Exploring New England's Parks: Connecticut
Journey with us as we explore all of Connecticut's areas associated with the National Park System! We've been doing a round-up of all NPS units in New England in honor of National Park Week - be sure to check out what Maine, New Hampshire & Vermont have to offer too!
Connecticut:
Appalachian National scenic trail
(CT,GA,MA,MD,ME,NC,NH,NJ,NY,PA,TN,VA,VT,WV)
The AT meanders through the northwestern corner of Connecticut. Views can be described as pastoral, with The Housatonic River Valley to the east and the Taconic Range to the west offering scenic views. The Appalachian Trail includes just over 51 miles of hiking in CT.
The Appalachian Trail is a 2,185 mile long public footpath extending between Spring Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. The trail passes through 14 states and is one of three trails that make up America's Triple Crown of long-distance hiking.
Weir Farm National Historic Site
located in Ridgefield and Wilton, Connecticut, Weir Farm is a historic site that honors the work of American impressionist painter Julian Alden Weir, as well as other artists who resided at or stayed at the farm, including; Childe Hassam, Albert Pinkham Ryder, John Singer Sargent, and John Twachtman. In 1882, Weir left New York for the family summer retreat - which he and his family transformed into a creative refuge for friends and artists. Weir Farm National Historic Site is one of two historic sites that is devoted to the visual arts - the other being Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in New Hampshire.
Washington–Rochambeau National Historic Trail
(MA,RI,CT,NY,NJ,PA,DE,MD,VA,DC)
Designated a National Historic Trail in 2009, the Washington-Rochambeau Trail (or Revolutionary Route), is a 680-mile-long series of roads used by the Continental Army and the Expédition Particulière under the command of George Washington and Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau during the march from Newport, Rhode Island, to Yorktown, Virginia in 1781. The trail covered many familiar routes in CT's modern landscape, including Route 14 & 14A.
New England National Scenic Trail
(MA, CT)
The New England National Scenic Trail is a 215-mile-long trail running from Long Island Sound in Guilford, CT to Massachusetts & New Hampshire border. The trail includes most of the three single trails Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, Mattabesett Trail and Metacomet Trail. Though coming to an end at the MA/NH border, future talks to extend the trail to the summit of Mount Monadnock in NH are being strongly encouraged.
Quinebaug & Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor
The Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor was created in 1994 in an effort to stop the development of protected lands and farmland. Consisting mostly of forested land, the corridor extends from northeastern Connecticut and into portions of Massachusetts. The corridor contains some of the largest "unbroken forests in Southern New England" and is "one of the last remaining stretches of green in the Boston to Washington, D.C. heavily urbanized corridor" (source).
