NRT Database

Location: Northeastern Connecticut and adjacent area in Massachusetts. It begins in Holland, Massachusetts and ends in Canterbury, Connecticut.
State(s): Massachusetts, Connecticut
Counties: Hampden, Worcester, Windham.
Longitude: -71.90485
Latitude: 41.92534

Driving Directions

Accessible from Interstates 84 and 395, US Rt 20. See Paddlers Guide and Stewardship Plans for directions to individual segments.

Description

The Quinebaug River Water Trail offers 45 miles of paddling within an hour's drive of three of New England's largest urban regions. Many of the segments provide an opportunity for family-friendly, close-to-home outdoor adventures with a surprisingly remote feel; wildlife is abundant and the only traces of civilization are the remnants of old mills.

The Quinebaug River Water Trail flows through The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor and within the Quinebaug and Shetucket rivers valley known as a relatively undeveloped rural enclave in the midst of the most urbanized region in the nation. The Last Green Valley is 77% forest and farmland, and appears distinctively dark at night when viewed from satellites or aircraft. The Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers eventually combine to become the Thames River, creating the the third largest watershed emptying into Long Island Sound.

Within the corridor are several US Army Corps of Engineers flood control projects. The Corps led the way by nominating two of the following segments as NRTs before the rest of the river was nominated.

Six water trail segments on the Quinebaug River provide almost 45 miles of paddling. Note that not all segments are contiguous due to impassable dams.

1. Holland Pond (Lake Siog) in Holland, MA, to East Brimfield Lake, Sturbridge, MA (4.6 miles) [Designated an NRT in 2007];
2. Paper Mill Pond in Dudley, MA, to Fabyan, West Thompson, CT (5.5 miles);
3. Fabyan in West Thompson, CT to West Thompson Lake, W. Thompson, CT (5.8 miles) [Designated an NRT in 2011];
4. Simonzi Park in Putnam, CT, to Route 101 in Pomfret, CT (6.5 miles);
5. Brooklyn Riverside Park in Brooklyn, CT, upriver to Rogers Dam (4.8 miles); and
6. Wayne R Lafreniere Canoe Launch in Killingly, CT, to the CT DEEP Fish Hatchery in Plainfield, CT, Robert Manship Park in Canterbury, CT, and Butts Bridge in Canterbury, CT (15.5 miles).

The Last Green Valley, Inc. and the US Army Corps of Engineers partner with the Willimantic River Alliance, federal and state agencies, non-profits, riverside towns, and paddlers to promote enjoyment and stewardship of the Quinebaug River. An active Water Trails Steering Committee has developed stewardship plans and paddlers guides, made launch site improvements and hosted public events to raise public awareness and increase recreational use. Other water trails that have been developed in the greater Thames River watershed include the Willimantic National River Water Trial and the Shetucket National River Water Trail.

Additional Details

Primary Surface: Water, moving
Secondary Surface: Water, moving
Water, still

Elevation Low Point: 118
Elevation High Point: 670
Elevation Gain (cumulative): Not Available

Year Designated: 2011

Supporting Webpages and Documents

Contact Information

For more information and current conditions, contact the trail manager (listed below). For questions, suggestions, and corrections to information listed on the website, contact American Trails.

Information Contact:
Lois Bruinooge
Executive Director
The Last Green Valley, Inc.
P.O. Box 29
Danielson, CT 06239 -0029
(860) 774-3300
[email protected]

Trail Management:
Bill Reid
Chief Ranger
The Last Green Valley, Inc.
P.O. Box 29
Danielson, CT 06239 -0029
(860) 774-3300
[email protected]
http://www.tlgv.org