Connecticut 400

Last updated June 29, 2019

This trail system is a part of the Connecticut 400, one of the official Blue-Blazed (or similar) trails listed in the Connecticut Walk Book by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA) and recognized, since 1976, with an award known as the "Connecticut 400 Club" by the Connecticut Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). In 1976 there were only four hundred miles of Blue-Blazed trail but today (2010) the total length of the trails listed in the CFPA Connecticut Walk Books (East and West) exceeds 825 miles.^[1]^[2]

The State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT DEP) Forestry Division provides two awards for locating and visiting "letterboxes" (similar to geocaches) in Connecticut's State Forests. The commemorative State Forest Centennial Patch is available to those who complete five sponsored "letterbox" hikes (in each separate state forest you must hike the described route, find the "letterbox/cache" and record your visit in the "letterbox" book). The State Forest Centennial campaign dates to 2003 (the centennial of the first official state forest in Connecticut). A walking stick is available for those who complete the letterbox hike of all thirty-two (32) of the state forests. Many of the "Blue-Blazed" hiking trails in Connecticut travel through or near one or more of the State Forests, often very close to the sponsored (DEP) letterbox.^[3]

Letterboxing is an outdoor hobby that combines elements of orienteering, art, and puzzle solving. Letterboxers hide small, weatherproof boxes in publicly accessible places and distribute clues to finding the box in printed catalogs, on one of several web sites, or by word of mouth. Individual letterboxes contain a notebook and a rubber stamp, preferably hand carved or custom made. Finders make an imprint of the letterbox's stamp in their personal notebook, and leave an impression of their personal signature stamp on the letterbox's "visitors' book" or "logbook" — as proof of having found the box and letting other letterboxers know who has visited. Many letterboxers keep careful track of their "find count".

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 specific locations marked by coordinates all over the world.

Related Research Articles

The Shenipsit Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail located in Central Connecticut between 3.5 and 7 miles (11 km) east of the Connecticut River. It runs 50 miles (80 km) in a north-south direction. The southern trailhead is on Gadpouch Road in Cobalt, CT on the southern end of the Meshomasic State Forest. The northern trailhead is on Greaves Road past Bald Mountain and the Shenipsit State Forest in Stafford, CT. The trail runs primarily through the Shenipsit and Meshomasic State Forests, and Case Mountain, but also utilizes other public and private land holdings. The Native American name “Shenipsit” means “at the great pool,” referring to the Shenipsit Lake, which the trail passes by. The Shenipsit Trail is divided into three sections: South, Central, and North. The Shenipsit Trail is one of the blue-blazed hiking trails managed by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA).

The Quinnipiac Trail is a 24-mile (39 km) Blue-Blazed hiking trail in New Haven County, Connecticut. It is the product of the evolution and growth of the first 10.6-mile (17.1 km) trail designated in Connecticut's Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail system, with its light-blue rectangular vertical painted blazes.

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 movement and as an early advocate of long distance trail building. The mission of the CFPA is “to conserve the land, trails, and natural resources of Connecticut. The CFPA established and maintains the 825-mile Blue-Blazed Trails Hiking Trail system and has been instrumental in acquiring more than 100 state parks and forests across Connecticut.

The Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail system, managed by the Connecticut Forest & Park Association (CFPA), and the related trail systems documented in the two volume 19th Edition of the "Connecticut Walk Book" comprise over 800 miles of hiking trails in Connecticut.

The Tunxis Trail is a 79-mile (127 km) Blue-Blazed hiking trail "system" that traverses the western ridge of the central Connecticut Valley. The mainline trail is not completely contiguous, notably there are two gaps of several miles.

The Aspetuck Valley Trail is a 5.9-mile (9.5 km) Blue-Blazed hiking trail in the Aspetuck River Valley area of Fairfield County in the towns of Newtown, Easton and Redding Connecticut.

The Housatonic Range Trail is a 6.2-mile (10.0 km) Blue-Blazed hiking trail in the Housatonic Valley Region of Litchfield County in the town of New Milford in the Candlewood Mountain and Gaylordsville Connecticut sections.The north-south axis of the trail parallels the Housatonic River through private land and land trust parcels.The Housatonic Range Trail is maintained largely through the efforts of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, which provides online Blue Trail maps.

The Jericho trail is a 3.4-mile (5.5 km) Blue-Blazed hiking trail in the Oakville section of Watertown, near the border with Thomaston and Plymouth, Litchfield County, Connecticut. The trail is contained almost entirely in a section of the Mattatuck State Forest. The mainline trail is a linear north-south "hike-through" trail with one east-west connector trail to the Whitestone Cliffs Blue-Blazed Trail.

The American Legion State Forest Trails is a system of Blue-Blazed hiking trails in the Pleasant Valley section of Barkhamsted, Connecticut. The trails, which collectively total 3.18 miles (5.12 km) in length, are entirely within American Legion State Forest.

The Peoples State Forest Trails is a system of blue-blazed hiking trails in the Pleasant Valley section of Barkhamsted, Connecticut. The trails, which collectively total 11.22 miles (18.06 km) in length, are entirely within Peoples State Forest.

The Nehantic Trail is a 13-mile (21 km) Connecticut hiking trail and is one of the Blue-Blazed hiking trails maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association.

The Natchaug Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail "system" which meanders through 19.5 miles (31.4 km) of forests in northeast Connecticut—primarily in Windham County. It is maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association. Its southern trailhead begins in the James L. Goodwin State Forest in the towns of Chaplin, Connecticut and Hampton, Connecticut and the northern terminus is at its intersection with the Nipmuck Trail in Natchaug State Forest in Eastford, Connecticut.

The Quinebaug Trail is a 8.1-mile (13.0 km) Connecticut hiking trail and is one of the Blue-Blazed hiking trails maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association.

The Narragansett Trail is a 16-mile (26 km) Connecticut hiking trail and is one of the Blue-Blazed hiking trails maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association and the Narragansett Council, the Rhode Island chapter of the Boy Scouts of America.

The Pequot Trail is a 7.6-mile (12.2 km) Blue-Blazed Trail, a hiking trail maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association.

James L. Goodwin State Forest is a Connecticut state forest covering approximately 2,000 acres (810 ha) in the towns of Chaplin and Hampton. The lands became public property when James L. Goodwin donated the personal forest he had been developing since 1913 to the state in 1964.

Centennial Watershed State Forest is a Connecticut state forest of more than 15,000 acres with larger parcels located in the towns of Easton, Newtown, Redding, and Weston. Dozens of other properties are strung throughout much of Southwestern part of the state. In 2002, the lands were acquired from the Aquarion Water Company by the state in partnership with The Nature Conservancy. Those three entities continue to manage the property by committee. The forest was named in honor of the hundredth anniversary of the state forest system.

Nassahegon State Forest is a Connecticut state forest occupying 1,227 acres (497 ha) in the town of Burlington.The forest is managed for forestry and recreational purposes and is operated by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Paugussett State Forest is a Connecticut state forest with two separate sections located on impoundments of the Housatonic River in the town of Newtown. The forest's Upper Block encompasses approximately 800 acres (320 ha) on the western shore of Lake Lillinonah. It offers boating access to the river and hiking on the blue-blazed Lillinonah Trail. The forest's Lower Block encompasses approximately 1,200 acres (490 ha) on the western shore of Lake Zoar and offers hiking on the blue-blazed Zoar Trail.

Tunxis State Forest is a Connecticut state forest located in the towns of Hartland, Barkhamsted, and Granby. The forest surrounds Barkhamsted Reservoir and borders the Granville State Forest in Massachusetts. The forest is used for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, fishing, hunting, and letterboxing. Several trails cross the forest, including the northern end of the blue-blazed Tunxis Trail.

References

↑ Robinson, Ruth (1993-06-06). "Hikers Seek New Trails to Conquer". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
↑ "Hikes". Connecticut Museum Quest. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
↑ "Forestry – Looking Beyond the Trees : Letterboxing in Connecticut's State Forests". Department of Environmental Protection, State of Connecticut. Retrieved 2010-05-29.

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[1] Robinson, Ruth (1993-06-06). "Hikers Seek New Trails to Conquer". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-29.

[2] "Hikes". Connecticut Museum Quest. Retrieved 2010-05-29.

[3] "Forestry – Looking Beyond the Trees : Letterboxing in Connecticut's State Forests". Department of Environmental Protection, State of Connecticut. Retrieved 2010-05-29.