Kayaking the Housatonic River

The Facts:

What: Housatonic River
Put In: Pull off parking area near power plant just below dam in Falls Village, CT

Take Out: Housatonic Meadows State Park in Cornwall Bridge, CT (see recommendations below)

Distance: About 10 miles

My wife and I just bought two new kayaks, so we were itching to try them on on a river trip. We decided to do a 10 mile stretch on the Housatonic River. We chose this for our first trip because I am very familiar with the area being originally from this region.

We are both novices to kayaking. This was the first river trip for both of us. It was not a difficult run. The start of the trip is mostly slow moving, so your speed really depends on how hard you want to paddle. We got on the water around 11 AM, stopped for lunch at the covered bridge in West Cornwall, and made it to the the take out area around 3 PM.

The second leg of the trip (after the covered bridge) features more fast moving water. There are some moderate rapids, but certainly nothing that ever put us in any danger of tipping. We would perhaps get a little splash at the most. Even if you did tip (which again, seems remote) the river is mostly narrow and shallow. You would most likely be able to stand, and if not, it would be a short swim to shore. My point is, this trip is certainly acceptable to a novice or recreational kayaker.

We mostly had the river to ourselves, save for the occasional fly fisherman. The trip provided an excellent opportunity for bird watching. We spotted several cranes, hawks, and other assorted birds that you don't normally see at the bird feeder.

I do have one recommendation to improve the trip. Water levels were quite low for about the last mile of our trip. We got hung up on rocks several times. Perhaps it could be different in the spring, or after a heavy rain, but in late August it was an annoyance. Instead of ending at Housatonic Meadows State Park parking area, I recommend finding a spot further north to take out. There are several pull off points that fisherman use along the river on Route 7 that would serve as an adequate parking spot. I would suggest finding a spot just north of the Housatonic Meadows campground. This would reduce the length of the trip, but avoid the last mile of struggling with rocks in 12 inch deep water. The second negative of taking out at Housatonic Meadows is that there is a pretty steep bank to climb from the river to the parking area. It was not a problem for me, but I can see how some people might find it difficult to climb such a bank while trying to drag a kayak.

Despite these take out issues, it was a fun and enjoyable trip. A great day in the outdoors.

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Kayaking at Park Pond -- Winchester, CT

The Facts:
Where: Park Pond. State boat launch off RT 263 side of Blue Street.
What: Leisurely paddle around pond.
Of Note: Ample parking. Port-a-pottie in parking lot. Few people. No large motor boats.

We finally got a chance to try out our new kayaks. The family was new to kayaking, so for our first excursion we chose a calm place where we could be leisurely. Park Pond in Winchester fit the bill perfectly. Everyone had fun exploring the medium sized (by Connecticut standards) pond. The water was clear and warm. We were able to observe two turtles sunning themselves on a fallen log, as well as a family of ducks. We don't have a lot of pictures because it's always a risk bringing the camera onto the kayak. However, you might be able to tell from the two pictures posted that Park Pond is quite, with only a few cottages. On the far side there are 2 summer camps, but they did not appear to be doing any activities near the water. Overall a fun family experience.

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Campground Review: Wolf's Den Family Campground -- East Hampton, CT

The Facts:

Where: 256 Town Street, East Haddam, CT

Contact: 860-873-9681

Website: http://www.wolfsdencampground.com/

What: A long weekend of camping

Features: Pool, large wooded sites, full hook-ups, playground, camp store, mini golf, ice cream, right down the road from Gillette Castle State Park, 3 PM check-in/check-out

Cost: $78 for camper site for 3-day weekend

Wolf's Den Family Campground has struck a balance. They have managed to be kid friendly, and adult friendly, while still retaining the feeling of being in the outdoors. It's an excellent family campground. Wolf's Den has all the amenities that kids enjoy like a large pool, playground, game room, mini-golf, and a camp store. Wolf's Den also had several organized activities like arts-and-crafts, horse shoe tournaments, and softball. The weekend we attended was a theme weekend. The theme was safety. The campground had a fire truck, ambulance, police boat, police cruiser, and police dog all on display for the kids. The kids were able to climb, touch, and explore all the equipment in a laid back atmosphere. The equipment was so hands on that my son managed to blow the extremely loud horn of the fire truck right in the ear of his uncle! The highlight of the day was a state police helicopter landing. It's not every day that you get to watch a helicopter make a landing. The theme weekend concluded with a fun, family-oriented DJ dance on the basketball court. The kids loved it, and it held the interest of the adults as well.

The sites at Wolf's Den are large for a private campground. You can choose from wooded sites or more open sites. The open sites are closer to the activities (pool, etc.), but the wooded sites are more peaceful. We chose a wooded site. All the sites I observed were flat and well kept. Just a single site was plenty large enough for our camper, a large tent, and a screen tent. 7 people camped comfortably at the site. The only disadvantage to the site was that it was at the bottom of a steep hill, so we had to trek up this hill to got to the attractions. This was a minor inconvenience.

The campground was well run. The pool was extra large and there were plenty of chairs around.

There were few negatives about Wolf's Den Family Campground. If I have to list a couple negatives, I would say that one is that they tend to "nickel-and-dime" you a bit. For example, they charge $.50 for the mini-golf which could easily be free. There is also a charge for the arts-and-crafts programs. Although a bit annoying, these charges were not a big issue. The only other minor negative I could think of was the attitude of the guy in charge of the pool. He gave us trouble for having a morning coffee in the pool area, and was a little gruff at times with the kids. I hesitate to even mention it because it was definitely not an issue. I just feel I should come up with at least a couple areas for improvement just on the off-chance the staff happens to read this!

On the way out of the campground, we stopped at Gillette Castle, which is literally the next turn just down the road from the Campground. The campground is also within a 5 minute drive from the Connecticut River boat launch, and the Goodspeed Opera House. We enjoyed a nice picnic lunch at Gillette Castle (see previous post).

In summary, we all had a fun, active, and relaxing weekend at Wolf's Den Family Campground. The kids are already asking to go back. I guess the highest praise I could give is to become a repeat customer, and plans are already in the works for my family to return to Wolf's Den Family Campground.

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Gillette Castle State Park -- East Haddam, CT

The Facts:

What: Museum, walking trails, picnicking

Homepage: http://www.ct.gov/dEP/cwp/view.asp?A=2716&Q=325204

Cost: $5 per adult for castle tour

The last time I visited Gillette Castle State Park I was a young kid on a day trip with my mother and grandmother. At that time the castle itself was really the only attraction, and even that was not in the greatest shape. Since that time, the state has initiated an overhaul of the park. The result is that an ill-fitting oddity has been transformed into a Connecticut asset.

The castle itself is interesting. It's a self-guided tour but with guides throughout to answer questions, and give short presentations. The castle features the eccentric, but clever, designs of William Gillette. The top floors of the castle offers scenic views of the Connecticut River and surrounding valley. Touring the whole castle probably took about 1 hour.

While the castle indeed makes the park unique, the highlight of the park is the surrounding grounds. The state has made the grounds of the park a pleasure to roam. There are several parking areas with a multitude of picnic tables. There are also walking paths throughout the property, and one leading down to the river. I would not call these "hiking" trails as they are generally relatively short, but they do offer a good opportunity to enjoy the natural surroundings. We even caught a glimpse of a deer on the way into the park.

The park also offers a newly constructed visitor center that includes a gift shop and dinning. However, our group decided to skip the dinning hall and take advantage of one of the numerous picnic spots. We had an enjoyable, laid back, impromptu picnic in a secluded wooded parking area.
I was pleasantly surprised by my experience at Gillette Castle State Park.

Lynch Park, Beverly MA

The Facts:
Where:
Lynch Park
55 Ober Street
Beverly, MA 01915
What: Beach, Picnic Area, Swimming, Fishing, Kayaking, Playground, Rose Garden
Cost: Free with Beverly resident. Parking fee for non-residents ($20) during summer

Yes, I know the name of this blog is Connecticut Outdoors. And, yes, I know Lynch Park is in Massachusetts. However, as it says in the blog description, connecticutoutdoors.blogspot.com is dedicated to outdoor recreation in Connecticut and beyond. This recently past weekend my family had the opportunity to travel to "the beyond". While visiting friends in the area we spend a leisurely morning at Lynch Park in Beverly, MA. The park offers a great chance for a relaxing day. It is not an especially large park, so it does not offer serious hiking trails. That's not what Lynch Park is all about. The park is mainly geared towards shoreline activities, picnicking, and relaxing. The park is very well kept, and there are plenty of open spaces. The park has two beaches. One is a sandier beach, and the second is a rocky beach. My son had great fun tossing rocks and hunting crabs on the rocky beach. There were kayak rentals available near the sandy beach, although it seemed like an impromptu thing, and not something you could count on being there. Lynch Park offers an excellent opportunity to explore Salem harbor by kayak. Several families took advantage of the great weather and beautiful park setting to enjoy a picnic on one of the many available picnic tables. The playground was adequate, and the flower garden was worth checking out.
Lynch Park is not a place in which you would make a dedicated trip to visit. However, if you are in the area it was a pleasant place to spend a lazy day.