Natchaug State Forest is a

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

state forest located in six

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

s including

Ashford Ashford may refer to: Places Australia *Ashford, New South Wales *Ashford, South Australia *Electoral district of Ashford, South Australia Ireland *Ashford, County Wicklow *Ashford Castle, County Galway United Kingdom * Ashford, Kent, a town ** ...

Chaplin Chaplin may refer to: People * Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977), English comedy film actor and director * Chaplin (name), other people named Chaplin Films * '' Unknown Chaplin'' (1983) * ''Chaplin'' (film) (1992) * ''Chaplin'' (2011 film), Ben ...

, and

Eastford Eastford is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,649 at the 2020 census. History Eastford was formed in 1847 when it was broken off from Ashford, Connecticut. The name "Eastford" is locational, for the town ...

. The

Natchaug River The Natchaug River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 river in Windham and Tolland Counties in northeastern Connecticut. The name ''Natchaug'' comes from ...

runs from north to south along (and in a few cases through) the western border of the main forest parcel. James L. Goodwin State Forest abuts Natchaug State Forest to the south. One of the forest units abuts

Mashamoquet Brook State Park Mashamoquet Brook State Park ( ) is a public recreation area in the town of Pomfret, Connecticut. Notable features of the state park include the Wolf Den national historic site, the Brayton Grist Mill, and the Table Rock and Indian Chair natural ...

in Pomfret.

Environment

The forest lies within the Northeastern coastal forests

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

Recreation opportunities

The forest's extensive trail system includes the

Natchaug Trail The Natchaug Trail is a '' Blue-Blazed'' hiking trail "system" which meanders through of forests in northeast Connecticut—primarily in Windham County. It is maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association. Its southern trailhead be ...

and

CCC CCC may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canada's Capital Cappies, the Critics and Awards Program in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada * ''Capcom Classics Collection'', a 2005 compilation of arcade games for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox * CCC, the pro ...

Loop. Trails are used for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. Camping facilities are available for backpackers and equestrians. The forest is also the site of a small state park encompassing the birthplace of

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

brigadier general Nathaniel Lyon.

References

External links

Natchaug State Forest
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection {{ConnecticutTrailSystem Connecticut state forests Parks in Windham County, Connecticut Ashford, Connecticut Chaplin, Connecticut Eastford, Connecticut Protected areas established in 1917 1917 establishments in Connecticut

Environment

Recreation opportunities

See also

References

External links