Celebrate National Trails Day in Lyme, East Lyme and Old Lyme

Reconnect with nature in Lyme, East Lyme and Old Lyme with a walk or a paddle on National Trails Day!

Lyme, East Lyme and Old Lyme will be marking the national event with a variety of walks and paddles beginning Saturday according to the Connecticut Forest and Parks Association pamphlet.


East Lyme
Saturday, June 1. 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve. Join David Putnam and Greg Decker, of the Friends of Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve, for this 4th Annual Connecticut Trails Day Weekend Hike. Points of interest will include: Smith Cove Overlook, Clark Pond Vista East and West, Rocky Ledge Overlook, Granite Quarry, and Mount Tabor. Open to all ages and abilities.

Meet at the Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve trailhead at Veterans Memorial Park (Memorial Drive, Niantic) at the registration tent that will be in the parking lot adjacent to the softball field. Rain or shine. Pre-registration is NOT NECESSARY. Questions: contact David Putnam, dputnam@eltownhall.com.

Lyme
Saturday, June 1. 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Nehantic State Forest/Nayantaquit Trail. Take a moderate 5-mile hike with CFPA volunteer trail manager Chris Lawton. We will see long abandoned homesteads and varied woodland habitats, and then return to the parking area where we will enjoy lunch at the picnic area overlooking Uncas Pond. Please bring plenty of water and lunch, and wear sturdy hiking shoes.

Meet at the Uncas Pond Picnic area in the Nehantic State Forest (entering via Route 156). Rain or shine. Pre-registration is APPRECIATED. Questions and to register: contact Chris Lawton, Trailblazed72@gmail.com.

Saturday, June 1. 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Beebe Preserve. Join the Lyme Land Conservation Trust for a Hobbit-inspired hike (1.25 miles). You will arrive through the Shire (Lyme) and from there we will set our imaginations free to be transported to Middle Earth, where we will help the Elves build a new section of the outpost at Rivendell. Along the way we will have a chance to look for Gollum in the swamps, climb around the Ents, and generally explore the forest near the Misty Mountains. Open to kids of all ages. Materials for the miniature Rivendell will be provided, but feel free to bring some natural materials to add to the project if you would like. Check lymelandtrust.org for more details.

Meet at the Beebe Preserve parking area on Old Grassy Hill Road near the East Lyme town line. Rain cancels. Pre-registration is APPRECIATED. Questions and to register: contact leader Lisa Niccolai, info@lymelandtrust.org.

Old Lyme
Saturday, June 1 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM at Great Island Wildlife Management Area. Bring your kayak/canoe for a 2-mile paddle down the Blackhall River into Long Island Sound to Griswold Point, where we will take a short lunch break before heading back. Approved personal flotation device required.

Meet at the Great Island State Boat Launch parking area, Smith Neck Road. Pre-registration is RECOMMENDED. Questions, rain plan, and to pre-register: contact leader Bill Yule, (203) 824-3784, byule@ctrivermuseum.org.

Saturday, June 1. 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Hoffman-MatthiessenDeGerenday Preserve. An informal walk to enjoy the wooded setting of this beautiful 40-acre property. Leader Pamela Hine has taught botany and ecology at Connecticut College for nearly 30 years; she will guide the way through laurel stands, past boulders and large patches of ferns, and along a bedrock ridge. We will travel 1 to 2 miles, depending on the group’s interest.

Meet at the Old Lyme Shopping Center on Halls Road, near the hardware store and Bowerbird Gift Shop; we will carpool to the preserve. Rain postpones to June 2, 1:00 PM. Pre-registration is NOT NECESSARY. Questions: contact Pamela Hine, (860) 434-9933.

Sunday, June 2. 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM. Blackhall River. Enjoy a quiet tidal river seldom paddled. Be prepared to be amazed by the many shore birds on this 5-mile journey. We will be on the water promptly at 9:00 AM.

Meet leaders Barry Gorfain and Debbie Tedford at the Great Island State Boat Launch (I-95 Exit 70, south on Route 156 1.5 miles, right onto Smith Neck Road to the end). Rain cancels. Pre-registration is REQUIRED. Questions and to pre-register: contact Leader: Barry Gorfain, (860) 705-3828, barrygorfain@att.net.

A total of 152 Connecticut towns will be celebrating National Trails Day on June 1 and 2, according to the Connecticut Forest & Park Association. 

Take a look at the online brochure for more information.