The Shenipsit Trail
East Hampton to Stafford
50 miles
The Shenipsit Trail is located in Central Connecticut and mostly follows the low ridgeline east of the Connecticut River. It runs for about 50 miles in a north-south direction. There are about 25 miles of regional Shenipsit Trails as well. The southern trailhead is in the Cobalt section of East Hampton near Great Hill and heads north to a random road in northern Stafford, just shy of the Massachusetts border. The trail navigates through several populated suburban areas and it also crosses a few highways.
For whatever reason, the S’nip is always overlooked when discussing Connecticut’s (relatively) long distance trails. Which is a shame, because it has a lot of interesting features along its way. The trail runs primarily through the Shenipsit and Meshomasic State Forests, but also hits some Hop River State Park Trail in Bolton and Vernon and courses through places such as Case Mountain, Gay City State Park, and Soapstone Mountain.
Let’s hike!
My sections are my own designation. They begin at the southern terminus along Gadpouch Road in East Hampton and end on Greaves Road in Stafford.
Section 1: Gadpouch Road to Route 2, E. Hampton, Portland, Glastonbury
Section 2: Route 2 to Coop Sawmill Road, Glastonbury
Section 3: Coop Sawmill Road to Rte 31 Commuter Lot, Manchester, Bolton, Vernon
Section 4: Exit 67/Rte 31 Commuter Lot to Hopkins Rd., Vernon, Tolland, Ellington
Section 5: Hopkins Road to Old County Road, Ellington, Somers, Stafford
Section 6: Old County Road to Greaves Road, Stafford
CTMQ’s hikes of the Shenipsit Regional Trails