Peoples State Forest

Peoples State Forest is a Connecticut state forest occupying 3,059 acres (1,238 ha) along the West Branch Farmington River opposite American Legion State Forest in the town of Barkhamsted.[3] It is managed for forest products, wildlife habitat, and recreational uses that include hiking, hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling.[4]

Peoples State Forest
The forest's entranceway
Location in Connecticut
LocationBarkhamsted, Connecticut, United States
Coordinates41°56′46″N 72°59′27″W[1]
Area3,059 acres (12.38 km2)[2]
Elevation856 ft (261 m)[1]
DesignationConnecticut state forest
Established1924 [3]
AdministratorConnecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
WebsitePeoples State Forest

History

The forest was dedicated in October 1924 with a riverside pageant attended by Governor Templeton and another 3,000 persons. The Civilian Conservation Corps made recreational improvements in the 1930s through the laying out of roads and trails and construction of a nature museum with an interior made of chestnut from trees killed by blight.[4]

Activities and amenities
Nature museum

The park features the Peoples State Forest Nature Museum, a stone-faced building built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5] The museum's focus on native flora and fauna includes animal mounts and skulls, minerals and insect specimens along with displays concerning area pioneers, Native Americans, logging, quarrying, and the Civilian Conservation Corps.[6] The museum was open from 1935 to 1942. It reopened in 1992 under the name the Stone Museum. The name was changed back to the Peoples State Forest Nature Museum in 2007.[5]

Trails

The forest has about ten miles (16 km) of trails in the blue-blazed Peoples State Forest Trails system.[7]

Further reading

References
  1. "Peoples State Forest". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. "Appendix A: List of State Parks and Forests" (PDF). State Parks and Forests: Funding. Staff Findings and Recommendations. Connecticut General Assembly. January 23, 2014. p. A-3. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  3. "American Legion and Peoples State Forests". State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  4. "Clues for Peoples State Forest". Connecticut State Forests Seedling Letterbox Series. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. October 7, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  5. "Peoples State Forest Nature Museum". Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  6. "Displays". Peoples State Forest Nature Museum. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  7. "Trails". Peoples State Forest Nature Museum. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
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