Trail Guide East Hampton
by Stacey Stearns
Hurd State Park
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Connecticut River. Although horseback riding is not listed for this park on the DEEP website, equestrians are encouraged to visit, and members of the New England Arabian Trail Organization (NEATO) have plans, in cooperation with the DEEP Eastern District Headquarters, to permanently mark trails for equestrian use, and expect to complete the project in Fall 2022.
for the public; today it spans over 1,000 acres with trails, picnic areas, fishing, and other features. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) manages Hurd State Park; maps and additional information are available on the DEEP website, portal.ct.gov/DEEP/ State-Parks/Parks/Hurd-State-Park/. Hurd State Park offers recreational opportunities for birding, picnicking, hiking, camping, and mountain biking. Boat camping sites are available from May 1 through September 30 and offer an overnight stop for those traveling the
Marilyn Allatin of East Hampton is a NEATO member and one of the volunteers working with DEEP’s Eastern District to mark equestrian trails. “Riding the trails at Hurd Park offers a unique and different experience depending on whether it’s spring, summer, or fall,” she says. “I’ve come to appreciate the beauty this park offers in its landscape, vistas, and wildlife. Migrating egrets often take refuge in hidden inlets along the river. Spectacular granite outcroppings along the Connecticut River are only visible in the late fall as you ride the trails along the Higganum Area. The Higganum Area has
Stacey Stearns
onnecticut established a State Park Commission in 1913 to protect and preserve land for residential recreational use. One of the earliest properties purchased was 150 acres along the bank of the Connecticut River in East Hampton. It was named Hurd State Park after the Hurd family, who settled on the land in 1710. The original 150-acre land purchase was intended to provide river access
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Community Horse Spring/Summer 2022
