New England Trail

For hikers in Connecticut and Massachusetts, one of the primary weather concerns is cold air temperatures and wind chills. While New England summers can be gorgeous, late fall and winter can get quite cold and hikers need to have proper data for planning their trips during these seasons. Additionally, hiking through mountain areas (like Mount Monadnock and along the Metacomet Ridge) can expose hikers to significant wind chill.

This NET page is our first opportunity to incorporate Wind Chill into the planner, which accounts for how the weather actually feels on exposed skin. This site uses the Steadman methodology for calculating apparent temperature, which both applies heat index when humidity is high and wind chill when temperatures are low with significant wind. vations in the Metacomet Ridge and Mount Tom Range.

In addition, we have added cold weather warnings to this planner whenever expected actual or apparent temperatures are expected to fall below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a critical threshold for hikers, as most standard cold-weather camping gear (sleeping bags, insulating layers, shelters) is rated to around 20 degrees. Conditions at or below this level may push typical gear (such as puffy jackets and sleeping bags/quilts) to or beyond their limits, and extra care in gear selection and camp planning is warranted.

This is different than the formal Wind Chill Watches, Warnings, and Advisories issued by the National Weather Service at different levels. These thresholds may vary by region and time of year. In southern New England, a Wind Chill Warning is typically issued when wind chills are expected to reach −10 °F to −20 °F, and a Wind Chill Advisory at −5 °F to −10 °F — though local NWS offices may adjust these thresholds. Always check your local NWS forecast before heading out in cold conditions.

• Trail Route: As one of the shorter National Scenic Trails, the New England Trail runs 200+ miles from Guilford, CT on Long Island Sound to Royalston Falls, MA. It is also one of the newer scenic trails that has been built by connecting a number of existing trails into a single unit. One of the main components is the Metacomet trail which has one end at the Massachusetts border but the other end near Middletown, CT. The main NET reaches down to the southern shore, but it separates from the Metacomet at appsimately the NET 38 mile marker. This leaves an option spur to the NET which is not included in the "official" distance, but which is offered here as an alternate trail for those who wish to start/end in Middletown instead.
• Roadway Gaps: The NET is also one of the newer trails in the scenic trail system, having only been formally designated by law in 2009. It is still a work in progress, and while there are many miles of traditional hiking paths the trail utilizes, there are also portions that require walking along roads and sections with significant gaps. There are all stitched together as single map, and the mileage is calculated as if there are no breaks. But please note your experience on hiking day may not be as seamless as it appears on these maps. For example, crossing the Connecticut River on foot around mile 220 is not possible, you will need to either arrange a shuttle ride (by car or boat) across, or take a 10-mile detour to an acceptable pedestrian crossing. The Westfield River has similar issues.
  There are also areas (such as the "Plainville Gap") where there are significant road sections hikers must contend with. This mileage is also included on the map like any other normal part of the trail. Though thankfully State and local governments are working to improve these sections in ways that balacne the needs of hikers and impacted neighbors.

• New England Trail: Official web site for the New England Trail. Includes trail maps, conditions, and planning guides, and information on some unique conditions (like extended roadwalks and major river crossings) inhert to thru-hiking the NET. Also includes the NET Nature Watch resource for encouraging and coordinating hiker participation in citizen science programs tracking area plant and animal populations.
• NET - Trust for Public Land: Nonprofit devoted to acquiring and protecting land for public use. As the NET is still a trail under development, the Land Trust's assistance is vital for obtaining rights of way for hikers, ensuring beautiful viewscapes, and working collaboratively with private landowners to support the trail in their areas.
• CTWoodlands: Web site of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, which manages the Metacomet Trail section of the NET (as well as the Menunkatuck and Mattabesett Trails). Includes detailed narrative on the trail routes, trail closure notices, and information on other intersecting trails overseen by the State of Connecticut.