Grand opening for northern section of ambitious Tri-Town Trail to be held Sunday
When hiking advocates conceived of a walking trail connecting Preston Community Park to Bluff Point in Groton in 2008, one of the stated goals was to instill community pride and cooperation among the three towns.
Karen Parkinson of Ledyard, president of the Tri-Town Trail Association, will check off that goal Sunday, at the grand opening of the 4.2-mile northern section. The celebration will run from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the trailhead on Route 117 across from the entrance to Preston Community Park.
The event will feature adult and children’s fun runs, with special guest 1968 Boston Marathon winner Amby Burfoot of Groton. At Preston Community Park, there will be food trucks, children’s entertainment and face painting, animal encounters presented by Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center staff and a touch-a-truck hosted by Ledyard Fire Department.
Leaders from Preston, Ledyard and Groton will be on hand to cut the ribbon at 3 p.m.
“Anybody that’s coming will see the enormous community pride out of this,” Parkinson said. “The community is very proud. We’re very proud.”
The association first created a master plan for the trail network in 2008 with a “wish list” of possible trail routes and grant sources, Parkinson said.
The town of Ledyard obtained a $128,000 planning grant in 2014 for the northern section, and the association received grants and donations of about $20,000. Parkinson estimated the value of the many hours of donated labor to create trails and build bridges at $62,000.
Starting in 2019, volunteers cleared brush and debris for hiking trails. Retired volunteers joined Preston Boy Scout Troop 75 and the Ledyard High School National Honor Society to carry planks of lumber into the forest to build two wooden bridges across larger streams and 14 rivulet crossings.
The group had to create safe access across vertical wetlands, with water running from stone outcrops. Rocky’s Landscaping in Ledyard volunteered to mow the meadow trail before Sunday’s grand opening.
“That’s so nice,” Parkinson said, smiling. “That’s the way it’s been. People say: ‘Hey, I’m here, what do you need?'"
In the heavy rains of a tropical storm in early September, one wooden bridge washed away and has been rebuilt in time for Sunday’s grand opening. One spot required a 16-foot-long aluminum bridge to allow emergency ATVs to access the trail.
But those would be the only wheeled vehicles allowed. The narrow trail now is open only to hikers. No bicycles or motored vehicles are allowed, and no horse riding. Dogs on leashes are allowed, and there is a dog poop bag dispenser at the trailhead. Parkinson said future improvements could allow the trail to be open for mountain bikes.
The trail has been in use for about a year, Parkinson said but was very muddy in spots. The association wanted to wait until the bridges were in place before hosting the grand opening and volunteer appreciation event.
The northern section is a 4.2-mile loop nearly straight south from the trailhead on Route 117 at the Preston-Ledyard line to the Clark Farm property, owned by the town of Ledyard, and back. The loop crosses a meadow, goes through a mature forest and through active farmland. Two private property owners provided easements, Parkinson said.
The meadow loop
Shorter spurs are available, including a 0.72-mile loop around the trailhead meadow, now thick with blooming goldenrod, wildflowers and grasses. Parkinson hopes the meadow loop becomes a cross-country skiing haven in winter. The main trail is marked with orange arrows. Other colors mark the spurs, such as yellow arrows for the meadow loop.
High-power electrical lines cross the northern meadow. Eversource has offered to create a parking lot at this entrance and a second parking lot at the Red Barn trailhead on Route 117 in Ledyard.
The next step for the Tri-Town Trail Association is to extend the trail from the completed northern section to Route 214 in Ledyard. At the same time, the association will work on a way to get from Route 1 at Bluff Point State Park in Groton to Route 184.
Throughout the planning and trail development, the association has partnered with Parks and Recreation departments in Groton, Ledyard and Preston. The group will seek future planning grants and will work with landowners for potential easements to connect the trail to publicly owned or trust properties.
“I hope it can be done in my lifetime,” said Parkinson, who will turn 82 shortly.
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