June 6 is National Trails Day. For lovers of Long Island Sound, it’s another reason to explore and enjoy some of the Sound’s 971 miles of shoreline and places close to the shore.
That’s because communities and organizations across Connecticut and New York are offering guided hikes and other nature-based activities around the Sound this Saturday (as well as Sunday). Many of these activities are specifically tied to National Trails Day, an annual celebration of the nation’s trails sponsored by the American Hiking Society.
In Connecticut there are over 200 hikes and other activities across the state, including nearly 20 at or near the coast. For example, the Long Island Sound Partnership is joining The Nature Conservancy, the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve, Connecticut Sea Grant, and others in sponsoring “Celebrate Rocky Neck State Park” on June 6 from 9 to noon. The event is billed as a “morning full of trail fun, including expert-led walks about the plans, geology, and habitats found at the park.” There are also going to be several kid-friendly activities, including a scavenger hunt, geocaching, arts and games, and crafts.
Other activities along Connecticut’s shoreline range from guided beach walks at Westport beaches, including Sherwood Island State Park and town beaches, guided hikes at West Rock State Park and Quinnipiac Meadows Nature Preserve in New Haven, a horseshoe crab walk in Madison, and an educational walk along a new multiuse trail in New London at Winthrop Cove.
Information on all the hikes in Connecticut is at trailsday.org, a website created by the Connecticut Forest and Parks Association, one of the primary sponsors for National Trails Day events in Connecticut.
There is no organized list of activities for New York. But here is a sample of activities you can enjoy this coming weekend, including two associated with National Trails Day.
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