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 of Mansfield, Connecticut. The southwestern terminus is at a road shoulder parking place on Puddin Lane, and the southeastern terminus is a Connecticut [Department of Energy and Environmental Protection|DEEP] parking lot on North Windham Road at the southeast corner of Mansfield [Hollow State Park]. The northern terminus is at the north end of Breakneck Pond along the Massachusetts border in Nipmuck State Forest. Camping permits may be obtained for up to five separate locations for backpacking.
For the Nipmuck Trail travels through the Yale-Myers Forest which is owned by Yale University. The trail also traverses of the University of Connecticut's East Campus. For about 6 miles, the trail follows the Fenton River from the University of Connecticut to Mansfield Hollow State Park.

Trail description

The Nipmuck Trail is primarily used for hiking, backpacking, picnicking, and in the winter, snowshoeing.
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, fishing, horseback riding, bouldering and rock climbing.
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 Association

Historic sites

There is a historic gristmill near the trail in Storrs, Connecticut. Across from this is the house where Wilbur Cross was born. A segment of the trail in Ashford follows the Old [Connecticut Path], a former Native Americans in [the United States|Native American] trail connecting the Boston area with the Connecticut River Valley.

History

The Blue-Blazed Nipmuck Trail was created by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association.

Maintenance

The last week of March 2010 the Connecticut Forest and Park Association acquired the largest conservation easement in an agreement with the University of Connecticut for the section of the Nipmuck Trail which passes through University of Connecticut protected property. Also on that date a number of conveyances between the University of Connecticut, CFPA, the Norcross Wildlife Foundation and the towns of Willington and Mansfield secured the preservation of of land on four forested properties near or surrounding the Nipmuck Trail.