Herbert’s Way is the Only Way
CFPA’s Highlawn Forest, Middlefield & Middletown
April 2009 & November 2023
No one would complain if I just ignored my “hike” here in 2009 as it was maybe a third of a mile total. Back then, the trails here weren’t trails as much as they were demonstrations of how the CFPA trails around the state are constructed and how hikers are to follow them. It was a cool idea, right in CFPA Headquarter’s backyard. Literally.
But I thought it was a cool place to take my then three-year-old son Damian for his very first “hike.” And it was!
I wrote:
There are actually three mini trails here, if one wants to be technical. Not only is this a demonstration forest, with a bunch of tree names signified with, you got it, signs, but as a demonstration trail it also showcases the way the CFPA blazes their trails and some of the crafty handiwork they do along trails throughout the state. Additionally, the entire thing is accessible to everyone, even the wheelchair bound. And the Damians of the world as well.
Damian and I took the main trail – the blue trail – from the parking lot all the way to its end, about a quarter mile into the woods. He did pretty well, not really wandering off on his own as he likes to do sometimes. Oh sure, he only stayed on the WIDE, FLAT, GRAVEL trail half the time, rather preferring to crunch-crunch-crunch through the leaves and sticks instead.
We returned via the way we came and took a left onto the blue/red blazed loop that rejoins the main trail near its beginning. I should note that the blazes here are painted the way all the CFPA trails will be painted over the course of the next year or two. No more differently colored dots in the middle or crazy contortions. Not only does this “official” blazing look cleaner, it’s also much easier to maintain. Double blazes noting a bend in the trail and the double horizontal blazes are here as well, giving beginner hikers a good idea of how this whole hiking thing works.
With that, we were done our hike. Damian did great! I was very proud of him.
That’s kind of a cool time capsule from a time when CFPA decided to do away with the “old way” of blazing trails and changing over to the “new way” that you all see now in the woods. After that jaunt, Damian and I went into the headquarters and met the then Director Eric Hammerling, a man I consider a friend to this day. It’s a cool place to check out, if only for all the old maps they have on hand and to thank them for all the tireless work they do both in the woods as well as P&Z meetings, courtrooms, and legislative sessions.
Hiking here in 2023 and beyond is very different, as there are real trails now. But the original intent is still here. The trail system winds through a second-growth forest, on what were once open farm fields, and features conifer plantations, mixed hardwood forest, and red maple swamps that support a diverse array of wildlife species. The trails follow many old fire lanes from the time the property was a tree farm and offer multiple loop opportunities. These flat and gentle trails are great for young or beginner hikers. The property still features an outdoor amphitheater, pond, large vernal pool with an observation platform, and a universal access trail – the original stuff that was here back in 2009.
The property was donated to CFPA in the will of John R. Camp. Highlawn Forest is protected and will never be developed, which is pretty amazing seeing as it’s right on Route 66 at the Middlefield/Middletown line.
There is one big blue-blazed loop here called Herbert’s Way. It was called Camille’s Way until 2023 when it was changed. In fact, all three of the longer trails here had their names changed at the same time. The north-south bisecting trail went from Camelia’s Trail to Robyne’s Trail and the east-west bisector is now Jack’s Path, formerly Sarah’s Path. Since I know people who know things, I asked one of them what’s up with all this and got the following answer:
That land is owned by the Camp family. George Camp named the trails first. Then when he passed away, his brother Herbert inherited the land. Apparently he did not get along with the family members that the trails were named after and asked to have them re-named.
That juicy tidbit comes from a random person unaffiliated with anything, but they are always trustworthy as far as I’m concerned. And it’s funnier that if true, Herbert rechristened a trail for himself. And shout-out to him, because the trail is pretty darn awesome.
The highlight is the former pine plantation. I happened to be hiking late in the day and the golden sun shining over a little rise to my left cast a beautiful glow on the maples to my left and the pines through which I walked. This was (yet another) time when a professional photographer would have had a field day. Instead, you get my hasty shots of the experience.
I noticed a few families were just walking to this area and turning around or otherwise cutting their walk short. That’s not how we roll here at CTMQ, and I continued around the northern edge of the property which has an entirely different feel. First of all, CFPA hadn’t removed all the old trail signage by the time I visited. The ghost of Camille remained:
And the northern and western reaches of this property are kind of ghostly. The parking lot had several cars and I had passed several people on the first stretch of trail but here? Nobody. Just me and the trail with its long stretches of planking over marshy wet ground. Me and the birds. It was all quite nice, I must say.
I hiked large portions of the two inner trails (Robyne’s Trail and Jack’s Path). These allow hikers to shorten their loops and to check out a little pond along the way. If you’re into forest succession, there are large swaths of new growth in here as well, to serve as a nice counterpoint to the giant pines earlier.
The trails here are flat and easy. These are still “show trails” for CFPA, so of course they are blazed expertly and cleared perfectly. What they don’t provide is any sort of hint to the challenges that other CFPA trails may present; steep climbs, bouldering, and, well, not-so-perfectly blazed or cleared sections. (Though of course the vast majority of CFPA trails are in good shape year-round, thanks to those tireless volunteers and trail teams that you should go inside the building next to your car to thank!)
I’m sure the programs led here are great for kids and for anyone looking to learn about New England forests. And if you’re not into that sort of thing, Highlawn is still worth an hour or two of your time.
CTMQ’s CFPA Blue Trail Challenge
CFPA Trails Map
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