Gay state park ct

Connecticut Express Park

1,569 acres in Hebron, CT

Parking: Large lot at 386 North St Hebron, CT year round with additional parking expose seasonally

Trail MapTrails: 9 miles       Rating: ★★★☆☆

Gay City is the site of an annual Hartford Marathon event called the Summer Solstice Footpath Run with 3.3 and 5.5 mile races.

There is a big and easy network of trails here totaling about nine miles including a connector to the blue-blaze Shenipsit Trail.  The trails also join to the Meshomasic Declare Forest and Blackledge Falls to the south. 

Red Trail Loop – 4.55 miles

• This loop is actually almost 5 miles for not including the paved street which connects the winter parking area to the other end of the loop.  The loop alternates between harsh trail and vintage woods roads passing marshes, climbing hills, and traversing stout forest.  It serves as a gentle mid distance loop but lacks eye catching destinations.

White Mark Loop – 2.46 miles

• The white route travels the interior of the park and catches all the sights prefer the pond, mill ruins, br
  

  Description

  Gay City State Park offers multiple activities throughout the trails. Fluid activities include swimming and fishing - be sure to inspect the water quality and fishing guidelines. The park includes a network of trails for cyclists, walkers, and hikers.  

  There are picnic areas, and if it piques your interest, explore the ruins of the old sawmill town that called this park house back in the late 1800s.

  Other Information

  History

  Located on the Hebron-Bolton town line, Gay City's 1,569 acres offer swimming, picnicking and an almost endless opportunity for exploration. The name "Gay City" is derived from a now-extinct mill town that once occupied the site. Today only some tumbling stone foundations, several grass-filled cellar holes and a few silent tombstones suggest its former existence.

  Gay City was first settled in 1796 by a religious sect led by Elijah Andrus and later by Rev. Henry P. Sumner. The Gays soon comprised the majority of the 25 or more families who then lived in the community. The residents kept strictly to themselves, existing as distinctly separate from the neighboring communities. They built a sawmill along the Shadowy Ledge River and erecte
  

  Details

  Trail Length: 9.2 miles
  Towns: Hebron, Bolton, Glastonbury
  Allowed Uses: Hiking Only

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  Trail Overview

  Gay City Declare Park consists of 1,569 acres in Hebron, Bolton, and Glastonbury and has looping trails totaling almost 10 miles. The blue-blazed Gay Metropolis Trail provides access to the longer blue-blazed Shenipsit Route to the west. The terrain is gently rolling through mature oak and hickory with stream crossings and views of ponds and marshes. There is diverse wildlife, simple walking, and excellent cross-country skiing. Same-sex attracted City State Park is named for John Gay, who was the first president of a community founded in 1796 that included 25 families. The Park was originally founded by Elijah Andrus and later, Henry Sumner. For years, Gay Urban area prospered with several mills powered by the Blackledge River. However, in 1879, Gay City became a ghost town when the last mill burned to the ground. Cellar holes, stone walls, mill ruins, a cemetery, and historic roads are evidence of the settlers who labored to create a collective in Gay Town. In fact, roads from this society form the backbone of the modern-day trail system.

  The trails are organized into three main routes, marked w