The Salmon River Trail is a '' Blue-Blazed''

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

trail in

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colch ...

, and East Hampton,

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 ...

and is almost entirely in the

Salmon River State Forest Salmon River State Forest is a Connecticut state forest located in the towns of Hebron, Marlborough, Colchester, East Haddam, and East Hampton. It includes leased from the United States government. The forest features Comstock's Bridge, the o ...

and Day Pond State Park. Almost all of the trail is in

, the parking lot and part of the Comstock Covered Bridge over the Salmon River are in East Hampton.

Trail description

The Salmon River Trail is primarily used for

backpacking Backpacking may refer to: * Backpacking (travel), low-cost, independent, international travel * Backpacking (hiking), trekking and camping overnight in the wilderness * Ultralight backpacking, a style of wilderness backpacking with an emphasis on ...

picnicking A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

, and in the winter,

snowshoe Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...

ing. Portions of the trail are suitable for, and are used for, cross-country skiing and

geocaching 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 l ...

. Site-specific activities enjoyed along the route include

bird watching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...

hunting Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...

(very limited),

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

horseback riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

bouldering Bouldering is a form of free climbing that is performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers use climbing shoes to help se ...

and rock climbing (limited).

Trail route

BBHTSalmonRiverFromTrailUpRiverFromBridge

Trail communities

The official Blue-Blazed Salmon River Trail passes through land located within the following municipalities, from south to north:

and East Hampton,

Landscape, geology, and natural environment

History and folklore

The Blue-Blazed Salmon River Trail was created by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association.

Historic sites

Hiking the trail

The mainline trail is blazed with blue rectangles. Trail descriptions are available from a number of commercial and non-commercial sources, and a complete guidebook is published by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association Weather along the route is typical of

. Conditions on exposed ridge tops and summits may be harsher during cold or stormy weather.NOAA
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Lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an avera ...

is a hazard on exposed summits and ledges during thunderstorms. Snow is common in the winter and may necessitate the use of snowshoes. Ice can form on exposed ledges and summits, making hiking dangerous without special equipment. Biting insects can be bothersome during warm weather. Parasitic deer ticks (which are known to carry

Lyme disease Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne disease caused by the ''Borrelia'' bacterium, which is spread by ticks in the genus ''Ixodes''. The most common sign of infection is an expanding red rash, known as erythema migran ...

) are a potential hazard. Wearing bright orange clothing during the hunting season (Fall through December) is recommended.

Conservation and maintenance of the trail corridor

References

External links

Specific to this trail:
CT Museum Quest Article on the Salmon River Trail
Government links:
State of Connecticut - Salmon River State Forest web page

State of Connecticut - Salmon River State Forest map

Seedling Letterbox Series Clues for Salmon River State Forest

State of Connecticut - Day Pond State Park web page

State of Connecticut - Day Pond State Park map
{{Protected areas of Connecticut Blue-Blazed Trails Protected areas of Middlesex County, Connecticut Colchester, Connecticut East Hampton, Connecticut Protected areas of New London County, Connecticut