Located in East Lyme and Salem Connecticut you can find Nehantic State Forest. This 5,062 acre State Forest Is a great place to enjoy hiking, swimming, boating, picnicking and hunting in season. The main gravel road seems to run through the center of the woods with a few trailheads located along the road. There was also plenty of parking and trailheads at the boat launches on the little ponds in the State Forest.
Gravel roads take me home
There’s miles of unpaved roads that stretch through the wilderness. It reminded me of Pauchaug State forest, which is not to far from here. In some places you will find places to park near trail heads and places to launch a boat on a body of water. I hiked up a trial named for the large glacial boulder balancing precariously atop a small hill. The trial wound up and around the large stone, and it looked like it could easily tip. Surprisingly it wasn’t the only rock like this, many more balanced, glacial debris type boulders sat along the trail high points.
Dense Laurels
The hills and valleys seem to be the perfect environment for the laurels to thrive. You find yourself walking through areas that feel like tunnels because of how dense the vegetation is. Several hours were spent on a weekend afternoon and I happened upon only two people along the trail. I can say that at least in the spring this is a seldom hiked trail. Since I’ve only been once I can not give an accurate estimate for the rest of the year.
Nehantic State forest
I would go here again and often, It’s remoteness means you may have to travel thirty minutes or more to find a good beer after. Best thing to do is plan to look up a local place ahead of time so you won’t have to fight spotty reception after hiking. And avoid the private roads, it seems as if there are residents to live out near the state forest and use the main roads to access their property.
Good hiking, have fun out there.
