Old Connecticut Path: Walker Road to Bigelow Brook Crossing -- Eastford, Connecticut

Walker Road provides a gateway to the Yale Forest and Natchaug State Forest in Eastford. This old roadway provides a short mile long walk that follows stone wall lined roads to the Bigelow Brook and Connecticut Path crossing. Along the way, cross an ancient box culvert that is typical of the stone bridges found along the route of the Old Connecticut Path. Walk right up to a beaver dam and peer over the top to see the beaver lodge and pond surrounded by Yale Forest. Explore the "Shippey Place", a colonial era home site, and visit the site of the one room school house attended by Charles and David Chism during their school years in the 1860-70's. At the end of an easy mile walk on old roads, discover the bridge site and the Old Connecticut Path crossing on the Bigelow Brook that the Chism brothers crossed on their way to school. This walk requires no bushwacking and is suitable for families with small children as a place to explore the Connecticut woodland in an area that is directly connected with the route of the Old Connecticut Path. The mile traveled brings you back a century or two in time.
The Old Connecticut Path is one of the earliest trails followed as part of America's westward migration. As early as 1635-36, the migration from Massachusetts Bay at Boston/Cambridge west to Connecticut began following the Old Connecticut Path. Reverend Thomas Hooker and his entire congregation walked along the Old Connecticut Path for two weeks across the wilderness in 1636 from Cambridge, MA to establish Hartford, CT. Join me for a walk and use your imagination to experience the landscape traveled by the pioneers of the 1600s.
For more information, visit the Old Connecticut Path website at sites.google.c...
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[@aRustyPatina]

It is so cool that you are retracing these paths. We are thinking of relocating to the east and tracking down some other ares footpaths seems like a neat idea and great exercise. Thanks for all your great vids! W.

[@gorilapsy]

Thanks for your comments. I appreciate hearing from people who discover the Old Connecticut Path through CZcams. I just posted a video from Walker Road to Crystal Pond in Eastford. All the videos are posted on my channel.

[@ccdguy]

Superb video Mr. Newton, and increadible insight into CT early history. You've mentioned this to be a rather short, easy walk, but I'm having a difficult time, finding out where you have stated from? Can you provide some more information about the location? Bingmaps does not show Walker Road, in Eastford, CT. Would there be any way, you might be able to tell me where to start, (park) and walk this portion of the trail??? A starting point, or perhaps, GPS location would be of most help to those of us whom are not too familiar with the Eastford area. Thank you very much.

[@gorilapsy]

Walker Drive is opposite Bigelow Brook Farm on Westford Road. The drive looks like a private driveway but is actually a public access right of way. Follow this past the house and into the woods along Walker Road. Here is a link to walks in Eastford that gives more information sites.google.com/a/oldconnecticutpath.com/oldconnecticutpath/6-0-tours-walks-along-the-old-connecticut-path/ocp-walks-eastford-connecticut