Haley Farm

Beebe Pond

Location: Between Groton and Noank
Cost: Free
Hours: Sunrise - Sunset
Difficulty: Easy
Dogs: Allowed on Leash
Amenities: Picnic table at entrance
Foot Traffic:  We were not alone, encountering several other hikers, all with dogs.  While not uncomfortably crowded we did remain within fifty feet of other people on the trail at most times.
Description: Beebe Pond is a salt pond surrounded by woodland, portions of which are swampy, and a variety of large glacial boulders. 
Resident Critters:  Many Bird Species including Woodpecker varieties, Bald Eagle, Mallard Duck, Canada Goose, Mute Swan; Eastern Striped Skunk, Raccoon, Red Fox, Coyote
Trails: 3: Red, Blue, and Yellow. We took the ~2-mile blue trail which loops around the pond back to the parking area.  There is also an area where you can join with the trails of the Avalonia Nature Preserve.
Activities:  Hiking, Birdwatching, Wildlife Viewing, Fishing (CT Fishing License Required)

Beebe Pond on a beautiful Indian Summer day in October

 

 

Dublin takes care to step over some fallen branches

 

This tree marks an iconic portion of the Pond Loop trail

We began our Beebe Pond hike at the trailhead on Rt. 215, after grabbing tea at The Green Marble Coffee House (See more about The Marble on Yelp.com) just minutes away in Downtown Mystic, CT.  Luckily, we were able to find a parking spot in the tiny dirt lot provided.  

We started on the Pond Loop, or Blue Trail.  Some felled trees, presumably blown over during Hurricane Irene, made the trail a bit more difficult than usual, but they gave Dublin a chance to show off some graceful horse-like jumps :) Watch your step!

A highlight of this trail is a very unusual-looking tree, invitingly climb-able and covered in interesting carvings, with branches that arch backwards toward the pond creating a canopy of shade.  Climbing the tree, or venturing out onto the rocks nearby, offers great pond views.  

Pawcatuck River Wildlife Management Area (Stanton Weir)

Location: Pawcatuck, CT
Cost: Free
Open: Sunrise to Sunset, year-round
Difficulty: Easy
Dogs: Allowed on Leash
Amenities: None
Description: Two short trails leading to the Pawcatuck River, offering beautiful views of Pawcatuck, CT, Westerly, RI, and down the river towards Little Narragansett Bay.  The inlets off of the brackish Pawcatuck River are haven to a variety of wildlife and interesting plant life.
Resident Critters:  Mute Swan, Mallard Ducks, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Cormorant, White-tailed Deer, Muskrat, Eastern Striped Skunk, Raccoon, Red Fox, Coyote, and more.  There have also been sightings of harbor seals and in 2006 an Atlantic white-sided dolphin mistakenly swam past 'The Brink', eventually going quite far up the river.
Trails: 2
Activities:  Hiking, Birdwatching, Wildlife Viewing, Fishing, Canoe/Kayak, End of trail to the right is a great place for a picnic on the water
Foot Traffic: During Fall/Winter, you can usually expect to be alone during the morning/early afternoon hours.  Expect to encounter several other dog walkers in the evening prior to sunset.  Spring/Summer there is increased traffic and fishing throughout the day, however it remains fairly quiet.  

The park has a double-peninsula shape, and is just across the river from Westerly, RI.

Timing our walk for just before sunset guaranteed beautiful skies and a quiet atmosphere.

Dublin braved the cold waters and trampled through some tall grasses to keep an eye
on a dog playing fetch across the cove.

 

Unfortunately, the trees are boasting minimal foliage this year due to

salty sea spray and winds that ravaged leaves during Hurricane Irene's visit 

to the area in late August.

We decided to keep it local this week, with a visit to an old favorite.  Known to locals as “The Brink,” Stanton-Weir State Park on River Road in Pawcatuck, Connecticut is one of a very few places that offers public access to the Pawcatuck River.  The Brink is a great place to launch a kayak or canoe, and even lies adjacent to some intriguing canoe-paths through the tall grasses that grow out of the river’s shoreline waters. 

We brought Dubs here for a walk after a long day of work and school, and were rewarded with views of beautiful sunset skies.  A leash was necessary for a large portion of our walk because several other families were already there with their dogs roaming freely.  

When we eventually found a quiet area to let her off the leash, Dublin bee-lined for the water and hopped in.  This California pooch was definitely not expecting the wrath of late-October New England frigidity that has taken over all local waters, and only made it about knee-deep before she scurried right back on land.

The hike starts at the road, where ample parking is provided in a dirt lot.  A less-commonly used path that veers to the right will take you on one short hike, while just walking straight will take you on another hike of a similar distance.  Both paths lead to the water. 

  

When you have reached the waterfront and can walk no further, across the river you will see the Riverbend Cemetery of Westerly, RI.  On your side of the river, to your left you will see an old, retired 19^th Century thread mill.  It was one of the first mills in the area to be powered by steam during the Industrial Revolution.  It now awaits its heinous fate as a Condominium Development.  

Directions:
From CT/NY: Get off exit 91 on I-95.  Go straight through the stoplight at the end of the off-ramp.  Take your second right onto Farmholme Road.  Farmholme Rd. ends at Rt. 1.  Take a right on Rt 1. and then an immediate left onto Greenhaven Road.  Follow Greenhaven Road approx. 2.5 miles until you reach the intersection with Mary Hall Road.  Take a left on Mary Hall Road.  Take right on River Road.  Parking lot will be on left about 1/8 of a mile down the road, after passing the small water treatment plant.


From RI/MA:  Get off exit 92 on I-95.  Take left at end of offramp onto Rt. 49.  At intersection with Rt. 2, go left.  Follow Rt. 2 until you reach the intersection with Rt. 1 (There will be an intersection under a trainbridge that says Pawcatuck on it).  Take left on Rt. 1 and then immediate right onto Mechanic St.  Mechanic St. becomes River Road.  Stay on River Road, parking lot will be on left.

More Information:
Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association - Official website of the WPWA, information on water quality, events, and the status of the conservation of the river.  Opportunities to volunteer/participate.
Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed - Information on the history of the Pawcatuck River and its' banks from the Pequots to the threadmills, and the subsequent changes in river quality.
Pawcatuck River Wikipedia Entry
Riverbend Cemetery - the scenic cemetery located across the river from this wildlife management area.

Green Falls

 

Fire pits at every picnic area allow for a picnic complete with warmth, smoke to ward

off mosquitos, and delicious s'mores!

“I’m going to hit your dog!” is probably the last thing anyone wants to hear while picnicking in the woods.  But that is exactly how we were greeted by a park ranger at Green Falls, also known as the Green Falls Area of Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown, CT, one fine summer day this August.  We had allowed Dublin to roam about, unleashed and fancy-free, while we set up a picnic at one of the park’s convenient Picnic Areas which comes complete with great pond-side views, a fire pit, and a large picnic table.   

             

 Our memory of this particular park, however, will forever be tainted by the image of that ranger who had already advanced upon Dublin, waving his club menacingly, before we were even aware of his presence.  Sure, we understand that he was trying to enforce the park’s policy about keeping animals leashed, and we can also understand that he would be concerned for his safety (adorable face aside, Dublin is, after all, a Big Scary Boxer!)  But we can not wrap our heads around the idea of someone creating such a threatening presence when his job is based partially on close contact with animals!  We were not surprised when he told us that he “had already been bitten four times this summer” by dogs off leashes—when he arrived at our campsite, he had 1) surprised us (including Dublin) by sneaking in quietly and 2) positioned himself in a way that placed Dublin between him and Emily, prompting Dublin to become very defensive of her beloved Human.  Under these tense circumstances, he ordered Emily to put a leash on Dublin. 

Thankfully, Dublin was a good girl and allowed Emily to leash her and lead her back to the picnic table, away from the ranger.  No Dublins were harmed in the making of this story, but a $75 ticket hammered home the message:  Don’t let your dog off of his or her leash for a SECOND at Green Falls. 

Oh, and before he finally left our picnic area, the ranger also reminded us that $75 fines will be issued to EACH PERSON PRESENT if they are found swimming in the pond outside of the park’s Designated Swimming Area.  The designated area is near the campsites, and is enclosed by buoys and ropes.  "I'll be around," he warned before heading back up the trail toward the road.

 

If you are planning a visit to Green Falls anytime soon, be sure to check out their website, http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2716&Q=325072, for a complete list of rules and regulations.  Because if you’re anything like us, a $75 picnic is just NOT in your price range!