Nathan Hale State Forest: The first purchase of this forest was in 1946, through a bequest by the late George Dudley Seymour. The original purchase of 850 acres has grown since then to about 1,500 acres today. Mr. Seymour wanted to restore the Hale farm property he had purchased in 1914 ?to a state comparable to that which existed during Hale?s boyhood, when most of the lands were cleared and grazed by sheep and cattle?. He soon saw how hopeless that idea would be, as the land reverted to forest faster than he could keep it cleared.

Two of his forester friends may have influenced him to turn his interest to forest and wildlife management. In the 1930?s, with guidance from Dean Graves of Yale and George Cromie, Mr. Seymour began establishing conifer plantations. This practice continued into the 1950?s, by which time the land was under State ownership.

Mr. Seymour also had an interesting way of marking his boundaries. He planted them with hemlock and white cedar. The trees are still visible today as excellent markers of both former and current boundaries.

Since the state acquired the land, plantations have been established, thinned and pruned; fields have been maintained in grass and shrub condition for a variety of wildlife; studies are being conducted to restore American chestnut; a 200 acre natural area has been established to be kept with no management activity; and the forest in general has been managed for a sustained yield of wildlife habitat and forest products. The Town of Coventry leases a 57-acre area of the forest as a town park.

Today, the objective of the DEP Foresters is to maintain a healthy forest with an equal distribution of age classes of trees from seedling to mature timber. The wildlife is abundant and often visible or audible. Hawks, fox and coyote rival the deer and turkey for use of the varied habitat available

Connecticut has made state parks, forests, trails, historic sites and beaches more accessible to our residents so they can enjoy the many attractions and beauty they offer. Under the Passport to the Parks program, parking fees are now eliminated at Connecticut State Parks for those with Connecticut registered vehicles. You can view the CONNECTICUT PASSPORT TO THE PARKS web page to learn more.