My day chasing around DEEP backpacking camps. You may know, or not, that I am cataloging the all of the trails in connecticut and the shelters/camping areas open to backpacking or free use.
I am moving right along with some of it and had a wonderful day outside doing just that!
Here are the pictures of today along the Nipmuck trail! I only found one tick and he died from the permethrin on my boots!!
The Nipmuck Trail campsite provides plenty of room to put a few tents and has 2 fire pits as well, though only one looks to be routinely used. There is a nearby stream that looks like it would provide water year round.
The walk down to the Pixie falls it lovely and the shade provided by the trees and the cool running water should provide some relief from the heat in the summer, be sure to check it out on the way by.
Near a half a mile off of route 74 is the Knowlton Brook campsite. it is unremarkable in amenities but packed full of atmosphere! the fire ring is roughly 10′ away from the brook itself and there is room for a couple smaller tents.
The brook should provide year round water and during the summer the swampy areas surrounding it should dry up some. I would still recommend bug spray and boiling/filtering your water.
Bring your poles, there are native trout in that brook!
Settled about 1/10 of a mile from the parking area for General Lyons historic site. This shelter has access to water from a running brook close to the shelter or a well pump in the historic site. There is a fire ring which should be used with caution as to the dry grasses and under brush close by. The shelter is in good repair and has a picnic table available.
This shelter is located on the Pachaug Trail at Great Meadow Brook Pond. This shelters seems to be heavily visited by locals and was not in the best repair when we stayed there. The site was littered but was easy to clean up.
The view and sound, being next to the pond, were fantastic. I don’t know if there are many camping spots that rival it. Remember to bring your bug spray!
The pond should provide a year round water source but as always be sure to boil or filter your collected water.
Of those in Pachaug, this shelter is nice in the rain! Equipped with a tin roof and plenty of head room, this is a nice shelter. I didn’t get many pictures but there is a nice fire ring and tools like a bow saw and a grill that can go over the fire. Located on the Narragansett Trail between Green Falls and the Rhode Island border.
There is a nearby running stream that can provide water nearly, if not all year round. Remember to filter or boil your water even though it is moving.
Not far from the Nehantic Trail and the Pachaug Trail split, lies the Dry Reservoir shelter. The Dry Reservoir shelter is short in comparison to the other shelters in the area, with no actual standing room. The shelter is wide enough to accommodate several people, more if you don’t mind getting cozy.
Well equipped with a saw and fire grate, the shelter has an ample fire pit and plenty of seating.
There is a running stream nearby that may dry up during the summer. Remember to boil and or filter your water.
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My father and I went out to Wyassup Lake specifically to walk the Narraganset Trail to find the Legend Wood Shelter. This shelter is clean and in good repair. The fire ring will accommodate a small fire comfortably. The fall provides excellent views and the nearby ledge is a great place to sit and have lunch. Nestled off of the trail a bit, it is peaceful while not being too far from the road (about 3/4 miles as the crow flies).
There is a pond nearby that should provide water year round. Remember to boil and or filter your water.
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In an effort to catalogue the opportunities that Connecticut presents to commune with nature I am hoping to create a record of the backing shelters and campsites that are provided by CT DEEP (as well as every trail in the state).
My father and I went out last Friday to find the Legend wood shelter for a much needed break from a trying afternoon (for me).
We grabbed sandwiches from a Delia’s, a local grinder shop, I brought my stove and headed off to Pachaug to record the last of the shelters in that area and have sandwiches and tea.
William Naismith, a Scottish mountaineer, had a hankering to come up with a way to approximate how long his jaunts would take and came up with a nifty rule that can still be used today.
Created by BackpackingConnecticut.com
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