CT Insider: Keney Park's Nature Trail Gets Upgrades

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.

Click here to read the entire article.

State Bond Commission: $30 Million for CT State Parks

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.

October 9: Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day

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/

Hartford Courant: Absolutely dazzling’ gift: Billionaire couple buying CT island for 125-acre shoreline public park

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.

Click here to read the entire article.

Hartford Courant: CT’s longest rail trail nearing completion but faces two major obstacles

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.

Click here to read the entire article.

CT Mirror: The CT hikers who have racked up 800+ miles on blue-blazed trails

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. 

Click here to read the entire article.

Exploring Life: Along the Metacomet Trail in Simsbury and Bloomfield

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.

Exploring Life: Summer Hikes

Outdoor enthusiast and editor of many publications, check out Peter Marteka’s suggested summer hikes. Have fun out there:

South Meadows River Trail in East Hartford, Glastonbury, and Wethersfield. “With the completion of a new multiuser path to the Putnam Bridge, the South Meadows River Trail just got more expansive. The hike is a combination of paved trails and dirt and stone dust paths along the banks of the Connecticut River.”

Nod Way Trails, Avon. “If you really want to explore Talcott Mountain State Park, check out the Avon Land Trust’s Nod Way Trails that take you along the valley of Talcott Mountain through forest lined with paths lined with ferns. One cool stop, the site of monument rocks, is Tinker’s Midden, where you will find discarded cookware and other artifacts from the 19th century.”

Rand’s View, Salisbury. “A journey along the Appalachian Trail from Great Falls to Rand’s View will bring you to arguably the best view in Connecticut — the “Niagara Falls of New England.” The hike to the top of the 1,475-foot-high Mount Prospect is a constant climb with an overlook and beautiful view.”

Farmington history hikes: a lost zoo and ghostly canal as well as Shade Swamp, Click here to read the entire article.

Press Release: Governor Lamont Announces $10 Million in State Grants for Recreational Trails Across Connecticut

Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes today announced the release of a series of grants totaling $10 million that will support the planning, building, expansion, and improvement of 45 multi-use trails located in towns and cities throughout Connecticut.

The grants are being awarded through Connecticut Recreational Trails Grant Program, which is administered by DEEP. Funds to support the grants were approved by the State Bond Commission at its October 2023 meeting. Governor Lamont serves as chair of the commission. Click here to read the entire press release.

Hartford Courant: CT trails voted among best Memorial Day destinations for families

…A pair of locations did make the list, according to the survey.

First up… Savin Rock Trail in West Haven, which came in at 118th. The trail offers beautiful views of Long Island Sound with an easy walk complimented by beaches and playgrounds, per the survey.

Silver Sands State Park in Milford also made the list at 121st thanks to its boardwalk, sandy beach, and tidal pools, per the survey. Its flat terrain is good for strollers and those with mobility issues, too. Click here to read the entire article.