Bartlett Brook LbNA #3048
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Nearby Boxes
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Add Location| Owner: | Flutterby Flew By  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Aug 17, 2000 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Lebanon |
| County: | New London |
| State: | Connecticut |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | Nairon |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Sep 29, 2019 |
| Status: | FFFFFFaFFFFOFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Aug 17, 2000 |
Submitted by:4-hearted Fittons
Adopted by Voyageur
then re-adopted by Flutterby in August 2008.
Date: August 18, 2000
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 1 hour to 3 hours
Bartlett Brook is a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) located in Lebanon, CT. 675 acres of hardwood forest mixed with hardwood swamp and some grasslands.Beaver Brook and Exeter Brook are some of the habitat features. Today’s hike can be short or long depending on your preference. The terrain is pretty flat, although there are some slight uphill and downhill parts. At minimum, it is just over 2 miles out and back. The longer hike can be anywhere from 3 to 5 miles depending on what you want to do. There are some hardwood swamps, so expect to make detours here and there around the "puddles", depending on the season.
Access can be found on Goshen Hill Rd about ¾ of a mile east of Route 16.Goshen Hill Rd is the last right turn coming from Colchester before Route 16 ends at Route 207. There is a sign that directs you to an ample parking area. Please remember to wear orange between October and March. After parking, enter the main trail behind another State sign in the SW corner of the parking area. The main trails are wide enough to bicycle, x-ski, or horseback ride on. Go straight and follow the main trail down past a cornfield on the right, heading generally SW through heavy woods. After a while it becomes a gradual incline, not steep though. Stone walls on both sides escort you pretty much all the way on this main trail. Eventually the main trail curves to the left and passes through a field (Grasshopper Heaven is what my son calls it). However, a smaller trail does continue straight at this curve. This part was impassable when we planted the box. It may not be when you go out. In that case continue straight and ignore the next set of instructions. Follow the main trail into the field and take your first right onto a smaller trail going in a SW direction again. Follow this down until it curves to the right and hooks up with the straight line trail you might have taken in drier conditions and continue to head SW into heavy woods again. You may have to skirt around some smaller puddles ahead. Pretty quickly you’ll arrive at Bartlett Brook, and the bridge {This "bridge" is actually a telephone pole spanning across the water way. You will either have to have great balance, be able to shimmy across or get your feet wet during high water times, but it is doable. Sometimes you get lucky and can cross without the acrobatics or wet feet, but not often.}
over peaceful waters. We sat here and fished off the bridge for a bit. I caught a yearling trout, which we released. A beaver dam is right below you on the right side of the bridge. Continue past the brook up a slight incline, the stone walls still escorting you. After you reach the top, you’ll find a big (not huge) pine tree on the right. Across from that pine tree, on your left, you’ll need to bushwhack through about 10 yards to find an old foundation. Climb down the broken steps (careful!) and turn right to locate your prize down low and right, in the inner foundation wall. Stamp up and return.
You may either return the way you came, or continue the hike around the main trail loop. If you choose to continue, when you get back to the main trail, turn right and continue on the loop. Soon, you’ll reach a point where you have to turn left or right. Left is the way out. Right leads you down to Exeter Brook. This is a very picturesque area. Or, you can go straight through the brush and find a sluice gate and sluiceway. Return to the main trail and follow it. Soon you’ll reach a fork. Right finishes the loop and brings you back to your car. Left takes you past a vernal pool. From this point the trail continues and supposedly hooks up with the main trail right near the parking area, but we ended up having to bushwhack through some serious bramble, prickly bushes and swampy tall grass. I advise you to turn around and return to the main trail to finish the hike.
Adopted by Voyageur
then re-adopted by Flutterby in August 2008.
Date: August 18, 2000
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 1 hour to 3 hours
Bartlett Brook is a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) located in Lebanon, CT. 675 acres of hardwood forest mixed with hardwood swamp and some grasslands.Beaver Brook and Exeter Brook are some of the habitat features. Today’s hike can be short or long depending on your preference. The terrain is pretty flat, although there are some slight uphill and downhill parts. At minimum, it is just over 2 miles out and back. The longer hike can be anywhere from 3 to 5 miles depending on what you want to do. There are some hardwood swamps, so expect to make detours here and there around the "puddles", depending on the season.
Access can be found on Goshen Hill Rd about ¾ of a mile east of Route 16.Goshen Hill Rd is the last right turn coming from Colchester before Route 16 ends at Route 207. There is a sign that directs you to an ample parking area. Please remember to wear orange between October and March. After parking, enter the main trail behind another State sign in the SW corner of the parking area. The main trails are wide enough to bicycle, x-ski, or horseback ride on. Go straight and follow the main trail down past a cornfield on the right, heading generally SW through heavy woods. After a while it becomes a gradual incline, not steep though. Stone walls on both sides escort you pretty much all the way on this main trail. Eventually the main trail curves to the left and passes through a field (Grasshopper Heaven is what my son calls it). However, a smaller trail does continue straight at this curve. This part was impassable when we planted the box. It may not be when you go out. In that case continue straight and ignore the next set of instructions. Follow the main trail into the field and take your first right onto a smaller trail going in a SW direction again. Follow this down until it curves to the right and hooks up with the straight line trail you might have taken in drier conditions and continue to head SW into heavy woods again. You may have to skirt around some smaller puddles ahead. Pretty quickly you’ll arrive at Bartlett Brook, and the bridge {This "bridge" is actually a telephone pole spanning across the water way. You will either have to have great balance, be able to shimmy across or get your feet wet during high water times, but it is doable. Sometimes you get lucky and can cross without the acrobatics or wet feet, but not often.}
over peaceful waters. We sat here and fished off the bridge for a bit. I caught a yearling trout, which we released. A beaver dam is right below you on the right side of the bridge. Continue past the brook up a slight incline, the stone walls still escorting you. After you reach the top, you’ll find a big (not huge) pine tree on the right. Across from that pine tree, on your left, you’ll need to bushwhack through about 10 yards to find an old foundation. Climb down the broken steps (careful!) and turn right to locate your prize down low and right, in the inner foundation wall. Stamp up and return.
You may either return the way you came, or continue the hike around the main trail loop. If you choose to continue, when you get back to the main trail, turn right and continue on the loop. Soon, you’ll reach a point where you have to turn left or right. Left is the way out. Right leads you down to Exeter Brook. This is a very picturesque area. Or, you can go straight through the brush and find a sluice gate and sluiceway. Return to the main trail and follow it. Soon you’ll reach a fork. Right finishes the loop and brings you back to your car. Left takes you past a vernal pool. From this point the trail continues and supposedly hooks up with the main trail right near the parking area, but we ended up having to bushwhack through some serious bramble, prickly bushes and swampy tall grass. I advise you to turn around and return to the main trail to finish the hike.