Natchaug State Forest

This chimney stack at Natchaug State Forest is a remnant of the birthplace of Civil War Gen. Nathaniel Lyon.

This state forest occupies a portion of the former hunting grounds of the Wabbaquasset Native Americans. "Natchaug" is a Native American word meaning "land between the rivers."

In this case the rivers are the Bigelow and the Still, which meet at Phoenixville to form the Natchaug.

Off Route 198 in Eastford, the 12,900 acres of the forest cover a variety of terrains, including wooded hills, river shore, marshes and beaver flowages. There are plenty of activities for outdoors enthusiasts, from birdwatching to berry picking, from hunting to horseback riding.

Canoeists, kayakers and anglers work the Natchaug River and the forest's ponds and streams.

The forest offers one of the state's two equestrian camps (the other is in Pachaug State Forest). The Silvermine Horse Camp is the trailhead for a number of dirt and gravel trails, many of which form closed loops.

The extensive trail and dirt road system is shared by equestrians, hikers, mountain bikers and, in winter, cross-country skiers and snowmobilers.

Backpacking is allowed, but a permit is necessary.

There are campsites for horseback riders, but not for car camping.

The primary marked trail is the Natchaug Trail, a 5.6-mile stretch of the 600-mile, statewide Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail System. The trail leads to the 2,171-acre James L. Goodwin State Forest, which abuts Natchaug to the south, and to other scattered Natchaug properties.

Less than a mile in from the main entrance is a picnic area memorializing Civil War Gen. Nathaniel Lyon. Lyon, the first Union general to die in battle, is credited with saving Missouri for the Union at the 1861 battle at Wilson's Creek.

The stone fireplace and chimney of his birthplace are preserved at the picnic site. He is buried in Phoenixville nearby.