Quinnipiac River State Park
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Photos

One of the easier river crossings on the trail
Meredith Zolty

A view of the trail in early spring.
Kenneth Casper

Don't mind all the dead ants smooshed under the glass.
Meredith Zolty
About
Summary
The bottom four miles of the Blue Blazed Trail from North Haven to Cheshire.
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Distance
8.0 miles
Four miles up, four miles back.
Destination Distance From Downtown
6.6 miles
Difficulty
4 of 5 diamonds
If you want a trail to walk on, bring a machete and some hip waders. The blazes are marked through a flood plain, so the trail changes with the river; don't expect a bridge for each river crossing. Also, the plants grow faster than they get cut back.
Time To Complete
3 hours
I gave up and turned back after 45 minutes, but I've read an account by an experienced hiker who walked the eight mile round-trip in 3.5 hours.
Seasonality
Winter
The park is open year-round but the ground gets so muddy and the vegetation grows so thick in summer it's all but impassable. Wait until the winter die-back.
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