Nayantaquit Trail
The Nayantaquit Trail is a 7-mile (11 km) Blue-Blazed hiking trail system in Lyme Connecticut and is entirely in the Nehantic State Forest western block. Parking for the trail can be found at several locations on Keeny Road inside the state forest.
| Nayantaquit Trail | |
|---|---|
 Large Erratic Boulder and unusual tree bough near the start of the Nayantaquit Trail loop in Nehantic State Park's western block. | |
| Length | 7 miles (11 km) [1] |
| Location | Lyme Connecticut, USA |
| Designation | CFPA Blue-Blazed Trail |
| Use | hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, geocaching, other |
| Hiking details | |
| Hazards | hunters, deer ticks, poison ivy |
Today it is composed of a 4.6-mile (7.4 km) main loop trail plus two shorter side trails -- the a 0.6-mile (0.97 km) 'Cross Over Trail' (which bisects the main loop trail) and the 0.8-mile (1.3 km) Uncas Pond Connector trail which connects the main loop trail to Uncas Pond.
Notable features include summits and boulders (primarily glacial erratics).
Trail description
The Nayantaquit Trail is primarily used for hiking, backpacking, picnicking, and in the winter, snowshoeing.
Portions of the trail are suitable for, and are used for, cross-country skiing and geocaching. Site-specific activities enjoyed along the route include bird watching, hunting (very limited), fishing, bouldering and rock climbing (limited).
Trail route
The Nayantaquit mainline trail is a loop trail which is connected to a dirt parking lot off of the park dirt road portion of Keeny Road inside the Nehantic State Forest western block.
The trail system summits or travels near by the ridges and peaks of several high points.
The trail is entirely within the Nehantic State Forest.
Trail communities
The official Blue-Blazed Nayantaquit Trail is located in the Hamburg section of Lyme Connecticut.
History and folklore
The Blue-Blazed Nayantaquit Trail was created by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association.
Historic sites
The name Nayantaquit is named after an indigenous tribe which inhabited the area of the western Nehantic State Forest block in Lyme Connecticut.
Hiking the trail
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 Connecticut Forest and Park Association
Wearing bright orange clothing during the hunting season (Fall through December) is recommended.
References
- Colson, Ann T. (2006). Connecticut Walk Book West (19th edition). Connecticut Forest and Park Association. ISBN 0-9619052-6-3.
Further reading
Books – Connecticut hiking []
- Colson, Ann T. (2005). Connecticut Walk Book East (19 ed.). Rockfall, Connecticut: Connecticut Forest and Park Association. pp. 1–261. ISBN 0961905255.
- Colson, Ann T. (2006). Connecticut Walk Book West (19 ed.). Rockfall, Connecticut: Connecticut Forest and Park Association. pp. 1–353. ISBN 0961905263.
- Emblidge, David (1998). Hikes in southern New England: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont (1 ed.). Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. pp. 1–304. ISBN 0-8117-2669-X.
- Keyarts, Eugene (2002). Pietrzyk, Cindi Dale (ed.). Short Nature Walks: Connecticut Guide Book (7 ed.). Guilford, Connecticut: Falcon Publishing. pp. 1–192. ISBN 0-7627-2310-6.
- Laubach, Rene; Smith, Charles W. G. (2007). AMC's Best Day Hikes in Connecticut (1 ed.). Guilford, Connecticut: Appalachian Mountain Club Books. pp. 1–320. ISBN 1-934028-10-X.
- Ostertag, Rhonda; Ostertag, George (2002). Hiking Southern New England (2 ed.). Guilford, Connecticut: Falcon Publishing. pp. 1–336. ISBN 0-7627-2246-0.
Books – Connecticut history and geography []
- De Forest, John (1853). History of the Indians of Connecticut from the earliest known period to 1850. Hartford, Connecticut: Wm. Jas. Hamersley. pp. 1–509.
- Hayward, John (1857). New England Gazetteer: Containing Descriptions of the States, Counties, Cities and Towns of New England (2 ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Otis Clapp. pp. 1–704.
- Trumbull, Benjamin (1797). A Complete History of Connecticut - Civil and Ecclesiastical. Volume I (1818 printing ed.). New Haven, Connecticut: Maltby, Goldsmith & Co. and Samuel Wadsworth. pp. 1–1166.
- Trumbull, Benjamin (1797). A Complete History of Connecticut - Civil and Ecclesiastical. Volume II (1818 printing ed.). New Haven, Connecticut: Maltby, Goldsmith & Co. and Samuel Wadsworth. pp. 1–1166.
External links
Specific to this trail:
- CT Museum Quest Article on the Nayantaquit Trail
- Connecticut Forest and Park Blue Blazed Nayantaquit Trail web page
- "A Walk Across the Giant" blog page - Nayantaquit Trail - Lyme, CT
- The Day April 2010 article on the Nayantaquit Trail
Government links:
- State of Connecticut - Nehantic State Forest web page
- State of Connecticut - (Western) Nehantic State Forest Lyme Block map
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