News
Mohawk Mountain, the largest (by vertical drop and skiable acres) and oldest ski area in Connecticut, will open on Friday, December 6th, 2024.
“We can’t wait to see you this weekend!!” the ski area wrote in a social media post.
Last winter, Mohawk Mountain first opened on December 2nd with two trails and two lifts.
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With the dissolution of Windsor Land Trust (WLT) this month, Traprock Ridge Land Conservancy (TRLC) will be continuing conservation efforts in Windsor. TRLC was formed in April 2023 by the merger of West Hartford, East Granby and Wintonbury (Bloomfield) Land Trusts. All were nonprofits led by volunteers, sharing a common goal of conserving the natural environment.
Windsor Land Trust becoming a part of TRLC expands Windsor’s resources and scope as part of a larger organization capable of regional land conservation and protection for future generations. Windsor Land Trust Trustee, Jim Kandik, has joined the TRLC Board of Directors to carry WLT’s voice into the expanded organization.
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Railroads and canals both played huge roles in Connecticut’s early economic development. Today those corridors serve as trails for bicyclists, walkers, equestrians and others seeking quality time outdoors. Many are heavily wooded, creating shade on hot summer days and colorful displays in the fall.
They also provide alternative transportation opportunities for commuters in the Constitution State’s largest cities. Long-distance travelers will find 98 trail miles of the 3,000-mile-long East Coast Greenway within the state’s borders, as well as segments of the New England Rail-Trail Network.
Historic Keney Park has been undergoing improvements large and small over the last decade, and though its latest upgrade may not be major, those involved with the effort to reclaim the nature trail hope it has a big impact on visitors.
The newly reopened nature trail — a 1.9-mile paved path that begins and ends at the 693-acre park's pond house — has been cleared out, with 40 educational posts pointing out the park's flora and fauna.
In addition, 10 mental health stations have been placed along the trail, each with work from local artists, mindful messages, and QR codes to further enhance the experience.
Last week, the State Bond Commission approved $30 million in funding to go toward improving our state parks and forests. The funding will support much-needed infrastructure repairs and renovations across Connecticut’s 110 state parks and 32 state forests, ensuring a better experience for everyone who wants to spend time outside.
$3 million of that investment will fund urgent repairs at state parks that were damaged in historic floods in August. The storm caused significant damage to:
Larkin Trail State Park (Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oxford, Southbury)
Kettletown State Park (Southbury)
Southford Falls State Park (Southbury)
This funding supports the Restore CT State Parks initiative, which is an historic effort by the Lamont administration and the state legislature to address the backlog of needed repairs. Since 2022, the state has committed more than $70 million of American Rescue Plan Act and state bond funds to support investment in outdoor recreation.
Improving our parks and forests will benefit everyone.. Access to parks promotes physical fitness by providing opportunities for hiking, biking, jogging, and so much more. The outdoors also helps to improve mental health by reducing stress and anxiety. Additionally, parks provide recreational spaces where families can come together. Ultimately, this investment will increase the quality of life while preserving Connecticut’s natural beauty.
Click here to read more about the Restore CT State Parks Initiative.
The 28th annual National Walk & Roll to School Day is on October 9, 2024!
Whether addressing the need to make routes to school safer for active trips or encouraging children to be more active, these events can be powerful tools to inspire lasting change. Of course, they are also lots of fun!
As of today, 23 schools across Connecticut have registered their event on the national Walk, Bike, & Roll To School website. These events provide an opportunity to advocate for and evaluate pedestrian safety surrounding Connecticut’s schools while encouraging students to be more active during their school commute.
Register an event here: https://www.walkbiketoschool.org/registration/
Plans to turn the long-restricted Manresa Island in Norwalk into a 125-acre public park, beach and nature center represent a massive gain not just for Connecticut, but for the entire Northeast, speakers said at a news conference announcing a blockbuster philanthropic project that’s anticipated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
The residential development would have had a couple trails open to the public, but the McChords’ plan is to make all of the property open — including its 1.7 miles of shoreline.
“In a state that has only 27% of our shoreline available for public access, unlocking these (nearly) 2 miles for public access in this densely populated area is going to be absolutely transformative in advancing our mission of outdoor recreation, outdoor access,” said Commissioner Katie Dykes of the department of energy and environmental protection.
On the long-running campaign to complete a New Haven to Northampton rail trail, advocates made progress this summer when the final long stretch in Southington was opened to riders, pedestrians, skateboarders and other users.
Running from Lazy Lane to Aircraft Road, the new 1.27-mile section leaves less than a mile to finish before the trail’s southern end reaches the Plainville line.
But from there, the next steps will be especially hard: Less than a mile north of Aircraft Road, abandoned and rusting railroad tracks give way to the southern end of the still-active Pan Am Railways freight line.
The biggest appeal is that like rail trails across the country, the route is separated from streets and roads except for the occasional crossing. Users don’t have cars and trucks passing alongside them, and motorists aren’t slowed by lines of cyclists or pedestrians.
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Most seasoned hikers in the United States wouldn’t put Connecticut at the top of any list. The state’s highest point — the southern slope of Mount Frissell, which sits on the Massachusetts-Connecticut border — is dwarfed by taller, more majestic peaks elsewhere around the nation. At only 2,380 feet, the highest point is shorter than those in 36 other states.
But to Stevens, what Connecticut’s hiking scene lacks in height and sweeping views, it makes up for in other small joys.
Stevens’ love for the state’s outdoors is so pronounced that she’s racked up more than 800 miles of hiking in Connecticut over the past couple of decades. She’s one of about 20 state residents who can boast that accomplishment, according to the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, which tracks hikers’ miles through its official blue-blazed trails challenge.
CFPA’s blue-blazed trails are unique because they’re “recreational arteries” that connect different parts of the state, according to Clare Cain, the organization’s trails director. While other trails may stick to a single area in the state, CFPA’s aim is to take hikers across long distances to explore a variety of natural spaces within Connecticut’s borders.
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Outdoor enthusiast and editor of many publications, check out more of Peter Marteka’s suggested summer hikes. Have fun out there:
Views, chimneys and traprock ridges. Click here to read the entire article.
