James L. Goodwin State Forest

41°48′15″N 72°05′43″W / 41.80417°N 72.09528°W / 41.80417; -72.09528^[1]Area2,003 acres (8.11 km²)^[2]Elevation646 ft (197 m)^[1]Established1964Governing bodyConnecticut Department of Energy and Environmental ProtectionWebsiteJames L. Goodwin State Forest

James L. Goodwin State Forest is a Connecticut state forest covering approximately 2,000 acres (810 ha) in the towns of Chaplin and Hampton. The lands became public property when James L. Goodwin donated the personal forest he had been developing since 1913 to the state in 1964.^[3]

Features

Ponds and trails

The forest encompasses 189-acre (76 ha) Pine Acres Lake^[4] and two smaller ponds, 18-acre (7.3 ha) Black Spruce Pond and 14-acre (5.7 ha) Brown Hill Pond, that are used for fishing and canoeing.^[5]^[6] The forest has 14 miles (23 km) of trails for hiking, cross-country skiing, and horseback riding.^[7] Trails include sections of the blue-blazed Natchaug Trail and the Air Line State Park Trail.^[3]

Education center

The Goodwin Forest Conservation Education Center is an environmental education facility operated by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in partnership with the Connecticut Forest and Park Association. Programs are offered for schools, the public, and educators. Forest management programs are also offered for landowners, foresters, loggers, and municipal-land-use commissioners. The site includes a wildlife garden, a small nature museum, the southern shore of Pine Acres Pond, and a youth group campsite.^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b "James L Goodwin State Forest". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
^ "Appendix A: List of State Parks and Forests" (PDF). State Parks and Forests: Funding. Staff Findings and Recommendations. Connecticut General Assembly. January 23, 2014. p. A–1. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
^ ^a ^b "James L. Goodwin State Forest". State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. July 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
^ "Pine Acres Lake" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
^ "Clues for James L. Goodwin State Forest". Connecticut State Forests Seedling Letterbox Series. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
^ "Pine Acres Lake Boat Launch". Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. June 5, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
^ ^a ^b "James L. Goodwin Conservation Center". State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. August 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2017.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to James L. Goodwin State Forest.

James L. Goodwin State Forest Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
James L. Goodwin State Forest Map Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Friends of Goodwin Forest

Protected areas of Connecticut

National Park Service