Shenipsit State Forest is a Connecticut State Forest and is located in northeastern 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...

 with parcels scattered between Somers, Ellington and Stafford along with its headquarters there. The forest is popular with hikers

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...

 and mountain biking

Mountain biking

Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...

 enthusiast and is an active forest in terms of timber harvesting. Nearby attractions are Shenipsit Lake

Shenipsit Lake

Shenipsit Lake , known locally as "The Snip", is a natural lake used as a water storage facility with a water size of located in Tolland County, Connecticut, bordering the towns of Ellington, Tolland and the Rockville section of Vernon, Connecticut, at...

 and Shenipsit Trail

Shenipsit Trail

The Shenipsit Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail located in Central Connecticut between 3.5 and 7 miles east of the Connecticut River. It runs 41 miles in a north-south direction. The southern trailhead is on Gadpouch Road in Cobalt, CT on the southern end of the Meshomasic State Forest...

.

Geography

The forest is located mainly within the Eastern New England Uplift and contains tracts along the eastern edge of the Connecticut River Valley. The highest point wholly within the state forest is Soapstone Mountain at 1,075', but the Town of Somers owns adjacent land that includes the 1,121' summit of Bald Mountain, the highest point along the eastern edge of Connecticut River Valley from Long Island Sound

Long Island Sound

Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...

 to the Vermont

Vermont

Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

 border.

The terrain rises up to 800' from the surrounding Connecticut River Valley, though most mountains and hills rise 3-500' from the surrounding terrain elsewhere in the forest. The forest floor is scattered with boulders and large rocks from the last ice age.

Unique features

Bald Mountain, the highest point along in the Connecticut River Valley from Long Island Sound to the Vermont border is adjacent to the State Forest in Somers.

Soapstone Mountain used to be the site of a Soapstone

Soapstone

Soapstone is a metamorphic rock, a talc-schist. It is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich in magnesium. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occurs in the areas where tectonic plates are subducted, changing rocks by heat and pressure, with influx...

 quarry in Colonial days.

The Forests' headquarters are also home to the Eastern Civilian Conservation Corps Museum. The museum houses memorabilia from CCC

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...

 camps throughout the Eastern United States.

Recreation opportunities

Soapstone Mountain features an auto road and numerous hiking trails that can be used for hiking, mountain biking or equestrian travel. The area is known for it varied terrain with wonderful vistas for novices and challenging terrain for experienced hikers/riders. The summit also has the only lookout tower in northeastern Connecticut. The Shenipsit Trail

Shenipsit Trail

The Shenipsit Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail located in Central Connecticut between 3.5 and 7 miles east of the Connecticut River. It runs 41 miles in a north-south direction. The southern trailhead is on Gadpouch Road in Cobalt, CT on the southern end of the Meshomasic State Forest...

, which runs over 40 miles from East Hampton to Somers

Somers, Connecticut

Somers is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, USA. The population was 10,417 at the 2000 census. The town center is listed by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place...

, passes through the Shenipsit State Forest and passes over the summit of Soapstone Mountain.

Camping is not allowed in this forest, though several commercial campgrounds are available in the area.

External links

• Official site: Map of the main recreation area of the forest
• Trail information: Some Trail Reviews