Salmon River State Forest

About Salmon River State Forest

Get a glimpse of the past by walking under one of Connecticut's covered bridges and fishing for a day or picnicking by the salmon river. In 1934, the state's Fisheries and Wildlife Department first bought land to include salmon rivers and forests.

The forest area includes about 1,300 acres leased by the U.S. government and now covers more than 1,000 acres of the state's total land area.

The Salmon River flows east of Haddam into the Connecticut River and the main river under the Comstock Bridge flows through Connecticut State and into New Haven, Connecticut. The main tributary of the salmon river is the Great River, an important source of drinking water for the city of Hartford, which is probably the only river in Connecticut that is completely within the boundaries of this state.

One of the earliest significant settlers in the area was John Carrier, who was considered the executioner of Charlemagne and fled England after the restoration of the monarchy. His last name is still on the land register of that area, and his descendants still live in New Haven.

The town in the area was settled in the early 17th century and was typical of the early New England settlements. In North Westchester, for example, the city had to dam streams and ponds to supply hydropower to watermills, tanneries, and later paper mills. The salmon river and its tributaries had more mills to try to operate water mills at night, so that the water supply could be maintained at all times with minimal rainfall.

In 1934, the state's Fisheries and Wildlife Department first bought land to include the salmon river forest, and in 1934 it became a state forest. This made it a very popular fishing area, especially in the late 1930s and early 1940s, due to its proximity to the river and its tributaries.

The forest now covers 1.5 million hectares, and its area is about 1,300 hectares, which have been leased by the US government.

The Salmon River flows from the Connecticut River east of Haddam, and the main river under the Comstock Bridge flows through Connecticut State and into the Hudson River in New York State. The main tributary of the salmon river is the New Haven River, an important source of drinking water for the city of Hartford, which is probably the only river in Connecticut that is entirely within the boundaries of this state.

One of the earliest significant settlers in the area was John Carrier, who was considered the executioner of Charlemagne and fled England after the restoration of the monarchy. His last name is still on the Land Registry, as is the name of his son, William Carrier.

The town in the area was settled in the early 17th century and was typical of the early New England settlements. In North Westchester, for example, streams and ponds were dammed to supply hydropower to watermills, tanneries, and later paper mills. The salmon river and its tributaries had to have several mills to try to operate water mills at night so that the water supply could be maintained at all times with minimal rainfall.

This made the forest a very popular fishing area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially for salmon and other fish.

West, take Route 2 at Exit 18, follow Route 16 for 6.2 miles, turn left into the recreation area and follow it to Route 11. West, take exit 19 on Route 1 and turn right on Route 10, follow the route to the entrance to Salmon River State Forest.

East, follow Route 16 for 5.5 miles, turn left into the recreation area and follow it to Route 66 in Middletown, east of Route 16. West, take Route 2 at Exit 18 and turn right onto Route 10, which will follow you for 6.2 miles to the entrance to the Salmon River State Forest.

Turn right into the recreation area and follow Route 10 for 5.5 miles to the entrance of the Salmon River State Forest.

From Hartford area, take Route 2 East and follow Route 16 West for 1.9 miles to the entrance to the Salmon River State Forest. Turn right on Route 16 West and turn left into the recreation area for 2.5 miles and then right onto Route 10 for 3.2 miles.

Turn left into the recreation area for 2.5 miles and then right onto Route 10 for 3.2 miles to the entrance of the Salmon River State Forest. Turn right on Route 16 West for 1.9 miles, then turn left into the recreation area and turn right on the trail.