One of the region's most popular trail networks connects two of its most treasured natural resources: Groton's Bluff Point Coastal Preserve and Haley Farm State Park.

On any given day scores of hikers, joggers, bicyclists and occasionally equestrians traverse miles of scenic pathways meandering through extraordinarily diverse terrain that ranges from rolling pastures to dense woodlands to sandy beaches to saltwater marshes to rocky promontories overlooking Fishers Island Sound and the Poquonnock River.

Now that warmer weather is bringing people outside in greater numbers, visitors may notice an ugly intrusion that was installed several months ago: a metal fence and gate blocking access to the private Mumford Cove neighborhood.

This subdivision is adjacent to but not part of the trail network, and authorities concede that the Mumford Cove Association appears to have been within its legal rights to construct the barrier, but the question remains: What possible motive could residents have had, other than to proclaim a snooty exclusivity bent on barring those they mistakenly perceive as riff-raff?

"I've been running the Mumford Cove roads and adjacent trails to Haley Farm and Bluff Point for more than 50 years, and can't believe that the Mumford Cove Association has gated them off. We live in an era when we need more interconnected recreation trails, not to mention more interconnected neighborhoods. The Mumford Cove gates are an affront to all of us in southeastern Connecticut," Amby Burfoot of Mystic, winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon and editor-at-large at Runner's World magazine, said the other day.

We wholeheartedly agree.

Groton officials have not reported any conflicts involving trail-users that very infrequently may have strayed from the public paths to the private end of Mumford Cove's Neptune Drive, which the new gate blocks. There never were any no-trespassing signs, and most pedestrians and bicyclists traveling between Bluff Point and Haley Farm passed the old passageway south of a footbridge crossing the railroad tracks without giving it a second thought.

"It's never been a problem," says Groton Town Manager Mark Oefinger, who is mystified by the barrier.

Last October, Dennis Schain, spokesman for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, told The Day that park staff had not heard complaints from Mumford Cove residents about unwanted traffic from park users in the neighborhood. Among those blocked from Mumford Cove has been a group of bicyclists raising money for the Special Olympics.

Back in October, Arthur Shaw, president of the association's board of directors, said his group simply chose to put up a new fence to replace one that was in disrepair.

"This isn't an authorized entrance to the state park, but people have been traipsing through Mumford Cove to get to Haley Farm," he said. "All the roads in Mumford Cove are private, even though some people assume they're public."

By some accounts the decision to put up a new gate provoked heated dissent and even prompted resignations from the Mumford Cove Association.

This newspaper applauds those opponents and encourages remaining association members to rethink their ill-conceived barrier.

Somebody needs to stand up and proclaim, "Mr. Shaw, tear down that wall."

That said, if there were resulting problems with trespassers then law-enforcement authorities must be notified.

And anyone walking, running or bicycling on Mumford Cove streets must be courteous and respectful, behaving as they would hope those passing through their own neighborhoods would.

The truth is, any determined miscreant could easily circumvent the new fence, so we doubt it has provided any added security for Mumford Cove residents.

They certainly may be entitled to privacy but should realize that their actions also invite criticism.