Shenipsit State Forest is a

state forest A state forest or national forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign or federated state, or territory. Background The precise application of the terms vary by jurisdiction. For example: * In Australia, a ...

located in northeastern

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 ...

with 11 parcels scattered between the

towns 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 ...

of Somers, Ellington, and Stafford. The forest's headquarters is home to the Civilian Conservation Corps Museum, which houses memorabilia from CCC camps throughout the eastern United States. The forest is managed for forestry products and offers various recreational pursuits.

Geography

The forest is located mainly within the Eastern New England Uplift and contains tracts along the eastern edge of the

Connecticut River Valley The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...

. The highest point wholly within the state forest is Soapstone Mountain at , but the Town of Somers owns adjacent land that includes the summit of Bald Mountain, the highest point along the eastern edge of Connecticut River Valley in Connecticut. The terrain rises up to from the surrounding Connecticut River Valley, though most mountains and hills rise from the surrounding terrain elsewhere in the forest. The forest floor is scattered with boulders and large rocks from the last ice age. Soapstone Mountain used to be the site of a

soapstone Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in the ...

quarry during the

Colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

era.

Recreation opportunities

The

Shenipsit Trail The Shenipsit Trail is a '' Blue-Blazed'' hiking trail located in Central Connecticut between 3.5 and 7 miles (11 km) east of the Connecticut River. It runs 50 miles (80 km) in a north-south direction. The southern trailhead is on Gadpo ...

, which runs from East Hampton to Somers, passes through the Shenipsit State Forest and passes over the summit of Soapstone Mountain. The summit has the only lookout tower in northeastern Connecticut. The original fire tower was removed in 1971. Various forest trails can be used for hiking, mountain biking, equestrian travel, and cross-country skiing.

References

External links

Shenipsit State Forest
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Shenipsit State Forest Map
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection {{ConnecticutTrailSystem Connecticut state forests Ellington, Connecticut Somers, Connecticut Stafford, Connecticut Parks in Tolland County, Connecticut Geography of Tolland County, Connecticut Civilian Conservation Corps in Connecticut Civilian Conservation Corps museums Protected areas established in 1927 Museums in Tolland County, Connecticut 1927 establishments in Connecticut