Cockaponset State Forest
| Cockaponset State Forest | |
| Connecticut State Forest | |
 Road to Chester Swamp
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Connecticut |
| Counties | Middlesex, New Haven |
| Towns | Haddam, Chester, Deep River, Killingworth, Durham, Guilford, Madison, Clinton, Westbrook, Middletown, Middlefield |
| Elevation | 430 ft (131 m) |
| Coordinates | 41°26′28″N 72°32′01″W / 41.44111°N 72.53361°WCoordinates: 41°26′28″N 72°32′01″W / 41.44111°N 72.53361°W |
| Area | 17,186 acres (6,955 ha) |
| Established | 1926 |
| Management | Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection |
  Location in Connecticut
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| Website: Cockaponset State Forest | |
Cockaponset State Forest is the second largest forest in the Connecticut state forest system, encompassing over 16,000 acres (65 km²) of land. Most of the land is in Middlesex County though some parcels lie in New Haven County. The forest is disjointed, and comprises land in the towns of Haddam, Chester, Deep River, Killingworth, Durham, Guilford, Madison, Clinton, Westbrook, Middletown and Middlefield. The forest is named after a Native American chief buried in Haddam.
A portion of the forest is known as the Chester Cedar Swamp was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1973. Along with Pachaug-Great Meadow Swamp, it is one of the finest remaining examples of an Atlantic white cedar forest. This type of forest is at risk and being succeeded by hemlock.
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) manages a 20-mile (32 km) trail system based around Pattaconk Reservoir Recreation Area near Chester. Some trails have been designated for footpath only, while others are open to horses and mountain bikes. The centerpiece for this area is the scenic Pattaconk Lake which is used for swimming, fishing, and paddling. Even though the CT DEEP has maps detailing only 20 miles (32 km) of trails, there are over 100 miles (160 km) of trails within the greater Cockaponset State Forest. According to the headquarters at Chatfield Hollow State Park, many of these unmarked trails have an undesignated status, which means that the CT DEEP has either not yet decided their use or are within an area earmarked for logging in the future. These undesignated trails are currently open to most users willing to respect low-impact travel.
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Wikipedia