River Highlands State Park

Date: June 2, 2013
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: River Highlands State Park
Town: Cromwell
Trail Conditions: Good
Observations/Information: I took a spin at River Highlands Sunday morning. To my amazement the parking lot was full and there were even cars parked along the road. Mostly hiker cars- Subarus and a smattering of Priuses. Then I realized why- it was National Trails Day and CFPA was hosting a hike. I never saw anyone on the trails and when I got back the lot was empty.

The trails were in good condition, dry and well-used. Someone had cleared the big tree at the top of yellow. There were a couple of problems though. People are making chicken lines around the logs-even the small ones, and trail building continues at the north end of the park. They are putting up orange flagging tape and building a network of half-baked trails on the slope in that area. I'm not sure what their motivations are- the trails are boring and devoid of flow. They will probably be sustainable, though, and are so boring to ride that whey will probably be abandoned pretty quickly, even by the builders.

To tell the truth I had almost written off River Highlands but its a fun place to ride, especially in summer. The leaves help to obscure the fallen trees that are everywhere, making the place look less battlefield-like. Its also dry and usually breezy, and lacks that oppressive dankness that overcomes many other places in summer. Bugs can be a problem, though, so bring repellant.
Trail Ambassador Name: Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernesatgeemaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Green, yellow, red, blue, unmarked.
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 1.25 hours
Approximate Distance (Miles): 7.5
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