'Walktober' offers more than 100 guided treks - as well as bike tours and paddle excursions

Walkers visit the Creamery Brook Bison farm in Brooklyn. Photo by Jim Gothreau, courtesy of The Last Green Valley.

Walks include easy-going routes on level ground suitable for strollers, and challenging treks for the more adventurous.

The very popular Walking Weekend began 18 years ago on Columbus Day weekend, and has since grown to attract thousands of visitors during what is traditionally autumn leaf-peeping season.

The event expanded a few years ago to include walks in Massachusetts, and an additional weekend, and became known as Walking Weekends.

And now, the event has grown yet again to encompass the entire month of October, beginning the weekend of Oct. 4. Thus its new name - "Walktober".

Sponsored by the Last Green Valley organization, "Walktober" offers more than 100 free guided walks - as well as bike tours and paddle excursions - and more than 50 regional events.

Walks include easy-going routes on level ground suitable for strollers, and challenging treks for the more adventurous. Some are designed especially for children, and some allow you to bring your four-footed friend along, on a leash. And they range from 1 to 2.5 miles or more.

There are many opportunities for exploring the natural, historical and cultural treasures found throughout the 35 towns that make up the National Heritage Corridor, which stretches from northeastern Connecticut to south-central Massachusetts.

It's a good idea to bring your camera.

Many walks are based on a theme, such as the Main Street Math Trail in Hampton. Participants receive a pamphlet with directions and math questions related to discoveries along the route.

And the popular walk, The Vampires of Jewett City, in Griswold, returns this year. On this walk, State Archaeologist Nicholas Bellantoni will reveal 1850’s beliefs about vampirism.

Other unique events include The Annual Fall Festival & Russian Bazaar in Norwich, the Antique Apple Tasting at Old Sturbridge Village, in Massachusetts and the Dark of the Moon Celebration in Oxford, Mass.

The "Walktober 2008" brochure can now be downloaded from www.thelastgreenvalley.org  Or you can call The Last Green Valley offices toll-free at (866) 363-7226 and ask for a "Walktober" brochure to be mailed to you.

Mansfield walks will include:

1. Romp in the Swamp - examine aquatic life on this 1.5 mile trek
2. UConn Forest Hike
3. Visit the H.E.E.P. - a tour of the Hillside Environmental Education Park at UConn, with a scenic lookout and boardwalk loop trail around restored and created wetlands
4. Vegetation & a View - climb a steep trail, with stops to observe lichens and moss, and reward yourself with a spectacular view
5. Walking with Trout - hike in the Fenton River Valley with brief talks and demonstrations by a representative of Thames Valley Trout Unlimited
6. The World through the Eyes of a Trout - walk with a fly fisherman, including a stop at the Gurleyville Grist Mill Historic Mills of Mansfield - led by State Archaeologist Nicholas Bellantoni
7. A "Hunt" in the Woods - walkers are given a list of objects to find along the trail, and there are other games and prizes
8. Between a Rock and a Marshy Place - climb to Wolf Rock and enjoy a gorgeous fall view, then continue along the Nipmuck Trail to Sawmill Brook Preserve
9. Foliage Paddle in the Hollow - a three-hour paddle; last year, ospreys and bald eagles were spotted Additional photo, also by Jim Gothreau, is a walk along the Air Line Trail.

Walk Along Airline Trail

Photo submitted by Jim Gothreau

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