Shenipsit State Forest

Know before you go

Before heading out, be sure to check the latest water conditions and fishing regulations. 

• A fishing license is required for all persons age 16 or older.  
• Fishing licenses can be purchased online 24/7
• Licenses and permits, current regulations, and more
• Connecticut is Fishy Interactive fishing application
• Freshwater Fishing in Connecticut’s State Parks
• More Fishing Resources

Fishing and Waterfowl Habitat  

North of 190 

• Bald Mountain Marsh (10 acres) 0.50 miles from 26 Galbraith Road Entrance 

South of 190 

• Wilcox Pond (4 Acres) Yellow gate 0.70 miles from 250 Chestnut Hill Road Entrance  
• Beaver Swamp (6 acres) – 0.01 miles from the intersection of Sodom Road & Gulf Road 

There are 33 State Forests totaling about 175,000 acres in Connecticut. They are managed by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Division of Forestry. The Division of Forestry seeks to develop a vigorous, resilient, forest environment capable of sustaining the wide range of demands that the public places on these lands. These demands include a variety of recreational experiences, natural diversity (including threatened and endangered species), the preservation of unique sites (both geologic and archaeological), the provision of raw materials as forest products, and the maintenance of wildlife and fisheries habitats. The Division’s professional foresters work to ensure that these forests remain healthy and vigorous while serving the needs of the citizens of Connecticut.

Connecticut’s woodlands offer many benefits and ecosystem services such as:

1. Forest Ecosystem Health and Diversity – Healthy and diverse forest ecosystems provide highly functional, valuable, and a resilient mix of habitats for plants and animals.
2. Wildlife Habitat – Many of Connecticut’s wildlife species, both common and rare, use different kinds of forested habitats. It is important to create a variety of habitats for animals that have different needs.
3. Climate Change Mitigation through Sequestration and Storage – As climate change continues to be an important global issue, Connecticut’s State Forests can mitigate climate change by sequestering and storing carbon in vegetation above and below ground and as long-lived wood products used locally and beyond.
4. Environmental Protection – Connecticut’s State Forests provide environmental benefits such as cleaning the air, protecting and improving water quality, and contributing to soil health.
5. Forest Protection – Managing Connecticut’s State Forests helps reduce susceptibility to threats such as wildfire, weather events, and invasive plants and insects, keeping them healthy and productive while minimizing spread to neighboring private forestlands.
6. Economic Benefits – Sustainably harvesting forest products like timber, firewood, witch-hazel, and maple syrup from Connecticut’s State Forests provides jobs and raw material for a locally-sourced, forest-based, green economy. The State Forests provide a model for private forest landowners to consider when managing their properties.
7. Recreational/Health Benefits – Recreation opportunities abound across Connecticut’s State Forest system providing a local and economical way to stay healthy and active for Connecticut’s residents and guests.

View current forest management plans for all state forests.

A variety of woods roads and trails both marked and unmarked will take you through the rocky terrain within Shenipsit State Forest. The marked trails, mostly within the Sodom Road and Soapstone Mountain sections of the forest, have colored blazes on trees to help guide your way. The several unblazed trails will lead you around many of the less explored areas of the forest. 

Be sure to have a planned route as it is not always easy way to find your way back to your starting point. The trails within Shenipsit State Forest are non-motorized multi-use trails with some exceptions of being foot travel only along the Blue Blazed Shenipsit Trail.  

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

• Park Trail Map
• Letterboxing Clues

Shenipsit State Forest is home of the Historic Museum of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

The CCC was President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s solution to the need for environmental conservation work and the large number of unemployed young men during the Great Depression. Take a walk through the only remaining CCC barracks building in the state to learn about the work accomplished and view more than 900 artifacts on display.

Multi-use trails recommended by the Connecticut Horse Council:

Loop A & B

Loop C

Aerial

Bald Mountain Loop

Know Before You Go

Consult DEEP for more information on the latest rules and restrictions by season. 

• Hunting Map
• Connecticut Hunting and Trapping 
• Interactive Connecticut Hunting Area Maps

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

• Be Bear Aware

Snowmobiling 

Using unplowed forest roads, wind around Soapstone Mountain with some steep grades and rewarding views to the West. Much of the 6.0 miles of trail is above 800 feet in elevation, sustaining a solid base of snow over long periods. Be aware that road gates are closed on January 1 with passage around the gates for snowmobiles. Use caution and slow speed when approaching closed gates.

Find the trailhead on Gulf Road, 1.7-miles south of the intersection with Route 190. The Soapstone Mountain sign marks the entrance.

Snowmobile Trail Map

Hours 
8:00 a.m. – Sunset

Snow Depth 
Six-inch minimum required

Speed Maximum 
20 m.p.h. as posted 

Operation 
Except for operation on private lands, snowmobile operators must be over sixteen and properly licensed. 

Registration 
Snowmobiles must be registered to be operated on public land in Connecticut. Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles for registration information. Vehicle identification numbers must be displayed on each side of the front section of the snowmobile in addition to display on the rear registration plate. The registration certificate must be carried on the vehicle when it is being operated. 

Policies and Procedures 
Snowmobiling is permitted on certain state-owned properties through posted, written, conditional permission directed to the general public for the use of defined trails. It is also permitted on all state-owned water bodies. The DEEP will deny permission to use trails which have insufficient snow cover or are unsafe; when sanitation or parking facilities are at capacity; or when staffing is inadequate. 

Prohibited Areas 
Snowmobiling is prohibited upon all lands managed by DEEP including all state parks, forests and wildlife management areas, except upon those areas named herein and specified upon official DEEP snowmobile trail maps.