It’s finally spring in Connecticut and so welcome after our snowy and bitter cold winter.  I’ve been waiting to be warm again, and it finally happened, we hit 75 degrees this past weekend!  This is beautiful weather for hiking, but where?
Luckily, it’s easy to find trails in Connecticut. Â Not only do we have a small part of the Appalachian Trail cross through the northwest corner of the state, but we have numerous state parks and forests. Â And since Connecticut is one of the smaller states in the union, it doesn’t take a lot of time to get to any of them. Â If you’re not sure where to find them, you can go to the Visit Connecticut site to find a list of Spring hikes. Â Or, you can go to the state’s own Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to find a list of of parks, trails and forests. Â The site includes information about the area, any fees that might be involved (for parking, camping or boating access) as well as a map.
But what if you only have an hour or two and the local Linear Trail is too full of Rollerblades and bicycles to make it fun?  Finding nearby paths to walk is as easy as looking for town trails.  Most towns in Connecticut now have land trusts that work to conserve land within the town for other use besides development.  You can go to the Connecticut Conservation site to find information about your local land trust and links to the websites.  Once you find your local land trust, you can find directions and information about the land use as well as print out maps.  You might want to make a donation too, as these land trusts gets their funds through charitable contributions.
What are your favorite local paths to hike?
