Connecticut Trail Census Dashboard (2025)

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rob

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Data VisualizationEnvironmental MonitoringGovernment Data

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Data Visualization

Environmental Monitoring

Government Data

The Connecticut Trail Census Dashboard is a new interactive data visualization tool showcasing trail usage and demographics, sparking discussion around data collection and environmental impact.

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Discussion (8 comments)

Showing 8 comments

justinator

3 months ago

4 replies

Really cool, although Connecticut is the last place in the US I'd make a destination to go hiking to. But I see how it's a good place to create a dashboard for, as it contains NO National Forests, NO National Parks[0], No BLM, and only 2300 acres of Wilderness (which this counter dashboard doesn't monitor), so it's much easier to put all these counters in (and the appropriate maintenance)

[0] (basically)

walkabout

3 months ago

2 replies

The entire northeast has very little federal land. You’re looking at state parks and forests if you search up hiking destinations there, mostly. (Acadia’s the major exception)

CT’s absolutely covered in hiking trails, it’s crazy, you see pull-offs and road crossings constantly. State parks, state wilderness, and just about every town (equivalent of a county in other places; CT has counties, technically, but they don’t do anything, and CT “towns” can have multiple “villages” in them) has a land trust that manages even more wild areas, trails, and parks.

Wildlife includes black bears and moose(!)

Outside the little panhandle bit that’s basically one big NYC suburb, it’s a surprisingly forested state, and feels far more wild than lots of states that have lower population density but are covered in farms. CT farms tend to be isolated, not one butting up against another for miles and miles.

The northeastern quadrant is kinda dull but the rest of the state (the bit nearest NYC excepted) is really pretty. Very hilly, lots of trees, and the whole western third or so is a highland that’s an extension of the Appalachians. Follow that up a little ways, or a bit west, and you’re in proper mountains in MA or NY.

Also, the whole state’s the size of some “greater metro areas” for cities, so you can go from the beach to highland hiking in a day. California lite.

susiecambria

3 months ago

You're right that there are a ton of trails, parks, etc. in Connecticut. Which is why I find dashboard lacking (and I admit I have not been on a CT trail, um, ever, even though I spent 20-ish years living there).

There are trails in state parks (think Kent Falls and Sleeping Giant, for instance). And there are also a lot of maps, interactive whatevers, such as https://ctwoodlands.org/explore-trails/interactive-map/ and Rails to Trail https://www.depdata.ct.gov/maps/ctrailtrail/index.html.

Someone else mentioned how fab it is that the state has done this. But it's unclear to me if the state did this or the University of Connecticut did this. Yes, UConn is the state, but UConn does not manage the open data portal for the state (ct.gov). As someone who worked on open data (and i use "worked on" VERY loosely) in the District of Columbia, I would expect the state (ct.gov) to manage the data and the front end. This is not the case.

Finally, while I want to push back about the portrayal of northeastern CT, I cannot. It was a great place to grow up, close and far.

thehappypm

3 months ago

Jockey Hollow in New Jersey is a nice place as well, part of Morristown NHP. It’s ostensibly a historical park but 99% of the use is just a wonderful place to hike the small mountains and walk in the woods. Given the insane amount of NHPs in the Northeast, I’m curious if there are others.

tumnus

3 months ago

What a sad reply to a useful site! The all-capsness of "NO national parks, NO..." etc. presumes that this specific list of designations are necessary for a hike to have value. If you had only remembered the Appalachian Trail, maybe your perspective would have shifted. And as others have pointed out, hiking in CT (and really all of New England) is quite varied, beautiful and accessible . Perhaps you should come try it sometime, it may change your view!

bitwize

3 months ago

You should try it. You're looking at state and municipally run parks, but there's lots of rolling hills and forest to explore and of course, it's beautiful in the fall and early winter. Everything from Currier and Ives to Tim Burton's films drew inspiration from the scenery there.

neomantra

3 months ago

[0] Weir Farm, one of the few National Parks dedicated to art. I get that it will never have a MacOS named after it.

I do love hiking NY and CT; verdant and accessible. Tons of towns have public parks and trails. We have amazing coastline hikes although many towns control access. (Michael Moore stormed Greenwich Point years before he stormed Gitmo). We also see the beauty of four seasons — colors just started changing.

I’m excited to see CT doing this data acquisition and visualization. I’ve only discovered CT’s dedication to open datasets (data.ct.gov) earlier this year and connected wrapped some of it with MCP.

pRusya

3 months ago

I wish there was something like this for Salt Lake City. I have to schedule my trail runs at weird times. Otherwise you bump into people on the trail non-stop. The amount of foot traffic in the mountains is crazy all year round.

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ID: 45457143Type: storyLast synced: 11/20/2025, 4:41:30 PM

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