Nehantic State Forest

About Nehantic State Forest

I visited the Nehantic State Forest and discovered that the first forest in New London County has more to offer than it has to offer in terms of wildlife, habitat and natural resources. In 1925, Nehantics was bought by the State of Connecticut and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for $5,000.

The choice of location was difficult, and the land was mostly covered with hardwood. Although there is a lot of woodland in the county, large areas of woodland on the block are hard to find.

The forest takes its name from a vast area that once stretched from what is now Rhode Island to the Connecticut River. There were a number of good trout streams in the forest, and shortly after the arrival of the settlers, the Pequota invaded the Nanantic territory and annexed half the land the tribe claimed.

Take Exit 70 and follow Route 156 for about 3 miles, then turn left onto Route 1 and go straight to the end of the exit and turn right onto Route 155.

The entrance to the forest is on the left and the exit at the end of the parking lot on Route 155 and Route 156, about 3 miles.