The Nipmuck Trail is a '' Blue-Blazed''

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

trail system which meanders through of forests in northeast

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

. It is maintained by the

Connecticut Forest and Park Association The Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA), established in 1895, is the oldest private, nonprofit conservation organization in Connecticut. The organization is credited as an important early pioneer of the national land conservation move ...

and is considered one of the Blue-Blazed hiking trails. There are two southern trail heads (two tines of a fork) in the south of the town of

Mansfield, Connecticut Mansfield ( ) is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population was 25,892 at the 2020 census. Pequot and Mohegan people lived in this region for centuries before the arri ...

. The southwestern terminus is at a road shoulder parking place on Puddin Lane, and the southeastern terminus is a

DEEP Deep or The Deep may refer to: Places United States * Deep Creek (Appomattox River tributary), Virginia * Deep Creek (Great Salt Lake), Idaho and Utah * Deep Creek (Mahantango Creek tributary), Pennsylvania * Deep Creek (Mojave River tributary ...

parking lot on North Windham Road at the southeast corner of

Mansfield Hollow State Park Mansfield Hollow State Park is a public recreation area occupying of leased lands on the western shore of Mansfield Hollow Lake in the New England town, town of Mansfield, Connecticut, Mansfield, Connecticut. The state park is one portion of t ...

. The northern terminus is at the north end of Breakneck Pond along the

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

border in Nipmuck State Forest. Camping permits may be obtained for up to five separate locations for backpacking. For the Nipmuck Trail travels through the

Yale-Myers Forest The Yale-Myers Forest is a 7,840-acre (32 km2) forest in Northeastern Connecticut owned by Yale University and administered by the Yale School of the Environment. Located in the towns of Union, Ashford, Eastford, and Woodstock, the fo ...

which is owned by

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

. The trail also traverses of the University of Connecticut's East Campus (the protected Moss tract through the Fenton Forest). For about 6 miles, the trail follows the

Fenton River 300px, Fenton River along the Nipmuck Trail just north of CT Route 44 (UConn Forest) The Fenton River runs through Mansfield, Storrs, and Willington, as well as small parts of Windham, all but the latter in Tolland County, Connecticut span ...

from the University of Connecticut to Mansfield Hollow State Park.The Daily Campus April 1, 2010: UConn helps to preserve local forest
/ref>UConn Today March 30, 2010: Deal Between Conservation Organizations, UConn, and Area Towns Protects 531 Acres in Eastern CT
/ref>The Day March 28, 2010: Agreement protects forest, trails near UConn
/ref>

Trail description

The Nipmuck Trail is primarily used for

backpacking Backpacking may refer to: * Backpacking (travel), low-cost, independent, international travel * Backpacking (hiking), trekking and camping overnight in the wilderness * Ultralight backpacking, a style of wilderness backpacking with an emphasis on ...

picnicking A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding a ...

, and in the winter,

snowshoe Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footw ...

ing. Portions of the trail are suitable for, and are used for,

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

and

geocaching Geocaching (, ) is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called ''geocaches'' or ''caches'', at sp ...

. Site-specific activities enjoyed along the route include

bird watching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescop ...

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

(very limited),

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

horseback riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the u ...

bouldering Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is performed on small rock formations or Climbing wall, artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or Climbing harness, harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers ...

and

rock climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending climbing routes, routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in c ...

(limited). The mainline trail is blazed with blue rectangles. Trail descriptions are available from a number of commercial and non-commercial sources, and a complete guidebook is published by the

Historic sites

There is a historic gristmill near the trail in

Storrs, Connecticut Storrs ( ) is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in the New England town, town of Mansfield, Connecticut, Mansfield in eastern Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The village is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, ...

. Across from this is the house where Wilbur Cross was born. A segment of the trail in Ashford follows the

Old Connecticut Path The Old Connecticut Path was the Native American trail that led westward from the area of Massachusetts Bay to the Connecticut River Valley, the first of the North American trails that led west from the settlements close to the Atlantic seacoast ...

, a former Native American trail connecting the Boston area with the

Connecticut River Valley The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...

History

The Blue-Blazed Nipmuck Trail was created by the

Maintenance

The last week of March 2010 the Connecticut Forest and Park Association acquired the largest conservation easement in an agreement with the University of Connecticut for the section of the Nipmuck Trail which passes through University of Connecticut protected property (the Moss tract through the Fenton Forest). Also on that date a number of conveyances between the University of Connecticut, CFPA, the Norcross Wildlife Foundation and the towns of Willington and Mansfield secured the preservation of of land on four forested properties near or surrounding the Nipmuck Trail.

Gallery

File:CFPANipmuckTrailsignonBigelowHollowRoadAKACTRoute197nearBigelowHollowStatePark.jpg, Nipmuck Trail sign on CT-171 outside Bigelow Hollow State Park. File:NipmuckTrailSignOnCT-171OutsideBigelowHollowStatePark.jpg, Nipmuck Trail sign on CT-171 outside Bigelow Hollow State Park. File:Natchaug+NipmuckTrailsIntersectionHDR.jpg, alt=Natchaug northern trailead and intersection with Nipmuck Trail, Eastford, Connecticut., Natchaug Trail northern trailhead at intersection with Nipmuck Trail in Ashford, CT. File:Nipmuck Trail, Mansfield Hollow Park.jpg, The trail in the

. File:PixieFallsOffNipmuckTrail.jpg, Pixie Falls in Natchaug State Forest in Ashford via side trail from Nipmuck Trail. File:PixieFallsOffNipmuckTrail2.jpg, Pixie Falls in Natchaug State Forest in Ashford via side trail from Nipmuck Trail. File:FentonRiveralongNipmuckTrailjustnorthofCTRoute44-1.jpg, alt=FentonRiveralongNipmuckTrailjustnorthofCTRoute44-1, Fenton River along Nipmuck Trail just north of CT Route44 (U Conn Forest). File:FentonRiveralongNipmuckTrailjustnorthofCTRoute44-2.jpg, alt=FentonRiveralongNipmuckTrailjustnorthofCTRoute44-2, Fenton River along Nipmuck Trail just north of CT Route44 (U Conn Forest). File:NipmuckTrailStoneFoundationRuins.jpg, alt=NipmuckTrailStoneFoundationRuins, Old stone house foundations at intersection of Nipmuck Trail and forest road halfway between CT Routes 44 and 74. File:NipmuckTrailFungusWithPeaceSign.jpg, alt=NipmuckTrailFungusWithPeaceSign, 1' diameter fungus with peace sign on rock beside Nipmuck Trail in Yale-Myers Forest. File:Yale-MyersForestResearchTreeLot.jpg, alt=Yale-MyersForestResearchTreeLot, Yale-Myers Forest Research Site off Nipmuck Trail. File:SouthernBreakneckPondonNipmuckTrailfacingnorth.jpg, alt=SouthernBreakneckPondonNipmuckTrailfacingnorth, Southern Breakneck Pond on Nipmuck Trail facing north on the last day of winter. File:Yale-MyersForestSignsAtNipmuckTrailNorthEntrance.jpg, alt=Yale-MyersForestSignsAtNipmuckTrailNorthEntrance, Yale-Myers Forest Signs and northern entrance to Nipmuck Trail on Bigelow Hollow Road AKA CT Route 197 near Bigelow Hollow State Park. File:NorthernEndOfBreakneckPondfacingsouth.jpg, alt=NorthernEndOfBreakneckPondfacingsouth, Sturbridge Massachusetts end of partially frozen Breakneck Pond facing south. Northern terminus of Nipmuck Trail. File:MassachusettsConnecticutstatelinemarkerdated1954atnorthernendofBreakneckPondfacingsouth.jpg, alt=MassachusettsConnecticutstatelinemarkerdated1954atnorthernendofBreakneckPondfacingsouth, Massachusetts/Connecticut state line marker dated 1954 at northern end of Breakneck Pond facing south. File:ConnecticutMassachusettsstatelinemarkerdated1954atnorthernendofBreakneckPondfacingnorth.jpg, alt=ConnecticutMassachusettsstatelinemarkerdated1954atnorthernendofBreakneckPondfacingnorth, Connecticut/Massachusetts state line marker dated 1954 at northern end of Breakneck Pond facing north.

References

Connecticut Forest & Park Association
Cited September 13, 2008.

External links

Specific to this trail:

* ttp://www.ctxguide.com/nipmuck_003.htm Connecticut Explorers Guide: Nipmuck Trail Southern Trails Junction to RT 74 Map Government Links:
Town of Mansfield - Trail Guides

Town of Mansfield - Schoolhouse Brook Park
Land and Conservation Trusts: * * * {{Protected areas of Connecticut Hiking trails in Connecticut Protected areas of Tolland County, Connecticut Mansfield, Connecticut Blue-Blazed Trails