The Nipmuck Trail is a 34.5 mile CFPA Blue Blaze Trail shaped like an upside down ‘Y’ that stretches from The Massachusetts border in the north to Mansfield at its Southern terminii. Highlights include Nipmuck State Forest, Bigelow Hollow State Park, Breakneck Pond and the Yale-Myers Forest. This is one of my favourite trails of all the blue blaze trails in CT and the section through Yale Forest in particular is spectacular.

In Depth Guide

The Nipmuck Trail is a truly beautiful trail and a fantastic opportunity to avoid lots of people on the trails. Its an ‘oddball’ of a trail in that it is Y shaped and the logistics of parking is frustrating in places and the State Park at the northern tip can be packed in the Summer early. This guide has various parking locations at the end that offer places to enjoy the trail without lots of people.

Nipmuck State Forest

Nipmuck State Forest is a 9000 acre forest that has Bigelow Hollow State Park within it. The Nipmuck trail starts a Breakneck Pond within the State Park. Breakneck is a huge 92 acre lake that partially extends into Massachusetts. This lake is also the location of 3 camping sites and motorized vehicles and boats are banned from this area making it more peaceful.

Bigelow Hollow State Park is very remote by Connecticut standards and we rarely saw anyone one the Nipmuck Trail itself. The start of the trail on the Massachusetts border is actually nearly 3 miles from the nearest car park. You can follow one of two trails along the Breakneck Pond to get to it.

Breakneck Pond

Breakneck Pond is incredibly peaceful and the trail meanders along the shoreline over a winding root and rock path that crosses lots of small streams that feed into the lake. You’ll encounter a few campfire sites with views and you’ll definitely need bug spray !

After about 3 miles heading south from the start you’ll leave Bigelow Hollow State Park and cross the road into Yale Forest.

Yale-Myers Forest

This 7800 acre forest is the largest privately owned piece of land in CT. Its managed by Yale University with an ethos for encouraging research, local timber production and trail access to hikers.

The Nipmuck trail passes through Boston Hollow at this area which is a deep ravine fault in the rocks an its known for its Black Bear,Moose and Coyotes in the area.

Yale Forest is really something special. It has a wide variety of different woodland depending on how its managed, and there is literally no noise from nearby roads or human activity which adds to how superb it is. Yale Forest has much of the magic of the Appalachian Trail in CT but without the ‘rockfest’ that comes with the AT.

There is a section of the trail that creates almost a perfect 5 mile loop in the southern section of Yale Forest ( if you include a road section) and to avoid crowds we would strongly recommend this as a destination for an amazing hike or run without seeing too many other people on the trail.

Natchaug State Forest

Once you leave the Yale Forest you enter Natchaug State Forest which is very different. Its much more open and airy and light. The forest is also the site of a small state park encompassing the birthplace of American Civil War brigadier general Nathaniel Lyon.

The Nipmuck Trail includes a section of the Old Connecticut Path in this area which is 400 years old and was the very first trade path that ran westwards from the eastern settlers in the 1630s.

It is also well worth detouring 50yrds to visit Pixie Falls which is well marked on the trail.

UConn Forest

The Uconn Forest wraps itself round the North East of their huge campus near Storrs. Its a beautiful well kept set of woods that differs again from the other parts of the trail and spends a large amount of time meandering along with various large streams and wide rivers.

After UCONN the trail eventually meets up with the 2 splits that form the upside down Y. The last 2 miles to the Y are a little bit ‘trail for trails sake’ and very very wet and boggy with lots of crossings across streams.

The West and East Forks

The South West Fork starts in Sawmill Brook Preserve. It features Wolf Rock at a lookout. Wolf Rock is a Glacial ‘erratic’ left on top of the ledge by a moving glacier in the past.

Shortly after joining with the main part of Nipmuck you will find the 50ft Cliffs on the Eastern Fork of the trail with another superb lookout.

Both of the forks on the southern tips have very varied forest trails, and the Eastern Fork Eventually ends at the lakes at Mansfield Hollow State Park winding through peaceful pine woodland and round the shores of the lake.

Nipmuck Camping

There are 5 areas where you can obtain camping permits on the trail.

Parking Info

Bigelow Parking

This park is often busy so go early to avoid crowds. If its busy with people head south from the entrance on the state park and head into Yale Forest instead.

Windam Parking

This is a quieter spot for parking to avoid the crowds and gives you the chance for an almost perfect loop back to the car if you wanted a 5 mile loop only.

Parking Chaffeevillee Road