Metacomet Trail: Difference between revisions

:''This topic is {{about |a footpath in Connecticut. It should not be confused with |the similarly named [[Metacomet-Monadnock Trail]]trail of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.''|Metacomet-Monadnock Trail}}

The '''Metacomet Trail''' is a {{convert|62.7|mi|adj=on}} ''[[Blue-Blazed Trails|Blue-Blazed]]'' [[hiking]] trail that traverses the [[Metacomet Ridge]] of central [[Connecticut]] and is a part of the newly designated ''''[[New England National Scenic Trail]]''''. Despite being easily accessible and close to large population centers, the trail is considered remarkably rugged and scenic. The route includes many areas of unique ecologic, historic, and geologic interest. Notable features include waterfalls, dramatic cliff faces, woodlands, swamps, lakes, river flood plain, farmland, significant historic sites, and the summits of [[Talcott Mountain]] and the [[Hanging Hills]].<ref name="C">Connecticut Walk Book: A Trail Guide to the Connecticut Outdoors. 17th Edition. The Connecticut Forest and Park Association. Rockfall, Connecticut. Undated.</ref><ref>[http://www.connix.com/~harry/twep.htm The Traprock Wilderness Recovery Strategy. Cited Dec. 13, 2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816185019/http://www.connix.com/~harry/twep.htm |date=2007-08-16 }}</ref> The Metacomet Trail is maintained largely through the efforts of the [[Connecticut Forest and Park Association]].

On March 30, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the ''''[[Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009]]<nowiki>'</nowiki>''' establishing the [[New England National Scenic Trail]] (and two other national scenic trails).<ref>{{cite news| url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/03/30/obama_signs_major_land_conserv.html?wprss=44 | workarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405185310/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/03/30/obama_signs_major_land_conserv.html?wprss=44 | url-status=dead | archive-date=April 5, 2012 | newspaper=The Washington Post | title=Obama Signs Major Land Conservation Law}}</ref>

The combination of the Metacomet, Monadnock and Mattabesett trails is also often referred to as the ''''3-M'''', ''''MMM'''' or Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett trail. The [[New England National Scenic Trail]] includes all or almost all of the ''''MMM'''' trails as well as the new extension trail from the southernmost point on the Mattabesett Trail through Guilford, Connecticut to the northern shore of Long Island Sound.<ref name="MMM">{{cite web |url=http://newenglandnst.org/Map.aspx |title=New England National Scenic Trail |website=newenglandnst.org |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100903212209/http://newenglandnst.org/Map.aspx |archive-date=3 September 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Metacomet Trail extends from the [[Connecticut]]/ [[Massachusetts]] border south through [[Hartford County, Connecticut|Hartford]] and northern [[New Haven County, Connecticut|New Haven]] counties in Connecticut. The southern terminus of the trail is located just east of the [[Hanging Hills]] on [[U.S. Route 5]], {{convert|4|mi|0}} north of the city of [[Meriden, Connecticut|Meriden]], in the town of [[Berlin, Connecticut]]; the northern terminus is located in the hamlet of Rising Corner, part of [[Suffield, Connecticut]], {{convert|7|mi|0}} southwest of [[Springfield, Massachusetts]]. The {{convert|110|mi|adj=on}} [[Metacomet-Monadnock Trail]] in Massachusetts and the [[Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway]] in [[New Hampshire]] continue the footway north from the Metacomet Trail another {{convert|160|mi}} to central New Hampshire. The {{convert|50|mi|adj=on}} [[Mattabesett Trail]] picks up where the Metacomet Trail leaves off in Berlin and continues south to [[Totoket Mountain]] then northeast to the [[Connecticut River]] in [[Middletown, Connecticut|Middletown]].<ref name="C"/><ref name="autogenerated1999">The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail Guide. 9th Edition. The Appalachian Mountain Club. Amherst, Massachusetts, 1999</ref><ref>Hardy, David. ''Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail Guide'' 4th ed. Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, Concord, New Hampshire, 1994.</ref>

The Metacomet Trail traverses the [[trap rock]] [[Metacomet Ridge]] which extends from [[Long Island Sound]] to the Massachusetts/ [[Vermont]] border. This ridge, rising hundreds of feet above the [[Connecticut River]], [[Farmington River]], and [[Quinnipiac River]] valleys, is a prominent landscape feature of central Connecticut. From south to north, the trail uses the ridges of the [[Hanging Hills]], [[Short Mountain (Connecticut)|Short Mountain]], [[Ragged Mountain (Connecticut)|Ragged Mountain]], [[Bradley Mountain]], [[Pinnacle Rock (Connecticut)|Pinnacle Rock]], [[Rattlesnake Mountain (Connecticut)|Rattlesnake Mountain]], [[Farmington Mountain]], [[Talcott Mountain]], [[Hatchet Hill]], [[Peak Mountain]], and [[West Suffield Mountain]]. Abrupt vertical cliffs with visible [[scree|talus]] slopes and frequent viewpoints are common throughout. Views are generally to the west from West Suffield Mountain south through Ragged Mountain; with views in all directions at varying points in the Hanging Hills. The Farmington River cuts through the ridgeline between Hatchet Hill and Talcott Mountain in the Tariffville Gorge (east of [[Simsbury, Connecticut|Simsbury]]). Historic features along the trail include [[Old Newgate Prison]] museum and copper mine in East Granby; [[Heublein Tower]] on Talcott Mountain with expansive view of four states; the [[Hill-Stead]] museum in [[Farmington, Connecticut]], notable for its [[France|French]] [[impressionist]] painting collection and gardens; and [[Hubbard Park (Meriden, Connecticut)|Hubbard Park]] of the Hanging Hills of Meriden, designed with the help of famous landscape architect [[Frederick Law Olmsted]] and crowned with a small observation tower known as Castle Craig.<ref name="C"/><ref name="CDEP"/><ref name="H">[http://www.visitnewhaven.com/pdfs/trails/Meriden/TrailMapHubbardPark.pdf Hubbard Park. PDF Brochure] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304213913/http://www.visitnewhaven.com/pdfs/trails/Meriden/TrailMapHubbardPark.pdf |date=2009-03-04 }}. South Central Regional Council of Governments. Cited Dec. 13, 2007.</ref> The trap rock ridges and talus slopes of the Metacomet Ridge are also home to several unique [[microclimate]] ecosystems that support species of plants that are unusual or endangered in this part of [[New England]], and are a seasonal migration path for [[birds of prey|raptors]].<ref name="EF">Farnsworth, Elizabeth J. [http://www.mmmtrail.org/NaturalResourcesAssessmentFinal.pdf "Metacomet-Mattabesett Trail Natural Resource Assessment."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807215610/http://mmmtrail.org/NaturalResourcesAssessmentFinal.pdf |date=2007-08-07 }}, 2004. PDF file. Cited Nov. 20, 2007.

The Metacomet Trail passes through land located within the following incorporated towns, from south to north: [[Berlin, Connecticut|Berlin]], [[Meriden, Connecticut|Meriden]], [[Southington, Connecticut|Southington]], [[New Britain, Connecticut|New Britain]], [[Plainville, Connecticut|Plainville]], [[Farmington, Connecticut|Farmington]], [[West Hartford, Connecticut|West Hartford]], [[Avon, Connecticut|Avon]], [[Bloomfield, Connecticut|Bloomfield]], [[Simsbury, Connecticut|Simsbury]], [[East Granby, Connecticut|East Granby]], and [[Suffield, Connecticut]] <ref name="C"/><ref name="De">DeLorme Topo 6.0. Mapping Software. DeLorme, Yarmouth, Maine</ref>

[[Image:Ragged Mountain CT.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Ragged Mountain summit]]The Metacomet Ridge that forms the spine of the Metacomet Trail was formed 200 million years ago during the late [[Triassic]] and early [[Jurassic]] periods, and is composed of trap rock, also known as [[basalt]], an [[extrusive]] [[volcanic rock]]. Basalt is a dark colored rock, but the [[iron]] within it weathers to a rusty brown when exposed to the air, lending the ledges a distinct reddish appearance. Basalt frequently breaks into octagonal and pentagonal columns, creating a unique "postpile" appearance. Huge slopes made of fractured basalt [[scree]] are visible beneath many of the cliffs along the Metacomet Trail.<ref name="Raymo">[[Raymo, Chet]] and [[Raymo, Maureen E.]] ''Written in Stone: A Geologic History of the Northeastern United States''. Globe Pequot, Chester, Connecticut, 1989.</ref>

The Metacomet Ridge hosts a combination of [[microclimate]]s unusual in New England. Dry, hot upper ridges support [[oak savanna]]s, often dominated by [[chestnut oak]] and a variety of understory grasses and ferns. [[Juniperus virginiana|Eastern red cedar]], a dry-loving species, clings to the barren edges of cliffs. Prickly pear cactus has been recorded on the south-facing slopes of Ragged Mountain. Backslope plant communities tend to be more similar to the adjacent upland plateaus containing species common to the [[northern hardwood forest|northern hardwood]] and [[oak-hickory forest]] types. [[Tsuga canadensis|Eastern hemlock]] crowds narrow ravines, blocking sunlight and creating damp, cooler growing conditions with associated cooler climate plant species. Talus slopes are especially rich in nutrients and support a number of calcium-loving plants uncommon in Massachusetts. Many bogs, ponds, and reservoirs lie cupped between trap rock ridge shelves, demonstrating the value of these ridges as important [[aquifers]] and [[wetland]] ecosystem habitats. Because the Metacomet Ridge generates such varied terrain, it is the home of several plant and animal species that are state-listed or globally rare.<ref name="EF"/><ref>A good, thorough study of the Metacomet Ridge environment and its species can be found within a report commissioned by the [[National Park Service]] as part of its [http://www.mmmtrail.org/NaturalResourcesAssessmentFinal.pdf New England National Scenic Trail Study] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807215610/http://mmmtrail.org/NaturalResourcesAssessmentFinal.pdf |date=2007-08-07 }}.</ref> The Traprock Wilderness Recovery Strategy (1991) was an early attempt to protect the ridges from sprawl. It received the Connecticut Governor's Green Circle Award yet was ignored by authorities in Southington, Berlin, New Britain, and Meriden. Since then, sprawl has eroded the ecological integrity of the trail corridor, particularly in Southington. That said, Southington has acquired the Crescent Lake compartment, yet now has plans to log it (2014) without regard for the ecological sensitivity of the area.

[[Image:King Philip C by Revere.jpg|thumb|left|100px|''Metacom'' "Philip. King of Mount Hope" — 1772 engraving of a caricature by [[Paul Revere]]]]

In the late 19th century, interests in mountains as places to build recreational footpaths took root in New England with organizations such as the [[Appalachian Mountain Club]][http://www.outdoors.org/], the [[Green Mountain Club]][http://www.greenmountainclub.org/], and the [[Connecticut Forest and Park Association]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ctwoodlands.org/CFPA.html |title=CFPA |access-date=2007-12-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070907112622/http://www.ctwoodlands.org/CFPA.html |archive-date=2007-09-07 }}</ref> Following the pioneering effort of the Green Mountain Club in the inauguration of Vermont's [[Long Trail]] in 1918,<ref>[http://www.greenmountainclub.org/ Green Mountain Club.] Cited Dec. 22, 2007</ref> the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, spearheaded by Edgar Laing Heermance, created the 23-mile (37&nbsp;km) [[Quinnipiac Trail]] on the Metacomet Ridge in southern Connecticut in 1928 and soon followed it up with the Metacomet Trail. Over {{convert|700|mi}} of "blue blaze trails" in Connecticut were completed by the association by the end of the 20th century.<ref name="CFPA">[http://www.ctwoodlands.org/CFPA.html Connecticut Forest and Park Association] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070907112622/http://www.ctwoodlands.org/CFPA.html |date=2007-09-07 }} Cited. Dec. 23, 2007</ref>

The name "[[Metacomet]]" was borrowed from the 17th century [[sachem]] of the [[Wampanoag (tribe)|Wampanoag Tribe]] of southern New England who led his people during [[King Philip's War]].<ref name="autogenerated1999"/> According to popular folklore, Metacomet, dubbed "King Phillip" by the [[England|English]] colonists, watched the burning of the village of Simsbury in 1676 from a cave on Talcott Mountain. The cave is now known as [[King Phillip's Cave (Connecticut)|King Phillip's Cave]], accessible via a side trail from the Metacomet Trail. [[Joseph Wadsworth]] is also said to have camped at the cave after saving the [[History of Connecticut|Charter of Connecticut]] from being repossessed by the King's emissary.<ref>W.H. Gocher. [http://www.quinnipiac.edu/other/abl/etext/Wadsworth/wadsworthcomplete2.html "Wadsworth, or the Charter Oak"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011174306/http://www.quinnipiac.edu/other/abl/etext/Wadsworth/wadsworthcomplete2.html |date=2008-10-11 }} Hartford, 1904.</ref>

[[Old Newgate Prison]], located below Peak Mountain, was originally a [[copper mine]], opened in 1705. After mining operations proved unprofitable, the colony of [[Connecticut]] converted it to a prison and named it after [[Newgate Prison]] of [[London]]. The first prisoner, John Hinson, was committed for burglary in 1773. Later [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Tories]] and Loyalists were held there during the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]]. In 1790 it became a state prison, the first such in the United States. After the prison closed in 1827 mining operations resumed for a time, but since the 1860s it has been mainly a tourist attraction. In 1972 Old Newgate Prison was declared a [[National Historic Landmark]].<ref name="nrhpinv2">{{Cite documentweb|url=http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/{{NHLS/Text/ url|id=70000839.pdf}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Old Newgate Prison and Copper Mine|date=January 4, 1972 |author=Charles W. Snell |publisher=National Park Service|postscript=<!-- Bot inserted parameter. Either remove it; or change its value to "." for the cite to end in a ".", as necessary. -->{{inconsistent citations}}}} and {{PDFlinkNHLS url|[http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Photos/id=70000839.pdf |title=Accompanying 6 photos, exterior and interior, from 1971.]|photos=y}}&nbsp;{{small|(2.10&nbsp;MB)}}</ref>

The Hanging Hills' [[Hubbard Park (Meriden, Connecticut)|Hubbard Park]] was financed by Walter Hubbard, local entrepreneur and president of the Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Company. Most of the land in the park was given to the town of Meriden by him, offered outright, with the stipulation that everything connected with the park was to remain free of charge for the people of Meriden, and that no concessions for profit would ever allowed within the park. Hubbard elicited the assistance of notable landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmsted in drawing up the design. Finished in 1900, Itit comprises approximately {{convert|1800|acre|km2}} of carefully kept woodlands, streams, dramatic cliff faces, flower gardens, and the James Barry bandshell and picnic spots. [[Castle Craig]], a stone observation tower built on [[East Peak (New Haven County, Connecticut)|East Peak]], and Mirror Lake, nestled between the high ledges of East Peak and [[South Mountain (New Haven County, Connecticut)|South Mountain]], are considered particularly scenic.<ref name="Meriden">[http://www.cityofmeriden.org/CMS/default.asp?CMS_PageID=426&PrinterVersion=True City of Meriden] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090821091813/http://www.cityofmeriden.org/CMS/default.asp?CMS_PageID=426&PrinterVersion=True |date=2009-08-21 }}. Cited Dec. 13, 2007</ref>

[[Image:Hill-Stead Museum (Farmington, CT) - west facade.JPG|right|thumb|[[Hill-Stead Museum]]]][[Hill-Stead]], now a museum, was created on {{convert|250|acre|km2}} of Farmington Mountain as a country estate for wealthy industrialist [[Alfred Atmore Pope]], to the designs of his daughter [[Theodate Pope Riddle]] in 1901. Theodate inherited the house after her parents' deaths, and prior to her own passing in 1946 willed Hill-Stead Museum as a memorial to her parents. Hill-Stead comprises {{convert|152|acre|km2}}. Buildings include the {{convert|33000|sqft|m2|singadj=on}} [[colonial-revival]] style Pope-Riddle House; an 18th-century farm house; a carriage garage with an arts and crafts theater; and a barn and additional farm buildings. The house is extensively furnished with paintings, prints, and art. Highlights include works by [[Édouard Manet]], [[Claude Monet]], [[James McNeill Whistler]], [[Albrecht Dürer]] and postcards including correspondence from [[Mary Cassatt]], [[Henry James]], and James McNeill Whistler.<ref>[http://www.hillstead.org/ Hill-Stead Museum]. cited Dec. 19, 2007.</ref>

The Hanging Hills are allegedly stalked by the supernatural presence of the "Black Dog of the Hanging Hills";, (aan frequentAmerican spectreexample inof folkloretraditional worldwide; seeEnglish [[Black dog (ghostfolklore)|Black dog]]) folklore. According to local mythology extant since at least the early 19th century, the Black Dog manifests as a small black dog, often gregarious in nature, who leaves no footprints and makes no sound. To see the Black Dog the first time results in joy; a second sighting, misfortune. Seeing the Black Dog a third time would result in one's death. At least six deaths have been blamed on third meetings with the Black Dog.<ref>[http://cttrips.blogspot.com/2006/01/hanging-hills-of-meriden-legend.html Connecticut Windows on the Natural World]. cited Dec. 13, 2007.</ref>

The trail is blazed with blue rectangles. It is regularly maintained, and is considered easy hiking, with sections of rugged and moderately difficult hiking.<ref name="C"/> As the crow flies, the Metacomet Trail route is never more than a mile or two from a public road. However, cliffs and steep terrain make access much more difficult in some areas. There are no camping facilities along the trail and camping is generally prohibited. 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]] <ref name="C"/>

Weather along the route is typical of [[Connecticut]]. Conditions on exposed ridge tops and summits may be harsher during cold or stormy weather.<ref name="NOAA">[http://www.weather.gov/ NOAA]</ref> [[Lightning]] 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.<ref name="C"/>

The footway of the Metacomet Trail is maintained by volunteer efforts largely facilitated by the [[Connecticut Forest and Park Association]]. Many groups are invested in preserving the landscape and ecosystem of the Metacomet Trail, including the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, the [[Metropolitan District of Connecticut]] (responsible for the watershed properties on Talcott Mountain), Suffield Land Conservancy, East Granby Land Trust, Farmington Land Trust, Meriden Land Trust, Berlin Land Trust, Simsbury Land Trust, Ragged Mountain Foundation, and the Avon Land Trust.<ref>Information derived from the websites of these organizations. Links provided below.</ref>

* [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1528: U.S. Congress ''New England National Scenic Trail Designation Act.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704225141/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1528: |date=2016-07-04 }}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071008121203/http://www.mmmtrail.org/DocsForLinks/MMMExecSummary.pdf NPS brochure for National Scenic Trail proposal.]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090304213913/http://www.visitnewhaven.com/pdfs/trails/Meriden/TrailMapHubbardPark.pdf Map of Hubbard Park]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070816185019/http://www.connix.com/~harry/twep.htm The Traprock Wilderness Recovery Strategy]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081209045339/http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/stateparks/maps/talcgis.pdf Talcott Mountain State Park map]

* [http://www.farmington-ct.org/docs/about/forvisitors/trailsystem/trailMap.pdi Map of trails onin Farmington]{{Dead link|date=April 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929223527/http://www.berlinlandtrust.org/activities.html Ragged Mountain trail map and driving directions] (scroll down for map).

* [httphttps://wwwweb.archive.org/web/20071216012420/http://meridenlandtrust.com/ Meriden Land Trust]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071213004554/http://berlinlandtrust.org/ Berlin Land Trust]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070701000110/http://www.raggedmtn.org/pn/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=4 Ragged Mountain Foundation]

[[Category:VisitorTourist attractions in Hartford County, Connecticut]]