Hike & Swim @ Cotton Hollow

Despite the original forecast for rain, the weather ended up being perfect for our day at Cotton Hollow.  Peter, Chris, and I (Minh)braved the mosquitoes as we walked down the trail through the picturesque understory of trees right next to the Roaring Brook. We passed several swimming holes and eventually doubled back for one with both a shallow wading section as well as a deep spot for cliff jumping, although none of us jumped off.  The mosquitoes left us alone when we were in the sun, so we got to warm up from the slightly chilly water.  After the swim and hike back, we headed to my house in Coventry to share some chili that Chris made and fresh jackfruit.  In all, it was a wonderful day!

The Cotton Hollow Preserve in Glastonbury consists of 80 acres of pristine woodlands traversed by the Roaring Brook. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the area was home to several grist mills, saw mills, iron foundries and a cotton mill. The imposing ruins of the cotton mill built in 1814 are still visible today. Today, the preserve features "passive" recreation opportunities for hiking and fishing.

The short 3/4 mile hike winds through the understory of trees and leads to a series of natural pools frequently used by residents as swimming holes.  There are also more pools deeper into the preserve that is a bit more difficult to get to.  The area can be a bit buggy with mosquitoes, so be sure to bring some repellent.

Since this is a short hike, for those interested, we can decide as a group what other nearby hikes or activities we would want to do.