Nehantic SF

Date: June 2 and June 6, 2014
Report Type: TA Report
Trail Name: Nehantic SF
Town: Lyme, East Lyme
Trail Conditions: Ready to ride
Observations/Information: This was my first set of mountain bike trips through the Nehantic State Forests, and I plan to return next week for further exploration. In both areas, trail surfaces were in good condition in most areas with a bit of erosion in spots. On June 2, I rode through the forest in East Lyme on the unmarked trails and the main woods road which is blazed White (not indicated on the map as blazed). It is easy to get lost on the web of trails north of the parking lot on Holmes Road in East Lyme. I understand these trails also connect to Hartman Park, which I did not attempt to find. On June 6, I rode through the forest in Lyme on the main road, which is hard packed dirt and open to cars and also rode on the various woods roads. One woods road led to Sterling Hill Road, so I chose to finish on the road, rather than backtrack and try to find the woods roads to connect back within the forest. Both areas were lots of fun because I could ride fast over mostly non-technical trails. The elevation changes were moderate in most areas. The woods roads in Lyme were often grassy, as high as a foot. I explored a few side trails in Lyme, but they did not go very far. GPX link and map: http://ridewithgps.com/trips/2780733. State maps:
The first link and the first map is an overview of the entire forest:
http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/wildlife/pdf_files/maps/maps_hunting_area/map334.pdf. The second link is the part of the forest in East Lyme and a bit in Salem (Map 2 on the hunting map.). I recommend parking at the Holmes Road parking area, off Salem Turnpike. http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/stateparks/maps/nehanticrt11.pdf
The third link is the forest in Lyme. Keep in mind that you can't bike on the Blue Trails there.
http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/stateparks/maps/neha.pdf (Map 3 on the hunting map.)

Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold
Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Various woods roads and trails
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 4
Approximate Distance (Miles): 20