Hike #30: Northwest Park - Windsor, CT

Date Hiked: Saturday, June 4, 2016
Estimated distance: 5.76 miles
Weather: 71°F, cloudy and humid
Resources: Northwest Park, Trail Map, Hike #9
Highlights of the trip:  tulip poplar flowers, mountain laurel in bloom, deer
Progress toward 2016 hiking goals:  30/52 hikes; 114.79/250 miles; 28.5/25 miles on Tunxis Trail

May was a busy month and I only logged two hikes!  I hope I can do a little better in June.  I'd like to get at least half-way to my goal of 250 miles.

My hiking partner was not available this weekend, so I put off the next section of the Tunxis Trail for another time.  Saturday was CT Trails day, but I just couldn't seem to come to a decision on which of those hikes to do.  I struck out on my own and over to Northwest Park.

Northwest Park Trail Map

I started my hike, in the way I usually do at Northwest Park, by walking past the nature museum and down to the reservoir.

Maybe Rosa multiflora, an invasive species.

Pond with beaver lodge.

The trail near the pond is almost always wet and people have put down branches and small logs in an attempt to make it passable.  I did not bring my hiking poles today, but if I had, they would have been useful in helping me navigate this area.  I think it will almost always be wet here because the level of the pond is higher than the trail.

I walked out to the old dam or bridge abutment.  There were a couple of people fishing out there (as well as some people fishing off of boats in the water), so I did not take any pictures.

I turned back around, crossed the wet part of the trail and turned left on the Wetland Forest (yellow) trail.  This trail follows along next to the reservoir, but at a higher elevation.  With the leaves on the trees, you can only get occasional glimpses of the water.

Flower and leaves from tulip poplar tree.

The trail goes back down to the reservoir in a couple of areas.  Below is a picture of the boat launch on the other side of the reservoir.

I left the yellow trail and started on the Rainbow Reservoir (pink) trail and continued along the reservoir.  The Mountain Laurel was in full bloom.

The pink trail heads away from the water and along a little ravine before joining the Triassic (black) trail.  I took the black trail back toward the reservoir along the other side of the ravine.  The black trail comes to an end in a field and just before I came out into the field, I spotted a deer.  I was able to get my camera out and take a picture, but once I started to sneak a little closer, it bounded away.

I looped around the field on an unmarked trail until I came back to the black trail.  I followed it for a short distance and picked up the Woody Succession (green) trail.  After that, I found my way to the Softwood Forest (orange) trail.  A couple of areas on these trails need some work as the plants are starting to creep in.  Make sure you do a tick check!

Lady slipper.

The orange trail took me back to the other half of the yellow loop, which I followed back to the woods road that runs behind the nature center.  As I approached the nature center I took two quick detours to the Sensory Saunter Trail and the Butterfly Garden. 

Silver-spotted skipper on lupine.

One of the things I love about Northwest Park is the variety of habitats.  You have open fields, the beaver pond, the reservoir, a bog, hardwood and softwood forests.  It really has a lot to offer.  In addition there are animals in the barn for the kids to check out and a small, but really well done nature museum.  There is also a playground and picnic tables.  I think that next time the nieces are in town with their kids, we'll have to plan a trip over here.