The Offical Pachaug Trail Thread

We seem to have assembled a group of riders for Pachaug. So lets make this the offical thread for scheduling rides on the Pachaug CT trail. Anyone and everyone is welcome to join us. Ask questions and get the info here!

Here's a Pachaug Roll Chart that I made. Its not exact and may have some errors, so use at your own risk. Just look for the RED Netra arrows on the trees that mark the way, although some trails are not marked.

Pachaug Roll Chart

Pachaug Roll Chart #1

Pachaug Roll Chart #2

The roll chart may not be entirely correct and may contain errors, ride with a buddy and ride safe. Start/Finish is the Parking Lot on Spaulding Road and Down Road, Plainfield CT.

It's at the intersection of Spaulding and Dow Roads in Plainfield. Mapquest here: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/219+Spa...Plainfield+ct/

Food and Gas available at mile 45. Total ride is approximately 60 miles. Entrance to Hero Section is in Pachuag State Forest on Ekonk Hill Road, Voluntown CT. Your bike must be registered and have a plate (NOT an ATV Plate) Any errors or suggestions please email me at jbunceiii@gmail.com.

The official NETRA roll chart for the Pachaug Trail can be found HERE. It cost about $3 for NETRA members, which is $45 to join.

In order to purchase the NETRA roll chart you must become a member of NETRA. I encourage everyone to join, they support your right to ride this trail. Join NETRA.org HERE

Just an FYI on that track file....it includes my mistakes where I got off the trail, not far off though, I turned around a went back the right way.

The best way to do it is with a roll chart, Odometer to track the distance and the GPS. That way you have more then one reference on the trail.

The red arrows are intermittent on the trail marking...so you really can't rely on them.

Just remember to split the Track up using MapSource into 500 points each so you can load them on your GPS. You can't load them as one big track.

Let the fun begin!

I found this on ThumperTalk.com......written by bike2. Its a pretty good write up. I am going to post some pictures of GPS tracks with Google Earth and I am working on an improved roll chart.

Here is the link: Thumpertalk Artical

Attention Pachaug trail users!
It is quite apparent that there are motorcyclists who do not know what trails are approved to ride on in Pachaug State Forest. I know that this info is not easily available and the loop is poorly marked. The purpose of this post is to educate. Your motorcycle must be registered and street legal to ride in Pachaug.
The only approved trails that you are allowed to ride on are red arrowed. The loop is arrowed in one direction. The dirt roads are open to riding. The yellow faded plastic signs with red dot in the middle are horse trails. The blue blazed trails are hiking trails! This applies to the Green Falls area also. If you are on a blue blazed trail in Green Falls, you are on the wrong trail.

Following is a list of trail sections that are currently being ridden on but are not part of the NETRA red arrowed loop. There is also some clarification on what trails motorcycles are allowed on. If you get the Pachaug State Forest map at the ranger station, you will see the sections described below. It’s not easy, the map is very small but you can figure it out.

1. Trail to Philips Pond (from Hell Hollow Road to Trail One Road) There is a myriad of trails in this section and none of them are open to motorcycles!
2. Lowden Brook trail (intersection of Stone Hill Road and Trail One Road) to Gardner Road: this trail is also being accessed from Route 49 and from Stone Hill Road)
3. There is no trail off of Gardner Road open to motorcycles!
4. Pachaug Trail behind Heron Marsh - this is the pond on Route 138, part of this trail goes through wetlands and is being destroyed! The east end of the pond has a gateway where logging was done last year; the west side gateway is the Pachaug trail. These gateways are closed to motorized vehicles.
5. Nehantic Trail - from Trail II Road- logged last year, three boulders blocking trail. This trail eventually joins the Pachaug Trail going south.
6. Nehantic Trail directly across from #5’s description going north towards Lee Road.
7. Nehantic/Pachaug trail that goes up to Firetower Road (short steep section that connects the Nehatic/Pachaug Trail with the Firetower Road to Mount Misery) someone is really ripping this section up! Let me explain the only two sections of Firetower Road you can ride on: the road that goes from Cutoff Road to the Mount Misery parking area and the other where the red arrowed NETRA trail dumps onto Firetower Road where you take a left in a southeasterly direction on Firetower Road, just before you get to Trail I Road you take a right onto the NETRA trail where there is a faded red arrow, known as the Powerline Trail. Let me say that once you are on the Powerline Trail you stay on this until you get to Trail II Road! None of the trails that cross this trail are open to motorcycles!
8. Quinebaug/Pachaug trail east of Hell Hollow Pond, (yellow markings denote a crossover trail that eventually hooks up with Pachaug Trail).
9. The blue blazed Quinebaug Trail and the NETRA red arrowed trail run concurrently west of Hell Hollow pond; it then crosses Hell Hollow Road. The NETRA trail dumps onto Trail I Road. However, some are taking a left just before the road and riding the Quinebaug Trail down to Phillips Pond.
10. Do I even need to mention the Rhododendron Sanctuary? The trail to Mount Misery? The trails with wooden orange signs with #5 are not open to motorcycles.

These sections have been ridden on for years, but now the numbers of users have dramatically increased and these trails are getting abused on a daily basis. This has to change!


I know what I have written here and in the Norwich Bulletin (search “Pachaug”) may be received with some negative reactions. Unfortunately, I realize that this information will be disregarded by many, but if riders care about open trails, you will help to spread this information. Encourage your friends who ride the above listed sections not to continue doing so. There are many who ride responsibly and stay on the approved trails, so I’m trying to educate those who want to ride responsibly but just don’t know where they should ride. Of course there are the ones who will just ride wherever they want and jeopardize a legal place to ride for all. Do I need to mention Rhode Island’s crackdown and Massachusetts’ Georgetown/ Rowley State Forest’ closure due to public outcry? Don’t let this happen in Pachaug. Don’t let it come down to the non motorized trail users deciding trail usage for you. It’s not law enforcement that will close the trails to motorcycles; it will be the powerful political voice of other trail users, such as CFPA, Sierra Club, AMC, etc. There’s plenty of room for all to enjoy their chosen form of recreation.

I’m well aware that there is a need for more legal places to ride. The ATV bill continues to be put on hold. If you want legal places to ride, off road motorcyclists need to do whatever they can to make sure that they keep their rubber side down on the correct trails. The next time you head down a trail you know you don’t belong on, think real hard about the long term ramifications of what you are doing. Every time you ride an unapproved trail, you are actually helping those who oppose more legal places to ride. Your riding habits will not only affect you but others as well and the efforts that are being made to gain more open areas to ride. It’s up to you.

Thats not to complicated issit?



I crashed riding around the old Waterford airport and dint get in trouble when all the cops and first responders showed up, just a fyi, nobody seems to mind if ya roost around therre.

Oh yes.....

I know who you are, how long did it take for you to crawl out? 8 hours?

About 7 i think, 15 hours in the ER, Two days in the Hosp, about a year full time in a wheelchair, started riding again last October however, turns out you dont need to be able to walk in order to ride~~~~

Is this the same loop as a has been, probably 10 or so years ago, I rode a netra route sheet ride through there. It was a really good time, but I haven't been back since. If I were coming from NJ, what town is the closest trail head in. I'm trying to figure out how far of a drive it is from me.

Nick

We are riding the Pachaug loop on August 29th at 9:00 am (kickstands up). Anyone can come as long as you have a Plated dirt bike. We are "C" ish riders.

Do you mind a slow rider on a G650X showing up? Are you starting at the parking area at the intersection of Dow Road and Spaulding Rd, or at the headquarters?

I am on a double shift til 7am.... sorry

I am up for it. Never been there, read alot about it, love to try it
How long of a ride is it? 4-6 hours? How many miles? What time do you meet? Where? do you stop for fuel or lunch? or just ride like hell?

~dr

It's at the intersection of Spaulding and Dow Roads in Plainfield. Mapquest here: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/219+Spa...Plainfield+ct/

Its a 60 mile loop, with a gas stop/lunch at around 45.2 mile marker. Figure a full day, 9-4pm.

Someone should bring/have a roll chart to follow the trail, unless you have someone who has done it before and knows the trails. I have done it twice, got lost the first time but did most of it. The second time did the whole thing.

Bring water....:) and a few smalls snacks for energy:0

Bike needs to be street legal or a plate, not an ATV plate.

I attached a GPS file to this posting, it will show you some of the route.

<h2><a href="http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=22557">Pachaug</a></h2><div style="width:500px;height:420px;border:2px solid #ACD7F5;padding:5px;"><object classid="clsid27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="main" width="100%" height="100%" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab"><param name="movie" value="http://www.everytrail.com/main.swf" /><param name="FlashVars" value="tripId=22557&picDim=250&mapType=Hybrid&units=&isWidget=true"><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.everytrail.com/main.swf" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="100%" height="100%" name="main" align="middle" FlashVars="tripId=22557&picDim=250&includeElevation=&mapType=Hybrid&units=&isWidget=true" play="true" loop="false" quality="high" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object></div>Widget powered by EveryTrail: <a href="http://www.everytrail.com">GPS Geotagging</a>

Video from 2006

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dS1PuVbvIgM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dS1PuVbvIgM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

This is from our 2nd ride.....

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vQCDdOpMq7A&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vQCDdOpMq7A&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

G650X is fine...may not make it over the rocks in the Hero Section but I have never seen your bike in person.....I have the roll chart and I will have a GPS. We should leave at 8:30 so we don't die of heat.

August 10th Pachaug unload location: 8:30 kick stands up

It's at the intersection of Spaulding and Dow Roads in Plainfield. Mapquest here: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/219+Spa...Plainfield+ct/
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Make sure everyone is registered for the road. DEP checks and checks often. Don't mess up the only legal place in CT by violating the rules.
Stick to the NETRA Loop. Other stuff is not legal. This trail is open by the State and an agreement with NETRA. Join NETRA ( NETRA.org) and purchase a rote sheet for $2.

Agree 100%..If you don't have a plate then don't ride with us. I have the trail/route sheet and I even dropped some $$ on a roller. The loop is long enough that towards the end you will be happy that we stuck to the marked trails.

I am planning on riding Sunday. I'll be coming from R.I on my bike and shooting for a 7:45 arrival,wondering about difficulty level because I have limited experience and will be riding on stock tires (deathwings )
(tried to order new tires but can not get them in time)