Details

Trail Length: 2.2 miles
Towns: Killingly
Allowed Uses: Hiking Only
Partners: Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP)

Trail Overview

The Old Furnace Trail crosses the length of Old Furnace State Park in Killingly. The trek provides a full variety of hiking terrains, including mature and emerging forests, meadows, streams, ponds, ridges, wetlands, ferns, mountain laurels, wildlife, vistas, and more. All in all, this is a delightful, fairly compact trail requiring moderate effort. Scenic highlights include the remains of the Bog Furnace building and Ross Ledge (rumored to have once been a Native American lovers leap).

Colonial industrialists harnessed the running water of Furnace Brook to power the iron works during the 18th century. During the Revolutionary War, Bog Furnace was a major supplier of iron horseshoes, a commodity greatly needed by the Continental Army.

Ross Pond located at the base of one of the trail access points has a boat launch and abundant fishing opportunities.

CFPA acknowledges we are on the traditional lands of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, the Mohegans, the Eastern Pequot, Schaghticoke, Golden Hill Paugussett, Nipmuc, and Niantic peoples. We pay our respect to the Indigenous people who are no longer here due to colonization, forced relocation, disease, and warfare. We thank them for stewarding this land throughout generations. We recognize the continued presence of Indigenous people on this territory who have survived attempted genocide, and who still hold ties to the land spiritually and culturally. We shall be good stewards of the land we all call Quinnentucket, Connecticut.