Chaugging Along Coginchaug Cave, Durham November 2023 I'd been to this fake cave before, way back in 2008 when it was right along the Mattabesett Trail. In fact, it was on the main trail for many decades, until a 2021 reroute put it onto the "Coginchaug Cave Connector" trail. This reroute is an excellent one, … [Read more...]
Charlie Krug & Indian Jack Caves
Don't Know Jack Indian Jack & Charlie Krug Caves, Plymouth December 2022 If for some odd reason you've been reading through my pagef on various Connecticut caves and dens, you're surely tired of reading that almost none of our state's caves are actually caves. And that sometimes our … [Read more...]
Cat Rocks Cave
Cat Rocks Fever Cat Rocks Cave, Union October 2022 Cat Rocks Cave isn't a real cave. There are no real caves in Union, Connecticut. In fact, there are only maybe two real caves in the whole state. So what does our little state do? We call everything that could be vaguely imagined to … [Read more...]
Old Newgate Prison and Copper Mine
From Copper to Coppers East Granby (Google Maps location) September 1, 2018 I didn't think this page would ever happen. Soon after I began writing this website in 2006, Newgate was "closed temporarily for repairs." I thought, "good, maybe I'll sort out if it's 'Newgate," "New-Gate," or "New Gate" by the time it … [Read more...]
Bolton Notch State Park Intro
Bolton Notch State Park Bolton & Vernon It's funny when you realize after 14 years of writing this website and hiking all around the state that there's more to do at a state park you thought you'd entirely explored already. Such is the case here, at Bolton Notch. Now, granted, I like to find and write … [Read more...]
Four Franklin Fails
Lots of F's Devil's Den v.Franklin, Rachel's Hut, Giant's Grave, Cushman Farms Trail Franklin As I was wrapping up my "completion" of Franklin, I was determined to find a few things that had eluded me for years. Unfortunately, for different reasons, I failed finding all four. But since I'm not convinced that none … [Read more...]
Hopemead State Park
Hope for Bozrah Hopemead State Park, Bozrah/Montville March 2018 Poor Bozrah (again). The town I pick on more than any other got a postage stamp state park (60 acres) in 1955 and... a chunk of it is in Montville. Bozrah can’t even have a little undeveloped state park all … [Read more...]
Phillips Cave
I Wonder What Phillip Phillips Is Up To Phillips Cave, Bethel September 16, 2017 Phillips Cave is (of course) not a real cave and has nothing to do with the King Philip’s War from which, strangely, many cave-like things are named. No, this hollow in a cliffside in Bethel sits prominently in the Putnam … [Read more...]
TSTL’17.14: Putnam Memorial State Park
The Sky's the Limit 2017 Hiking Challenge #14 Putnam Memorial State Park, Redding/Bethel September 2017 Do you want to know something crazy? With this, our 14th and final Sky’s the Limit Challenge hike of 2017, Damian and I have now gone to ALL 42 TSTL challenge points over the last few years. Every. Single. … [Read more...]
Baker’s Cave
"D'Oh! Another Fake Cave” Baker's Cave, East Lyme August 2016 Tuesday in August, no camp/school/activities for the boys. What to do, what to do... I didn't really know as I buckled them into the car and headed south. The forecast called for rain, and lots of it. So I thought we'd go to Rocky Neck State Park … [Read more...]