Posted By auntie on September 4, 2016

3.5 miles; East Haddam, CT

Area I’ve never hiked in before? Check. Views of the Salmon River? Check. Mysterious noises dating back centuries? Check, check, and check! I was in.

This just started as a google maps perusal. I keep a custom google map of places I’d like to hike, named, uh, “Places I’d Like to Hike.” And I noticed there was a large area that had no icons in it anywhere, so I zoomed in and noticed a state park I’d never heard of, so I looked it up and that led to this link to the “Damned Connecticut” website. Here’s an exerpt:

Actually, the name “Moodus” comes from the local Native Americans who called the area “Machimoodus” long before settlers came to Connecticut, which roughly translated means “place of bad noises.” They believed the sounds were caused by the god Hobomoko, who apparently was a restless, violent and exceptionally noisy entity.

Quickly, to the bottom-line, no, I didn’t hear any of the noises, and I even climbed “Mount” Tom, such as it was. Still, it was a great hike.

Pond

There’s a lovely little pond at the entry to the park, with mown lawns and picnic tables. There are two sets of trails, one which heads back to the east towards Johnson Millpond and the Moodus River, and the other on the western part with named trails, Upper Vista and Lower Vista. The first part was a little unclear; there are no blazes and I think I ended up on private property at one point.

Signage

The “vista” trails were easier to follow, and more travelled. I did the Lower Vista and the Upper Vista trails. Not a whole lot of “vista” this time of year, to be honest, at least from the summit of Mount Tom. Too many leaves in the way. (And no mysterious noises either, alas.)

Sign of Impending Autumn

It was still pretty hot, but hey, it’s September. This Virginia Creeper knows cold is coming…

Salmon River

This is the other overlook on the Upper Vista trail. You’re looking at Salmon Cove on the Salmon River. The Salmon River is a tributary of the Connecticut River, and the confluence of the two rivers is just south of here.

Overall, this is a very pleasant hike. Some decent elevation changes, some very nice overlooks, and one thing I didn’t get a chance to explore: Sunrise State Park, which is adjacent to Machimoodus. It’s a former resort park that the state purchased in 2009, and it now functions as a kayak park. This stretch of the Salmon River is known for its great kayaking. Maybe next visit?

You can find out more about Machimoodus State Park and view a trail map on the CT DEEP website.

Categories: Connecticut, Walks and Hikes
Tags: 2–5 miles, CT, East Haddam CT