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Pachaug State Forest is the largest
forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
in the
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 capita ...
state forest system, encompassing over 27,000 acres (110 km²) of land. It is located on the
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
border in New London County, and parcels of the forest lie in the towns of Voluntown, Griswold, Plainfield, Sterling, North Stonington, and Preston. The forest was founded in 1928, but most of the land came from purchases made later during the Great Depression. It is named after the
Pachaug River The Pachaug River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 river arising from the Pachaug State Forest at the Connecticut - Rhode Island border and draining in ...
, which runs through the center of the forest. The forest is part of the
Northeastern coastal forests The Northeastern coastal forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion of the northeast and middle Atlantic region of the United States. The ecoregion covers an area of 34,630 sq miles (89,691 km2) encompassing the Piedmont a ...
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 ...
.


Features


Great Meadow

The Pachaug-Great Meadow Swamp portion of the park was declared a
National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...
in May 1973 due to its
Atlantic white cedar ''Chamaecyparis thyoides'' (Atlantic white cedar, Atlantic white cypress, southern white cedar, whitecedar, or false-cypress), a species of ''Cupressaceae'', is native to the Atlantic coast of North America and is found from southern Maine to ...
swamp. This type of forest is at risk of being succeeded by hemlock.


Hiking trails

There are four popular hiking trails, maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, that run through Pachaug State Forest. *The Pachaug Trail runs about in an east-west route that follows a horse-shoe curve north. It begins at the northern end of Pachaug Pond and ends at Green Fall Pond. *The Nehantic Trail is a route just under that begins at Green Fall Pond near the Pachaug Trail trailhead and runs northwest to RT 201 near the Pachaug River. *The Quinebaug Trail runs North-South for about from the junction of Breakneck Hill Road and the Nehantic-Quinebaug Trail Crossover to its northern terminus at Spaulding Road. *The Narragansett Trail runs from the southwest to the northeast, starting from Lantern Hill in North Stonington. The Narragansett Trail leaves the State Forest at the Connecticut/Rhode Island boundary; it enters
Yawgoog Scout Reservation Yawgoog Scout Reservation (Camp Yawgoog) is a reservation for scouting located in Rockville, Rhode Island and operated by the Narragansett Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Founded in 1916, Yawgoog is the fifth oldest Boy Scout camp in th ...
in Rhode Island and later ends at Ashville Pond in the village of Canonchet in Hopkinton,
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
. The handicap (wheelchair) accessible Rhododendron Sanctuary Trail (which includes a planked wooden boardwalk section) in the Pachaug State Forest's Herman Haupt Chapman Management Area is spectacularly scenic when the Rhododendron are in bloom (June and July). There are several dirt and gravel road trails that cross Pachaug State Forest; Trail 1, Trail 2, the Main Drive, and Stonehill Road. In combination with dozens of unmarked side trails, this makes for easy mountain biking terrain that has become popular among locals. Some trails and roads are marked as multi-use. One such is the
Enduro Enduro is a form of motorcycle sport run on extended cross-country, off-road courses. Enduro consists of many different obstacles and challenges. The main type of enduro event, and the format to which the World Enduro Championship is run, is ...
off-road motorcycle trail which winds through Pachaug State Forest. On non–multi-use hiking trails in the forest, however, there is clearly both unauthorized vehicular and unauthorized equestrian use.


Motorcycling

The 58-mile
Enduro Enduro is a form of motorcycle sport run on extended cross-country, off-road courses. Enduro consists of many different obstacles and challenges. The main type of enduro event, and the format to which the World Enduro Championship is run, is ...
trail in Pachaug State Forest is marked (on turns and intersections on trees) with white labels containing a red arrow pointing in the trail's direction. The route follows a mix of forest trails and public roads (therefore requiring both a valid current motorcycle registration and motorcycle driver's license rather than ATV registration).


References


External links


Pachaug State Forest
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Pachaug State Forest Chapman Area
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Pachaug State Forest Chapman Area Map
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Pachaug State Forest Green Falls Area
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Pachaug State Forest Green Falls Area Map
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Pachaug Enduro Motorcycle Route Map
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Connecticut Explorer's Guide {{authority control Connecticut state forests Parks in New London County, Connecticut Hiking trails in Connecticut National Natural Landmarks in Connecticut Protected areas established in 1928 Voluntown, Connecticut Griswold Plainfield Sterling North Stonington Preston Campgrounds in Connecticut 1928 establishments in Connecticut