Connecticut Explorer's Guide Home

Warning: Participating in outdoor adventure activities requires technical skill, sound judgement, safe environmental conditions, and proper and well maintained equipment. The maps and resources found in this guide are not to replace ability or judgement. In-depth guide books can often be found with more exhaustive details especially regarding safety concerns, difficulty and technical skill. Even though we strive to bring you the most up to date and complete maps available, the actual conditions in those areas may change due to any reason including, but not limited to storms, fire, trail maintenance, land sale or other unexpected event. Use caution and be careful.

There are just over 700 miles of "Blue-Blazed" hiking trails maintained by the CFPA (Connecticut Forest and Park Association) and every mile is supposed to be foot travel only. This includes the long distance Metacomet and Mattabesett Trails which run south to north directly in the center of the state. These two trails are about to become a National Historic Trail (reported to be named the New England National Scenic Trail) which could rival the Appalachian Trail as Connecticut's most popular. The portion of the Appalachian Trail that runs through Connecticut is not officially a part of the Blue-Blazed Trail system because the Appalachian Mountain Club is the designated steward. Even though purists argue that the Appalachian Trail deviates from the Appalachian Mountains to detour east into Connecticut, nobody can argue the scenic splendor and genuine rugged feel of the present route. There are several other lesser known long-distance Blue-Blazed Trails within Connecticut includeing the Shenipsit, Tunxis, Mattatuck, Mohawk, Nipmunk, Natchaug, Pachaug, and Narragansett trails. A scattered group of shorter trails also exist within the Blue Blazed trail network including the Cockaponset Trail, Chatfield Trail, Zoar Trail, Regicides Trail, Stony Creek Trail, Nayantaquit Trail, Pequot Trail, Old Furnace Trail, Bigelow Hollow Trail, Waterbury Area Trail, Mattatuck Trail, Housatonic Range Trail, Sunny Valley Trail, Lillinonah Trail, Paugussett Trail, Naugatuck Trail, Torrington Trail, McLean Trail, Falls Brook Trail, American Legion Trail, Case Mountain Trail, Risley Pond Trail, Gay City Trail, Ragged Mountain Trail, and Macedonia Trail. These Blue-Blazed trails are not the last word on hiking in Connecticut. For example, there are dozens of state parks with extensive trails; a few of the best are Sleeping giant State Park trails, Chatfield Hollow State Park trails, and Macedonia Brook State Park trails. The state forest system is notorious for conceiling hundreds upon hundreds of miles of unmapped trails. Cockaponset State Forest holds well over 100 miles of trails even though the official state map details just 20 miles of trails. There are some state forest areas that do not have any public trail maps available, even though there are tons of trails within. All told, there are probobly well over 2000 miles of hiking trails within Connecticut. For more information, please see the Connecticut Walk Book East and the hiking trail resources below.

As mentioned above, Connecticut's State Parks and State Forests have hundreds of miles of hiking trails. For the most part, the State Parks' trails are well documented, but many of the State Forests' trails are not detailed on public maps. This lack of communication is intentional to prevent recreational areas from developing within sections of forest slated for harvesting lumber. Even though the state does not release this type of trail data, Connecticut Explorer's Guide does. There could be over 500 miles of hidden trails throughout Connecticut State Forests. In the example above, Cockaponset State Forests' public hiking trail map details only about 20 miles of trails, but CTXGuide.com has over 100 miles of trails documented. Some of the most popular State Parks include Macedonia Brook, Hammonasett, Chatfield Hollow, and Sleeping Giant.

The greatest variety of hiking trails and properties are within the multitudes of small public preserves and privately owned land trusts. There are hundreds of miles of trails locked up in difficult to find areas throughout Connecticut. Until recently, most of these hiking trails have been unmapped and unpublicised, but the onset of the internet has helped to get the word out. Now, there are dozens of land trust organizations and small public preserve operators posting hiking maps of trails on the internet and many of these have been indexed by CTXGuide.

With it's varied scenic locations, Connecticut has multitudes of campgrounds. Located between Boston and New York City, Connecticut has become a favorite camping area on the gateway to New England. At first, campers stayed in Connecticut while on longer journeys, but as most people have come to realize, Connecticut is a gem of a state worth exploring as a destination instead of a layover. Even though most of the campgrounds are located along the I-395 corridor, most of the scenic areas are to the west. Hammonasett State Park boasts the state's largest beach and most sought after campground while Macedonia Brook State Park has one of the state's only campgrounds within a mountainous region. There are a great variety of outdoor activities to pursue while in Connecticut - such as kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, letter boxing, swimming, fishing, and cycling.

The Connecticut DEP operates 14 campgrounds between it's State Parks and State Forests, but with none represented along the panhandle or along the Connecticut River valley (except for 3 water access camping areas). Two campgrounds, Hammonasett and Rocky Neck are beach campgrounds located adjacent to I-95. Salt Rock, Hopeville Pond, and Mashamoquet campgrounds are along I-395 with Pachaug and Natchaug campgrounds a bit further from the highway. I-84 has two campgrounds, Black Rock and Kettletown, along it's western end while four campgrounds( American Legion, Lake Waramaug, Housatonic Meadows, and Macedonia Brook) are located within the western hills area.

There are over 40 privately owned campgrounds within Connecticut. Of these, there are about 35 campgrounds located east of the Connecticut River. The only campground located in close proximity to the Connecticut River Valley is Wolf's Den Campground and there are no campgrounds west of New Haven along I-95. Several campgrounds are long-term rentals, time-shares, or members-only while others offer traditional RV/tent camping experiences. Be sure to call ahead before arrival to determine eligability and to arrange for reservations (especially near holidays). The many youth summer camps are a great resource for family camping in the summer or group camping in the off-season. Some camps may even offer cabins for what a night of tent camping would cost elsewhere as well as fun and exciting activities such as a high ropes course.

There are many of miles of whitewater canoe & kayaking routes throughout Connecticut. Ranging from expert-only Class V to Class I that is appropriate for tubing, Connecticut's whitewater rivers and streams are ideal for all whitewater kayaking adventures. The most popular run for tubing is along the Farmington River from mid-July through early September. The best whitewater kayaking can be found from March through June when the rivers run high from rain and snow melt. The following rivers offer the most challenging Class IV-V rapids for expert kayakers: the Housatonic River (between Kent and Gaylordsville), Natchaug River, and Sandy Brook. Class II-III rapids for intermediate kayakers can be found along these runs: Ten Mile River, Shepaug River, Yantic River, the farmington River (near Tarrifville Park), Bantam River, Salmon River, and Jeremy River. The Class I-II rapids for beginner whitewater kayakers or tubing can be found along these waterways: the Farmington River, Coginchaug River, Mount Hope River, Bigelow Brook, Nepaug River, Hockanum River, Blackledge River, and Eight Mile River.

Connecticut has a very rich sea kayaking coastline. Since Long Island Sound is protected from open-water waves, it makes a perfect place for beginners. Experts will find the beutiful islands and rocks appealing and a cross-sound trek should only be attempted by experienced kayakers. Even though there are hundreds of places to start a sea kayaking excursion along Connecticut's shoreline, the following areas are among the most popular sea kayaking spots: Thimble Islands, Great Island, Norwalk Islands, Fisher's island, and Falkner Island.

Connecticut is rich with entertaining geologic texture which began millions of years ago. Nearly 50 miles of cliff-faced "Traprock Ridges" were formed by volcanic activity, the slow buckling of the land, and glaciation. The meriad of granite outcroppings throughout the Connecticut River valley are a combination of glacial plowing and morains.
The combination of high rock walls reaching taller than 300 feet in some locations and hundreds of smaller granite outcroppings have created a rock climber's paradise for the few in the know. The rocks and walls have been climbed since prehistoric times, but Connecticut was quickly discovered as a special place back in the early part of the 1900's when sport rock climbing became popular in the USA. At that time, the technology and skill-sets were primitive leaving the most difficult climbs untouched, but with contemporary technology and skills, nearly all of the cliffs have been established with routes.

Connecticut has over 500 miles of mountain biking trails. Lacking are the big mountain biking downhills of California and Vermont, but Connecticut does have some of the best technical riding anywhere. Those mountain bikers that ride the rambles of Chatfield Hollow know what it means to be an expert technical XC rider with the many rocks, roots, and quick turns. The free-ride stunt-happy mountain biking crowd gets big air and vertical rollers on the trails at Nepaug and can spend an entire day hitting new elements. On the other side of the coin, the Airline State Park Mountain Bike Trail is a meca for families and training athletes along it's gravel rail-trail grade and the State Forests have miles and miles of dirt and gravel access roads perfect for long scenic mountain biking rides. With over 100 miles of trails, Cockaponset State Forest has the most documented mountain biking trails in the state with options for all abilities from beginner to expert mountain biker. For those interested in the racing scene, Root 66 operates mostly XC style mountain biking races while Genesis Adventures operates adventure races which always offer large mountain biking segments. Those looking to enter the inner-circle of the mountain biking community turn to Crankfire.com with it's GPS friendly downloads and close to 1000 users organizing dozens of rides each week. An older mountain biking community, Bikerag.com offers a greater variety of trail maps and information while CTXGuide.com offers the most comprehensive trail information for Cockaponset State Forest and Chatfield Hollow. The primary mountain biking trail advocacy group in Connecticut is CT NEMBA which organizes trail crews and lobbies for more access.

Connecticut has a strong road cycling tradition with hundreds and hundreds of miles of traditional road cycling routes throughout the state. With a scenic shoreline, there are dozens of road cycling routes within view of Long Island Sound. The interior of Connecticut has dozens of scenic country lanes that are road cycling routes as well. With nearly 50 miles of cliff-faced "traprock ridges", the central part of the state boasts some of the most spectacular road cycling within Connecticut. The Litchfield Hills area in the north-western corner has mountainous terrain perfect for those road cycling fanatics looking for a great physical challenge. Road cycling clubs and groups meet more often on Sunday mornings than at any other time. If new to the area, taking up a road cycling excursion on a Sunday morning is the best time to meet other road cycling enthusiasts. Connecticut Explorer's Guide offers hundreds of miles of road cycling routes mapped-out online for your road cycling enjoyment.

-- It covers, in detail, the rich climbing history including the political battles being fought over rock climbing and detailed route descriptions. This is a must-have if climbing anywhere in Connecticut. Another important resource is CTXGuide which has many of the rock climbing areas within Connecticut mapped out for easy navigation to and from the cliffs. Last, but not least, is the Connecticut Climber's website which is a club for local climbers and mountaineers and can be found by clicking Resources and Information above. If interested in preserving local climbs within Connecticut, check out the Ragged Mountain Foundation website under resources and information.

For those based out of Hartford, you will find rich outdoor adventure venues ( hiking, mountain biking, road cycling, canoe & kayaking, and rock climbing ) just minutes away from the city center. Search through this site to find: the long distance Metacomet hiking trail, Nassahegan and Massacoe State Forests, Talcott Mountain and Dinosaur State Parks, Windsor and Farmington road cycling routes, West Hartford Reservoir recreation area, rock climbing along Pinnacle Rock, Rattlesnake Mountain and Deer Cliff, and canoeing and kayaking along the Connecticut River, Hockanum River, Farmington River, Batterson Park Pond, and Barber Pond.

For those based out of the northwest corner of Connecticut including Danbury, Litchfield and Torrington, you will find these outdoor adventure venues: the Appalachian Trail, Tunxis Trail, and Mattatuck Trail; Housatonic, Mohawk, Wyantenock, Paugnut, Mattatuck, Algonquin, Tunxis, American Legion, Peoples, and Nepaug State Forests; Campbell Falls, Haystack Mountain, Dennis Hill, Burr Pond, Kent Falls, Macedonia Brook, Mount Tom, Black Rock, Squanz Pond, Southford Falls, and Kettletown State Parks; rock climbing along Saint John's Ledges, Orenaug Rock, Diamond Ledge, Beech Rock, and Whitestone; canoeing and kayaking along the Housatonic River, Sandy Brook, Farmington River, Nepaug River, Ten Mile River, and a myriad of lakes and ponds including Twin Lakes, Mudge Pond, Lake Candlewood, and Lake McDonough; and road cycling routes near Kent, Litchfield, Washington, Canaan, Burlington, and New Hartford.

For those based in Middlesex County between Middletown and Old Saybrook, including Essex and Killingworth, you will find a ton of outdoor adventure venues. There is a ton of hiking in this area including the long distance Mattabesett Trail; Cockaponset State Forest, Chatfield Hollow, Wadsworth Falls, Hammonasset Beach, Hurd and and Gilette Castle State Parks; rock climbing along Lamentation Mountain, Seven Falls, Bear Rock, Chatfield Hollow, and Pine Ledge; canoeing and kayaking along the Connecticut River, Coginchaug River, Hamonasset River, East River, Great Island, the Thimble Islands and a myriad of lakes and ponds; and road cycling along the Connecticut River valley-shore area.

For those based out of the New Haven, Connecticut area there are the following outdoor adventure venues ( hiking, rock climbing, canoe & kayaking, road cycling, and mountain biking ): the long distance Quinnipiac Trail and Regicides Trail; Naugatuck State Forest, Sleeping Giant, West Rock Ridge, Indian Well, Osbornedale, and Silver Sands State Parks; rock climbing along Sleeping Giant and West Rock Ridge; canoeing and kayaking along the Quinnipiac River, Thimble Islands and a myriad of lakes and ponds; and road cycling just north of the city around Wallingfrod.

For those based north of the shoreline and east of the Connecticut River, there are the following outdoor adventure venues ( hiking, mountain biking, canoe & kayaking, rock climbing, road cycling ): the long distance Shenipsit, Nipmuck, Natchaug, Airline, Hop River, and Pachaug Trails; the Shenipsit, Nipmuck, NYE-Holman, Natchaug, James Goodwin, Quaddick; Nathan Hale; Mohegan; Meshomasic, Salmon River; and Pachaug State Forests; Bigelow Hollow, Quaddick, Mansfield Hollow, Gay City, Hopeville Pond, Day Pond, Mashamoquet Brook, and Devil's Hopyard State Parks; rock climbing and bouldering along Old Furnace State Park and Joshua's Conservation; canoeing and kayaking along the Willimantic River, Mount Hope River, Natchaug River, Hop River, Shetucket River, Yantic River, Jeremy River, Salmon River, Blackledge River, Eightmile River, and a myriad of lakes and ponds; and road cycling around Storrs.