Veteran's Day Hike on November 11 at 11 a.m., Mansfield Hollow State Park

[David Ostafin]

Join us for a hike to celebrate Veteran's Day on Saturday, 11/11 at 11:00 a.m. at Mansfield Hollow State Park, on Bassetts Bridge Road in Mansfield, Connecticut.  The rain date is the following day, Sunday, November 12.

Veteran's Day was formerly known as Armistice Day, and commemorated the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 when the guns on the Western Front fell silent and World War One officially ended, in accordance with the signed armistice between the warring parties.  Today Veteran's Day honors all those who served in the military.  We ask that hike participants  wear an article of attire suggestive of the military, to show support for our veterans.  It is also fitting to the day that we will be visiting the Mansfield Hollow Dam, which was constructed by the Army Corp of Engineers (their flag is proudly displayed at the dam).

ABOUT THE PARK:  The construction of the dam of the Natchaug River by the Army Corps of Engineers from 1949 to 1952 (in response to the disastrous flooding from the 1938 Hurricane) resulted in the creation of the 500-acre Mansfield Hollow Lake and the surrounding recreational area called the Mansfield Hollow Park which opened to the public in 1952.  The park is used for hiking, biking, and fishing, but not for swimming (since the lake is used as a public drinking reservoir).

ABOUT THE HIKE:  We will take a slightly modified red-blazed trail loop.  We will hike from the parking lot to the Mansfield Hollow Lake, and then to the Mansfield Hollow Dam.  Afterwards, we will descend from the dam to the picturesque Natchaug River, the site of several historic mills that utilized the river as a power source in the 19thy century.  In 1838 a silk mill was established by Zalman Storrs (cousin of the Storrs brothers Chalres and Augustus who founded the agricultural school that eventually became the UCONN campus in Storrs).  Later George Kirby operated a brass manufacturing plant on the same site that continued until World War Two.  This historic area is still called the Kirby Mill, and is now the site of UCONN"S School of Fine Arts (an old mill turbine is prominently displayed outside the building).  From the river we will return to the parking area via the raised bike trail.  The hike as a whole is relatively flat, and should only require a total walking time of about two hours.

MEETING AND DIRECTIONS:  Program your GPS for "151 Bassetts Bridge Road, Mansfield, CT."  Bassetts Bridge Road is off Route 195, which is the roadway that goes through the Storrs campus of UCONN.  Route 195 can be accessed from Route 44, or by Highway 84 East and Exit 68.  When you turn left into the park, traveling on Bassetts Bridge Road, the "151" address takes you to a left turn.  When you take the left, go past the first parking area, and continue to the next parking lot (beyond the sports field).  We will meet at the kiosk that provides a map of the park's trail system.

DISCLAIMER:  Read our Disclaimer in the ABOUT section.  Dress appropriately for the season, including footwear suitable for hiking, and bring ample water.

AFTER-HIKE SOCIAL:  The optional after-hike social/luncheon will be at the Red Rock Cafe Restaurant, located at 591 Middle Turnpike (Route 44), Storrs, CT.  To reach the restaurant from the park, one must travel across the UCONN campus on Route 195 (Storrs Road) to reach Route 44 (Middle Turnpike), and take a left there.  The menu can be accessed on the restaurant's website:  https://redrockcafe.net

David Ostafin and Giovani Querido