Salmon River State Forest

Route 16

Colchester

(860) 295-9523 (c/o DEP Eastern District Headquarters)

Park Hours:

Forest Recreation Areas: 8:00am – Sunset;

Other Forest Areas: one-half hour before sunrise –

one-half hour after sunset

More Information on Salmon River State Forest

Salmon River State Forest

Directions:

From the New London area: follow Route 11 north onto Route 2 west, Exit 18. Follow Route 16 west for 6.2 miles. Turn left into the recreation area.

From the Middletown area: follow Route 66 east onto Route 16. Follow Route 16 east for 5.5 miles. Turn right into recreation area.

From the Hartford area: take Route 2 east, Exit 16. Follow Route 149 south for 3.2 miles. Turn right onto Route 16 west. Follow Route 16 west for 1.9 miles. Turn left into the recreation area.

** For The Great Park Pursuit self-guided event with a suggested visitation day on May 17, 2008, follow the driving directions of the letterboxing instructions posted in the Clues Section.

Salmon River State Forest

Encompassing nearly 6,000 acres in eastern Connecticut, Salmon River State Forest is a wonderful place to spend a day fishing. The main catch here is trout, though salmon are occasionally found. Damming, pollution and overfishing virtually eliminated the fish, though many efforts have been made to bring them back including removing dams, constructing fish ladders and improving water cleanliness. Today, the Salmon River is a beautiful waterway as the forest protects parts of its watersheds in Marlborough, Colchester and East Hampton. Attractions within the forest include the Comstock covered bridge – one of the few remaining in Connecticut – and the Lyman Viaduct, formerly the tallest railroad bridge in Connecticut that spanned 1,100 feet across a deep gorge above Dickinson Creek. It was part of the old Air Line Railroad route, which offered a direct path from Boston to New York beginning in the late 1800's. The route was heavily damaged from floods in the mid 1950's and was no longer operational. The state took over the line, and more than 50 miles of trails were constructed along the old railroad route giving birth to the Air Line State Park Trail.

Activities

• Field Sports
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Hunting
• Letterboxing
• Picnicking