Connecticut

[Wandering Deer]

Between the border of Connecticut to Pawling, New York, are there any POI that aren't mentioned in traditional guides that are nice, or places you've discovered that other people don't know about? I'm thinking peaks, swimming holes, fields, etc. I'm also super fascinated by Dudleytown, but without a guide, the thought of that isn't very fascinating at all.

[Sarcasm the elf]

While I also have a fascination with the legend of Dudleytown, I highly recommend that you don't visit. It isn't on the A.T. and it is also likely that you will be arrested if you trespass into the site of the old village. Over the last 15 years or so there have been a number of costly search and rescues needed to carry injured curiosity seekers out of the area around Dudleytown and both the property owners and the town of cornwall got fed up and started to viciously crack down on people who go there without permission. I don't mean to be a downer, I just wanted to give you fair warning.

As for other sites, most of the cool things to see on the trail are in the guidebook Bear mountain is awesome, Riga shelter offers an amazing view of the sunrise, the old hanglider launch provides a great view of Limerock racetrack, The hydroelectric dam at falls village is very cool as well as the old iron bridge (As a warning, the bridge is being torn down sometime soon, so you may have to deal with a reroute on the trail between falls village and the route 7 bridge. I haven't heard any info on when this is going to happen, but probably this year or next.). If the bridge is still there, stop by Toymakers cafe which is in town about a quarter of a mile away from the grassy area south of the iron bridge (check the guidebook for directions) they have great sandwiches and are hiker friendly.

Farther south, you have the Housatonic river walk, ST. Johns ledges, which is a short but very steep climb/decent, with decent views. There is another nice river walk south of Kent which will bring you close to the NY border.

One last note, Wiley shelter which is the closest shelter north of the A.T. Train station has a reputation for attracting rowdy groups. It is only a few hundred yards from a road and between this and the proximity to the train station, it has become a popular spot. I've never had a problem there myself and I don't think it would be a big deal but I just thought I'd give you a heads up so that you know ahead of time.

[Old Grouse]

Limerock Racetrack is great if you have an interest and is a short walk from the AT crossing at the intersection of Rtes 7 and 112. Not much activity weekdays and NEVER on Sundays. Most any Saturday can have av
ctivities of interest. Google the website.

[Wandering Deer]

While I also have a fascination with the legend of Dudleytown, I highly recommend that you don't visit. It isn't on the A.T. and it is also likely that you will be arrested if you trespass into the site of the old village. Over the last 15 years or so there have been a number of costly search and rescues needed to carry injured curiosity seekers out of the area around Dudleytown and both the property owners and the town of cornwall got fed up and started to viciously crack down on people who go there without permission. I don't mean to be a downer, I just wanted to give you fair warning.

I wouldn't say that you're a downer. I was honestly expecting that to be the case. I'd prefer to do my eventual thru of the AT through Dudleytown, but without any map, or guide of the place, the idea of that is a little more than daunting. I have thought about getting permission to go through there during the day, because it's supposedly a "wildlife sanctuary" now, but part of me feels that the "Dark Entry" Association, or whatever they call themselves, is just a front. I like cellar holes a lot. Are there more on the regular AT in CT?

[Monkeywrench]

I wouldn't say that you're a downer. I was honestly expecting that to be the case. I'd prefer to do my eventual thru of the AT through Dudleytown, but without any map, or guide of the place, the idea of that is a little more than daunting. I have thought about getting permission to go through there during the day, because it's supposedly a "wildlife sanctuary" now, but part of me feels that the "Dark Entry" Association, or whatever they call themselves, is just a front. I like cellar holes a lot. Are there more on the regular AT in CT?

I don't understand this fascination with Dudleytown. It's just some cellar holes, just like other cellar holes you can see all over New England.

In any case, Dudleytown is not along the AT. Years ago, when the AT crossed the Housatonic at Cornwall Bridge and went east up Dark Entry Ravine and on through the Mohawk State Forest, it passed through Duudleytown. That section of the AT is now the Mohawk Trail, but the section that went through Dudleytown has long since been rerouted.

You can find other cellar holes along the old road that runs east-west just north of the campsite at Sages Ravine. All we need is for someone to publish a book claiming it's haunted, and throngs of people will be heading there as well.

[Wandering Deer]

I don't understand this fascination with Dudleytown. It's just some cellar holes, just like other cellar holes you can see all over New England.

In any case, Dudleytown is not along the AT. Years ago, when the AT crossed the Housatonic at Cornwall Bridge and went east up Dark Entry Ravine and on through the Mohawk State Forest, it passed through Duudleytown. That section of the AT is now the Mohawk Trail, but the section that went through Dudleytown has long since been rerouted.

I completely understand the fascination with Dudleytown, but a lot of it is hype. Thank Mr. Big Shot Actor for that. It's an abandoned ghost town deep in the woods where people murdered each other. Sounds paranormal to me, or maybe it was just water poisoning. Either way, my fascination with it is due to my love of history. Nothing paranormal about that. I find most stories of people settling here in New England to be very fascinating. I've been trying to figure out how I can go through Dudleytown up through Mohawk State Forest (or southbound) to do an AT hike through it. Mohawk State Forest is awesome.

[Wandering Deer]

I noticed that there are four towns on the AT in Connecticut (on the trail map right on, or off the trail). Are they all accessible from the trail, or is Kent the only real place immediately accessible?

[Donde]

Salisbury is easy to get in and out of. Had two excellent meals and a fine grocery there.

[gsingjane]

If it were me, I'd avoid overnighting at the Stewart Hollow shelter. Depending on the time of year, you may be plagued by hellgramites. Take it from me, you do not ever EVER want to come in contact with one of these things, much less a swarm of them, much less in the pitch dark. You're much better off to hike the few extra miles NOBO and stay at the Silver Hill campsite and maybe the pump will be working and maybe the swing won't be broken!

[adamkrz]

Cornwall Bridge is also off the trail, It has a gas station - general store - Outdoor store and a package store, This is where the dark entry road is and start of the Mohawk trail.

[Snowleopard]

There was a thriving iron/steel industry in the Taconics 200 years ago (NW CT, SW Mass and adjoining NY).
Mt. Riga blast furnace, Mt Washington Road, Salisbury:
http://nynjctbotany.org/lgtofc/mtrigablastfurnace.html
Also, over the NY border, there is an old blast furnace in Taconic State Park. Bashbish falls is close to this and also worth a visit.

[Driver8]

Salisbury has nice food and other things, though on the pricey side. I like the tea and cakes shop, Chaiwalla, right at the intersection of Rts. 41 and 44. The cobblers, pies, etc., are superb and the tea selection quite nice. The Fife n' Drum in Kent, also pricey, is a superb place for dinner, with live piano accompaniment.

[Carry-On]

If it were me, I'd avoid overnighting at the Stewart Hollow shelter. Depending on the time of year, you may be plagued by hellgramites. Take it from me, you do not ever EVER want to come in contact with one of these things, much less a swarm of them, much less in the pitch dark. You're much better off to hike the few extra miles NOBO and stay at the Silver Hill campsite and maybe the pump will be working and maybe the swing won't be broken!

I really liked Silver Hill campsite. There was a privy there and the pump worked when I was there, though you had to pump 30+ times to get the water up. Someone said it was a deep well. There was a pavilion with picnic tables and benches and a register. Here's the link to my blog on the night I stayed there, if you want to check it out.

http://carryonadventures.blogspot.com/2013/02/6-30-12-kent-ct-to-silver-hill-campsite.html

[coach lou]

I really liked Silver Hill campsite. There was a privy there and the pump worked when I was there, though you had to pump 30+ times to get the water up. Someone said it was a deep well. There was a pavilion with picnic tables and benches and a register. Here's the link to my blog on the night I stayed there, if you want to check it out.

http://carryonadventures.blogspot.com/2013/02/6-30-12-kent-ct-to-silver-hill-campsite.html

A spider, as big as my hand, lives in that privy:eek:

[Carry-On]

A spider, as big as my hand, lives in that privy:eek:

Ack!!!!!!
Never mind. I change my opinion entirely. Stay away! :eek:

[coach lou]

Helps keep the bugs down!:)

[Sarcasm the elf]

A spider, as big as my hand, lives in that privy:eek:

I stayed at Silver hill campsite last September. Beautiful site, the chair swing worked fine, the water pump worked, but required a good bit of priming....

... And the privy smelled so bad that I avoided getting within 100 feet of it, never had a chance to notice the spider...

[coach lou]

I stayed at Silver hill campsite last September. Beautiful site, the chair swing worked fine, the water pump worked, but required a good bit of priming....

... And the privy smelled so bad that I avoided getting within 100 feet of it, never had a chance to notice the spider...

Mackenzie found it first.........I'm surprized you didn't hear her..............from Shelton!

[Sarcasm the elf]

Mackenzie found it first.........I'm surprized you didn't hear her..............from Shelton!

You forget that I was only about two miles ahead of you on the trail last memorial day weekend...so that's what that noise was.

[BillyGr]

While I also have a fascination with the legend of Dudleytown, I highly recommend that you don't visit. It isn't on the A.T. and it is also likely that you will be arrested if you trespass into the site of the old village. Over the last 15 years or so there have been a number of costly search and rescues needed to carry injured curiosity seekers out of the area around Dudleytown and both the property owners and the town of cornwall got fed up and started to viciously crack down on people who go there without permission. I don't mean to be a downer, I just wanted to give you fair warning.


Kind of surprising with all the interest in the site that those in charge haven't tried to set up some kind of "tours" of the area.



One last note, Wiley shelter which is the closest shelter north of the A.T. Train station has a reputation for attracting rowdy groups. It is only a few hundred yards from a road and between this and the proximity to the train station, it has become a popular spot. I've never had a problem there myself and I don't think it would be a big deal but I just thought I'd give you a heads up so that you know ahead of time.

Wiley is actually South of the AT station (just 1.2 miles from the CT/NY line per the 2006 databook, while the station is at 7.1) but it is close to the road (such that you can look downhill and see the road - listed at 0.2 mi from road, may be even less). We were there (group of 4) a couple years ago on a Friday night in April and no one else was there, but I can see why it would be a popular place with the easy access.

The shelter closest North of the station is Telephone Pioneers (10.2) and that one was 0.7 mi past the road, all of it quite uphill, so probably less likely to be a party area? Also - if there is rain, think about this one - what was an easy rock crossing over a little stream into the shelter in the afternoon would have been difficult to exit in the middle of the night (should that have been needed) after a downpour. It still sounded like a waterfall the next morning :).

[coach lou]

Kind of surprising with all the interest in the site that those in charge haven't tried to set up some kind of "tours" of the area.



Wiley is actually South of the AT station (just 1.2 miles from the CT/NY line per the 2006 databook, while the station is at 7.1) but it is close to the road (such that you can look downhill and see the road - listed at 0.2 mi from road, may be even less). We were there (group of 4) a couple years ago on a Friday night in April and no one else was there, but I can see why it would be a popular place with the easy access.

The shelter closest North of the station is Telephone Pioneers (10.2) and that one was 0.7 mi past the road, all of it quite uphill, so probably less likely to be a party area? Also - if there is rain, think about this one - what was an easy rock crossing over a little stream into the shelter in the afternoon would have been difficult to exit in the middle of the night (should that have been needed) after a downpour. It still sounded like a waterfall the next morning :).

Billy, you are confusing the 2 shelters. Telephone Pioneers is north of Nuclear Lake, then East rock view, then the dover oak, the swamp river and board-walk, Train Station & Rt.22, Pawling. After the Water tower and fields you cross Hamersley Mountain, on the north east slope you will come to Wiley Shelter, 200 yards from Duell Hollow Road, 1 more mile and you are in the Nutmeg State.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

A spider, as big as my hand, lives in that privy:eek:


Exactly how big is your hand, Lou?