My Suburban Escapes

Pure joy for me is throwing my kayak, boots and hiking sticks in my car and hitting the open road in autumn with just the slightest suggestion of a destination in mind. You really can’t go wrong when bathed in gold and red with a cool breeze coming through the car windows and the butt heat on full blast. Take for example the Farmington River Valley. Google told me it is “the lowlands and floodplain flanked by the Litchfield Hills on the west (the northern terminus of the large Mid-Atlantic Highlands Region) and Talcott Mountain on the east (a section of the more extensive Metacomet Ridge)”, but I couldn’t exactly put that in my GPS. So I armed myself with a little recon and a map in hand, and pieced together a perfect day.

In the northwestern corner of Connecticut, a river unfurls from two branches, East and West, which converge as the Farmington before rolling through the lush lands of three state parks: American Legion, People’s Forest and Naupaug.  The upper river flows southward and is shallow and fast, making it perfect for flyfishing and Class II/III white water kayaking when the water levels are right. It makes a dogleg turn in Farmington then runs mostly north (a disconcerting geographic marker) until it dumps into the Connecticut River in Windsor. This lower section has a slower deeper flow and is perfect for a lazy paddle through gorgeous rolling farmland with not a soul in sight. 

The Farmington is the longest tributary of the Connecticut River at an 80-mile length from its origin on the West Branch, and it played an important role in small-scale manufacturing from the mid 1800s through the early 20^th century. As the chief fishing grounds of the Masaco Native Americans, a band of the Wappinger, it flowed unencumbered until the Dutch purchased the land and began to settle in the mid 1600s. By the mid 1800s it was dammed, exploited and polluted by manufacturing companies until the great flood of 1955 washed away most of what was left of the industries. There are fabulous bones of this history still standing, quite a sight to behold while floating along with only the company of herons, eagles, turtles and deer. Much of the river has now been designated as part of the United States National Wild & Scenic Rivers System, the first river in Connecticut to be deemed such. Fewer than 1% of rivers nationwide have this designation, and we’re fortunate to have two of them (the Delaware River also) within driving range.  

I’ve had the pleasure of fly fishing, kayaking and hiking sections of both the upper and lower river, all with the expert advice of “local knowledge”. The trip I share below is only 75 miles from Rye, an hour and 45” drive, so there’s plenty of time to pack in several activities before sunset.

My upper Farmington day began with a paddle on the West Branch Reservoir (known as Hogback Reservoir to locals) just above Goodwin Dam. The dam is now closed to traffic, but there’s an easy launch on the west side of the dam. The water below the dam is usually too low to kayak comfortably and is generally dependent on dam releases for solid flow.  It abounds with fly fishermen in spring and fall. There is a large parking lot and a potty by the launch. Paddling the periphery of the reservoir takes about an hour.

Afterwards, i loaded up and made the short drive south to the village of Riverton to cross the bridge and head south on East River Road, a crazy beautiful road with spots that require one car passing at a time and no shoulder. There’s a parking area a mile down on the right (river side), across the street from the entrance to the Lighthouse Trail in Peoples State Forest. This park has been preserved by the state of Connecticut and named for the multi-ethnic village which thrived there from 1810 to 1860 whose night lights guided river travelers, hence the trail name. Founded by Native American James Chaugham of the Narragansett Tribe and his wife Molly of European descent, the village attracted Native American settlers as well as those from Africa and Europe. There are maps at the trail entrance kiosk directing you to excavated remains of the settlement including a cemetery, cellar, stone quarry, grind-stone and charcoal kilns. Follow the blue/yellow trail markers up to the Grand Vista for a spectacular view of the valley, then back down through the old village. This takes about an hour.

I then continued my drive south on East River Road where there are several other trailheads through Peoples State Forest. Cross back west of the river (right) on the Hwy 181 bridge and head South on Scenic River Road West through Pleasant Valley, then head home via Hwy 44.

I did a lower Farmington paddle on another day, launching at the Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge in Simsbury and paddling south (against the current) to the Pinchot Sycamore Tree just before the Hartford Road bridge then back again (about 2.5 hrs). There’s a parking lot, potty and a launch on the west side of the Flower Bridge down a trail behind the pavilion.

For rental gear, guidance and more paddle plans, check out:

*Collinsville Canoe and Kayak, 41 Bridge Street, Canton, CT. 860.693.6977. www.collinsvillecanoe.com.

*Main Stream Canoes and Kayaks, 170 Main Street, New Hartford, CT. 860.693.6791 www.mainstreamcanoe.com.