Are Connecticut's Hiking Trails Safe?

Written by Gary Jeanfaivre

Decaying and dying trees along state park hiking trails can be potentially deadly. And a new report by a regional newspaper reveals that several trails across Connecticut are lined with trees and limbs that appear to be on their way out, or, more accurately, down.

The report is based on an investigation by the New Haven Register and staff at its sister papers, The Middletown Press and the Register Citizen of Torrington, which they conducted in the wake of an incident in May that claimed the life of a Colchester woman.

The 45-year-old, Barbara Young, was killed when an oak tree fell on her while she was eating lunch with her family at Salmon River State Forest in Colchester. Her 18-year-old daughter is still recovering from serious injuries incurred that day, The Registerreports.

According to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) incident report obtained by Patch, an examination of that tree revealed interior rot and partial rot near the base of the truck on the side facing the river. It reportedly snapped about 8 feet off the ground and an approximately 40-foot section came crashing down toward the river, onto a rock ledge where the Youngs were eating.

In their investigation, reporters traveled to state parks throughout the state and took photographic evidence, documenting dead or decaying trees and limbs near trail heads and paths.

“We do our best to maintain trails and keep any dead trees away from them,” Gardner told The Register. “We do it both routinely and if notified.”

To let the DEEP know about potentially dangerous trees along trails, call the forestry division at 860-424-3630.

You can read The Register's complete report on their website.