Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor
Encyclopedia
The Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor is located in northeastern Connecticut
and portions of Massachusetts
. It is an area known for its rural character with rolling hills, farmland and classic New England
scenery. This area was designated because it is one of the last remaining stretches of green in the Boston
to Washington, D.C.
heavily urbanized corridor. It contains some of largest unbroken forests in Southern New England.
The Corridor is known for its high concentration of State Parks, State Forests and other reserves such as the Yale Forest and the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary. Of the 600,000 Acres in the Corridor, more than 100,000 are Public/Reserved lands. In fact, the area around Union, CT contains over 40000 acres (161.9 km²) of forest, larger than Acadia National Park
, New England's most visited National Park.
outlined solutions and it led to the creation of the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor in 1994. It was expanded in 1999 to include several communities in Massachusetts..
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...
and portions of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. It is an area known for its rural character with rolling hills, farmland and classic New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
scenery. This area was designated because it is one of the last remaining stretches of green in the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
heavily urbanized corridor. It contains some of largest unbroken forests in Southern New England.
Geography/Overview
The Corridor consists mostly of the Eastern New England Uplift. The rolling hills in the southern part of the Corridor become more rugged in the northern part of the Corridor. The highest elevation is 1315 ft (400.8 m) Burley Hill in Union, CT.The Corridor is known for its high concentration of State Parks, State Forests and other reserves such as the Yale Forest and the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary. Of the 600,000 Acres in the Corridor, more than 100,000 are Public/Reserved lands. In fact, the area around Union, CT contains over 40000 acres (161.9 km²) of forest, larger than Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park is a National Park located in the U.S. state of Maine. It reserves much of Mount Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast...
, New England's most visited National Park.
History
Beginning in the 1980s, developmental pressures pushed citizens into creating organizations to protect lands, especially farmland from development. A report in 1988 by the National Park ServiceNational Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
outlined solutions and it led to the creation of the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor in 1994. It was expanded in 1999 to include several communities in Massachusetts..
Unique features
- Boston HollowBoston HollowBoston Hollow is a deep ravine in Ashford, Connecticut. It is a unique location in several ways. In geological terms it is an ancient fault in the Avalonian bedrock of the eastern highlands of Connecticut...
- Bigelow Hollow State ParkBigelow Hollow State ParkBigelow Hollow State Park, in Union, Connecticut is a Connecticut state park surrounded by Nipmuck State Forest, and bordering Mashapaug Lake. There are picnic benches, beaches, and a boat launch, plus miles of hiking trails. This picture of Bigelow Pond is the first body of water you would see...
- One of the largest unbroken forests in Southern New England
- Pachaug-Great Meadow Swamp.
Recreation Opportunities
- Airline State ParkAirline State ParkThe 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...
Trail - Beaver Brook State Park, Windham, CT
- Bigelow Hollow State ParkBigelow Hollow State ParkBigelow Hollow State Park, in Union, Connecticut is a Connecticut state park surrounded by Nipmuck State Forest, and bordering Mashapaug Lake. There are picnic benches, beaches, and a boat launch, plus miles of hiking trails. This picture of Bigelow Pond is the first body of water you would see...
, Union, CT - Brimfield State ForestBrimfield State ForestBrimfield State Forest is a Massachusetts state forest located in near the town of Brimfield in Hampden County, Massachusetts. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.-Description:...
, Brimfield, MA - Buffumville LakeBuffumville LakeBuffumville Lake is a , capacity United States Army Corps of Engineers flood control lake project located in Charlton, Massachusetts. The lake and surrounding grounds are open to the public for hiking, boating, fishing, and hunting. A 27-hole frisbee golf course is located next to the lake...
, Oxford, MA - East Brimfield LakeEast Brimfield DamThe East Brimfield Dam is located on the Quinebaug River in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, approximately southwest of Worcester, Massachusetts.Designed and constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, this dam substantially reduces flooding along the Quinebaug and Thames rivers...
, Sturbridge, MA - James L. Goodwin State Forest, Hampton, CT
- Hodges Village DamHodges Village DamHodges Village Dam, a United States Army Corps of Engineers flood control project on the French River in Oxford, Massachusetts was built in 1959 as a response to the 1936 floods which took lives and caused tremendous property damage in the Thames River basin of Connecticut. The surrounding lands...
, Oxford, MA - Hopeville Pond State Park, Griswold, CT
- Killingly Pond State Park, Killingly, CT
- Mansfield Hollow Lake, Mansfield, CT
- Mansfield Hollow State Park, Mansfield, CT
- Mashamoquet Brook State Park, Abington, CT
- Mohegan State Forest, Scotland, CT
- Mooween State Park, Lebanon, CT
- Mountain Laurel Sanctuary, Union, CT
- 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...
, Eastford, CT - Nathan Hale State Forest, Coventry, CT
- Nipmuck State ForestNipmuck State ForestNipmuck State Forest, in Union, Connecticut is a Connecticut State Forest. Its surrounds Bigelow Hollow State Park and includes parcels in Stafford and Ashford. The forest is part of a larger network of forest lands making up some in all....
, Union, CT - Norcross Wildlife Refuge, Wales/Holland, MA
- Old Furnace State Park, Killingly, CT
- 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...
, Sterling, Voluntown, Griswold and Plainfield, CT - Pomeroy State Park, Lebanon, CT
- Quaddick State Park, Thompson, CT
- Quinebaug Lake State Park, Killingly, CT
- Ross Pond State Park, Killingly, CT
- Streeter Point Recreation AreaEast Brimfield DamThe East Brimfield Dam is located on the Quinebaug River in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, approximately southwest of Worcester, Massachusetts.Designed and constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, this dam substantially reduces flooding along the Quinebaug and Thames rivers...
, Sturbridge, MA - Yale Forest, Union, CT
- Wells State ParkWells State Park (Massachusetts)Wells State Park, is a state park located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The park, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, features a campground, swimming beach, trails, and picnic areas. Wells State Park is located off Massachusetts Route 49...
, Sturbridge, MA - West Thompson Lake, Thompson, CT
- Westville LakeWestville DamThe Westville Dam is located on the Quinebaug River in Southbridge, Massachusetts, about west of the center of town and southwest of Worcester, Massachusetts....
, Sturbridge, MA
External links
- Official site: The Last Greenmile, Inc
- Tourism site: The Last Green Valley Tourism