Exploring the Connecticut River

Photo: Patrick Zephyr

By Nell Porter Brown

New Englanders seeking wilderness trips don't have to board a plane or even travel very far to experience Alaskan-like frontiers, unique fishing spots, or boating odysseys. All of that, amazingly, exists right here in the Connecticut River valley. Once an industrial dumping ground, New England's longest river—flowing 410 miles from Canada to the Long Island Sound—now offers pristine water quality and swimming in all four states. "This giant river has undergone a remarkable renaissance," says Jad Daley, TPL's Director of Northern New England Programs.

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