Government links:
Land and Conservation trusts:
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...
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 "system" which meanders through 19.5 miles (31.4 km) of forests in northeast 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...
—primarily in Windham County
Windham County, Connecticut
Windham County is a county located in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of 2010, the population was 118,428.The entire county is within the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor, as designated by the National Park Service.-History:Windham...
. It is 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...
. Its southern trailhead begins in the James L. Goodwin State Forest in the towns of Chaplin, Connecticut
Chaplin, Connecticut
Chaplin is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The town was named for Deacon Benjamin Chaplin, an early settler. The population was 2,305 at the 2010 census.-Points of interest:* The Chaplin Museum is a local historical museum....
and Hampton, Connecticut
Hampton, Connecticut
Hampton is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,758 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
and the northern terminus is at its intersection with the Nipmuck Trail
Nipmuck Trail
The Nipmuck Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail "system" which meanders through of forests in northeast Connecticut. It is maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association and is considered one of the Blue-Blazed hiking trails. There are two southern trail heads in the south of the town...
in Natchaug State Forest
Natchaug State Forest
Natchaug State Forest, in Ashford, Connecticut, Chaplin, Connecticut and Eastford, Connecticut is a Connecticut State Forest. It's are part of a larger network of forest lands making up some in all...
in Eastford, Connecticut
Eastford, Connecticut
Eastford is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,618 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
.
For much of its length the Natchaug Trail travels through two Connecticut state forests—the James L. Goodwin State Forest and Natchaug State Forest
Natchaug State Forest
Natchaug State Forest, in Ashford, Connecticut, Chaplin, Connecticut and Eastford, Connecticut is a Connecticut State Forest. It's are part of a larger network of forest lands making up some in all...
as well as the much smaller Nathaniel Lyons Memorial Park. Camping permits may be obtained by backpackers for both state forests.
In addition to the Nipmuck Trail
Nipmuck Trail
The Nipmuck Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail "system" which meanders through of forests in northeast Connecticut. It is maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association and is considered one of the Blue-Blazed hiking trails. There are two southern trail heads in the south of the town...
there are several smaller hiking trails which connect to the Natchaug Trail as well as several park and forest roads and the multi-use Airline State Park
Airline State Park
The Airline State Park is a rail trail located in Connecticut.-History:It follows a rail line that was known as the Air Line. It was conceived as a high speed passenger rail line from Boston to New York City, shaving off the old route...
Linear Trail.
In Natchaug State Forest
Natchaug State Forest
Natchaug State Forest, in Ashford, Connecticut, Chaplin, Connecticut and Eastford, Connecticut is a Connecticut State Forest. It's are part of a larger network of forest lands making up some in all...
the CCC Trail is a historic loop trail which was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
during the Great Depression in the 1930s.
Two of the several trails inside the James L. Goodwin State Forest are connected to the Natchaug Trail have recently been blazed as official CFPA trails. According to signs at the James L. Goodwin State Forest the White Trail is being (or has been) re-blazed as a blue-white trail named the "Pine Acres Lake View Trail". A CFPA blue-orange blazed trail also intersects with the Natchaug Trail during the stretch between Pine Acres Lake and Black Spruce Pond.
Description
The is primarily used for hikingHiking
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...
, backpacking
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
, picnicking, and in the winter, 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.
Portions of the trail are suitable for, and are used for, cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
and geocaching
Geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world....
. Site-specific activities enjoyed along the route include bird watching, hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
(very limited), fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, horseback riding, bouldering
Bouldering
Bouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs over a crash pad so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practiced on large natural boulders or artificial boulders in gyms and outdoor urban areas...
and rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
(limited).
Route
The northern end of the Natchaug Trail connects with the Nipmuck TrailNipmuck Trail
The Nipmuck Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail "system" which meanders through of forests in northeast Connecticut. It is maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association and is considered one of the Blue-Blazed hiking trails. There are two southern trail heads in the south of the town...
1200 feet south of Eastford Road in Ashford, Connecticut in northern Natchaug State Forest. After crossing the unpaved Moon Road, the northern third of the trail generally parallels Bigelow Brook until it merges with the Stones and Stills brooks to become the Natchaug River
Natchaug River
The Natchaug River is a river in Windham and Tolland Counties in Connecticut.The Natchaug River is formed in Eastford, Connecticut at the confluence of Bigelow Brook and the Still River. It then flows to the south, paralleling Connecticut Route 198. The river also runs along the western border...
. For most of the southern two thirds of the trail's length it follows both Connecticut Route 198 and the Natchaug River through the Natchaug and James L. Goodwin State Forests to the southern end at at the James L. Goodwin Conservation Center at the southern end of Pine Acres Lake.
Trail communities
The official Blue-Blazed passes through land located within the following municipalities, from south to north:Hampton, Connecticut
Hampton, Connecticut
Hampton is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,758 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
,
Chaplin, Connecticut
Chaplin, Connecticut
Chaplin is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The town was named for Deacon Benjamin Chaplin, an early settler. The population was 2,305 at the 2010 census.-Points of interest:* The Chaplin Museum is a local historical museum....
,
Ashford, Connecticut
Ashford, Connecticut
President George Washington, returning from his tour of the country in the fall of 1789, was chagrined to be involuntarily abandoned in the village on a Sunday...
,
Eastford, Connecticut
Eastford, Connecticut
Eastford is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,618 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
History and folklore
The Blue-Blazed 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 it did not appear in the 1969 version of the CFPA Connecticut Walk Book and it appears in the 1973 version it would appear to have been created during the 1969-1973 period.
Origin and name
Natchaug is a Nipmuc Native American word meaning "land between the rivers".The name Natchaug is used as a geographical place name throughout Eastern Connecticut and particularly in Tolland and Windham counties in Northeastern Connecticut. It was not the name of a native American tribe or group, but of a particular area in Connecticut.
Today the name Natchaug appears as the name of a trail, river, hospital and state forest.
Historic sites
The Natchaug state forest occupies a portion of the former hunting grounds of the Wabbaquasset Indians between the Bigelow and Still Rivers.The James L. Goodwin State Forest is named for, and occupies land donated by its namesake.
James L. Goodwin was one of the first Yale University School of Forestry graduates and began using modern forest management practices in the northeastern part of Connecticut. He also created and donated the James L. Goodwin Conservation Center to the state to educate the people of Connecticut regarding "general, wildlife and forest conservation."
There are two memorials to Nathaniel Lyon
Nathaniel Lyon
Nathaniel Lyon was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War and is noted for his actions in the state of Missouri at the beginning of the conflict....
, the first Union general to die in the US Civil War
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
along the Natchaug Trail.
Nathaniel Lyon Memorial State Park contains the birthplace of General Lyon, although only the very large fireplace remains.
General Nathaniel Lyon Memorial in General Lyon Cemetery (established 1805) is located in the Phoenixville section of Eastford just north of the northern end of a portion of General Lyon Road overlaps with the Natchaug Trail.
Folklore
There are remains of foundations for stone houses, dams and cisterns along both the Natchaug Trail and CCC side trail.There are several letterboxes cached along both trails including two official State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) letterboxes. One is in Natchaug State Forest on the CCC Trail and the other is in the James L. Goodwin State Forest near Pine Acres Lake close by a three-sided cellar hole where the local legend says that the smell of wood smoke can often still be detected on cold January nights from a long gone chimney.
There is a trail register notebook in a can affixed to the northern end of a foot bridge over Stones Brook on the Natchaug Trail approximately 0.6 mile south of Connecticut Route 44.
Hiking
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...
It is regularly maintained, and is considered easy hiking, with very few sections of rugged and moderately difficult hiking.
Much of the trail is close to public roads. There are camping facilities along the trail in the two state forests. Otherwise camping is generally prohibited in the other areas along the trail. There are nearby commercial camping accommodations available on Connecticut Route 198
Connecticut Route 198
Route 198 is a state highway in northeastern Connecticut, running from Chaplin to the Massachusetts state line in Woodstock.-Route description:...
, in particular the Charlie Brown Campground in Eastford and the Nickerson Park Family Campground in Chaplin (visible on the western bank of the Natchaug River from the CCC side trail).
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.
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.
Almost all of the trail is adjacent to, or is on lands where hunting and the use of firearms are permitted.
Wearing bright orange clothing during the hunting season (Fall through December) is recommended.
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...
- Connecticut Route 198Connecticut Route 198Route 198 is a state highway in northeastern Connecticut, running from Chaplin to the Massachusetts state line in Woodstock.-Route description:...
- Nipmuck TrailNipmuck TrailThe Nipmuck Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail "system" which meanders through of forests in northeast Connecticut. It is maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association and is considered one of the Blue-Blazed hiking trails. There are two southern trail heads in the south of the town...
- Natchaug RiverNatchaug RiverThe Natchaug River is a river in Windham and Tolland Counties in Connecticut.The Natchaug River is formed in Eastford, Connecticut at the confluence of Bigelow Brook and the Still River. It then flows to the south, paralleling Connecticut Route 198. The river also runs along the western border...
- Natchaug State ForestNatchaug State ForestNatchaug State Forest, in Ashford, Connecticut, Chaplin, Connecticut and Eastford, Connecticut is a Connecticut State Forest. It's are part of a larger network of forest lands making up some in all...
- James L. Goodwin State Forest
- List of place names in New England of aboriginal origin
External links
Specific to this trail:Government links:
- Town of Mansfield - Trail Guides
- Town of Mansfield - Schoolhouse Brook Park
- State of Connecticut James L. Goodwin State Forest web page
- State of Connecticut James L. Goodwin State Forest Color Map
- State of Connecticut James L. Goodwin State Forest Black and White Map
- State of Connecticut Natchaug State Forest web page
- State of Connecticut Natchaug State Forest Trail Map
Land and Conservation trusts:
- Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust, Inc.
- Joshua's Tract/Tract Trails Walk Book
- Joshua's Tract/Trust Trail Maps