New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Go take a hike!
CT state parks have reopened following COVID-19
Last summer, many (or most) Connecticut state parks were fully or partially closed due to the pandemic. This summer, however, the majority of parks have reopened to the public, with some COVID-19 regulations in place.
For those who were deprived of hiking, walking, picnicking, or just chilling out amidst the trees and trails over the last year, now is the perfect time to visit. There are typical yet fun outdoor adventures in Connecticut and some experiences that bring people closer to nature while offering something a bit different. We’ve explored some of each of these categories to give outdoor enthusiasts some options.
Fairies, elves, and such
Unknown to most folk around the state, quietly hiding in local forests are fairies and barbarians…at least, that’s the tale that goes along with e-books set on trails in Simsbury. Along one trail there’s even a mysterious crumbling castle once inhabited by elves.
When the pandemic forced Lisa Natcharian to close the physical location of The Storyteller’s Cottage, a venue for themed literary events, writing classes, and mystery rooms in downtown Simsbury, she moved her ideas online and incorporated nature themes.
A self-professed “book nerd,” Natcharian created stories attached to hikes at Great Pond, West Ledge, and Belden Forest and is currently working on one at Heublein Tower historic home and museum.
The stories lead readers on searches for fictional creatures purported to have taken adventures on the trails. An ancient stone wall transforms into a crumbling elfin castle, while wild growing plants transform into medicinal herbs and balms.
The e-books, downloadable on Android and iPhone devices, include instructions for the hikes and photos of various scenes along the trails with imaginary characters superimposed into the shots. The intent, according to Natcharian, is to bring readers into the action.
“You feel like you’re in the story, but you also could make up a little bit,” she said. “This particular blemish on a tree, for example, looks like a spell hit it.”
The hike at Westledge brings hikers down a stone staircase that “descends into the heart of the forest” and past hollowed trees, colorful mushroom patches, and bright moss at the foot of aged thick tree trunks. “Magical plants and flowers” are revealed as the heroine of the story—an apprentice magician named Fiona—seeks out a cure for a dangerous plague “creeping silently through the countryside.”
A means to bring children outside and into literature, the e-books bring families on hikes that aren’t too long so children won’t get tired or bored, Natcharian said.
For the more adventurous, there are stories set within large tracks of land with contiguous trails. Westledge, for example, crosses more than five miles of blue trails that loop to form a hilly and challenging hike. Not all part of the hike in the e-book, the additional trails may not have fairies or elves but following the blue-blazed trail east, past the parking lot at the Master’s School, there’s an overlook and a waterfall. It’s about a five-mile loop up steep terrain before returning to the Westledge parking lot, so be prepared for a long hike, or cheat and leave a second car on the cul-de-sac at North Saddle Ridge, where the trail also picks up near the waterfall.
The e-books and other literary activities Natcharian offers are available at https://www.storytellerscottage.com/ along with directions to the various hikes.
A Glass House and follies in the landscape
Visitors to The Glass House—a National Trust Historic Site built between 1949 and 1995 in New Canaan—can take a meandering walk through the pastoral 49-acre landscape, which includes 14 structures and gardens. According to Christa Carr, communications director, grounds passes allow visitors to tour the site and see the structures within the landscape, including those designed by architect Philip Johnson—The Glass House, the brick house, the studio, painting gallery, Da Monsta, the sculpture gallery, the Monument to Lincoln Kirstein, the entrance gate, and follies in landscape.
A folly, an 18th century invention, according to Carr, is a structure that makes the landscape look bigger but is also “kind of fun.” The pavilion in the pond, for example, was designed in three-quarter scale so it makes everything around it appear bigger.
People will also see sculptures by Donald Judd and Julian Schnabel as they walk through the grounds.
“Everything’s in the landscape,” Carr said.
Because the beautiful landscape is pesticide free, myriad birds and butterflies flutter around the pond.
A 40-foot circular garden being installed by David Hartt in the meadow below The Glass House was inspired by paintings by Charles Ethan Porter, a 19th century African-American artist who was a favorite of Mark Twain. The circular garden will span forty feet and feature an array of flowers, including peonies, chrysanthemums, zinnias, and phlox, which will bloom sequentially to create a variation of height, texture, and color.
Kids under eight are free and can take a scavenger hunt that allows them to look at the buildings in an interesting way.
Grounds passes for the approximately one-hour stroll are available online at the glasshouse.org and should be booked at least a week in advance.
Hiking around the water
Individuals and families who fancy picnicking, hiking, boating, pond fishing, or scuba diving can give Bigelow Hollow State Park, on Route 171 in Union a try.
According to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection [DEEP] website, the Eastern Connecticut park and the adjoining Nipmuck State Forest offer more than 9,000 acres of recreational opportunities, including miles of hiking trails set against the 18-acre Bigelow Pond and the 300-acre Mashapaug Pond.
The trails start near the water and follow it round with various stops to look at the water. Dogs can enjoy swimming at intervals and there are picnic tables set up on the beach near the water for refreshment breaks before heading further into the woods on the approximately six-mile loop back to the parking area. The trail is long and while challenging there aren’t that many steep hills and it’s a good way to pass a few hours. There are grills beside picnic tables for a relaxing cookout after the hike.
There are also three remote backpack shelters and campsite locations accessible only by hiking, so someone who wants an overnight trip and is willing to carry in and carry out gear has that option.
Waterfalls and overlooks
Dean Ravine on Music Mountain Road in Canaan is part of Mohawk Mountain State Park and is a gem. The blue-blazed Mohawk Trail, which stretches 20 miles in Sharon, Cornwall, West Cornwall, and Falls Village, follows the former eastern route of the Appalachian Trail. It crosses the Housatonic River, according to http://mohawktrailct.org/. According to the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, it traverses multiple peaks 1,200 feet or higher in the Litchfield Hills and winds across Mohawk Mountain and Housatonic Meadows State Parks and the Mohawk, Wyantenock and Housatonic State Forests.
Dean Ravine is one of the many stops on the trail. The ravine also has its own parking lot on Music Mountain Road, so a long strenuous hike isn’t a requirement to check it out. From the lot, the trail goes in a couple different directions with varying degrees of intensity. Going right, it crosses the road and an out-andback hike can be taken over fairly easy to navigate terrain. Going left from the lot brings visitors to the waterfall. Cool crystal pools are great for a quick dip, especially if you’ve already hiked to the overlook (described below) and are on the way back to the car. Pups get a kick out of splashing around, too. After the waterfall, the trail continues about a mile or so before following the road for about a quarter mile and then heads up a steep hill toward a ridge, a strenuous hike over rocky terrain, it’s a challenge but the overlook is a mighty reward. There are no loops here, so that means as far as the hike takes you, you’ll have to return in the other direction.