Mashamoquet Brook State Park

Rich with history, legend and lore, Mashamoquet Brook with its Wolf's Den, offers hiking, camping, fishing, and swimming for the whole family.

The region was once the domain of the Mohegan Chief Uncas. The name Mashamoquet is Indian for "stream of good fishing" and originally was applied to the entire area. Later, Captain John Sabin built a house here to serve as an outpost and the settlement gradually increased in size. In 1723, parish and township privileges were granted and the town became Pomfret, named after Pontefract in Yorkshire, England.

The present park area is actually a combination of three parks: the original Mashamoquet Brook, Wolf Den and Saptree Run. A large portion of the park was public domain even prior to the State Park and Forest Commission's creation in 1914 due to the foresight of the Daughters of the American Revolution who had purchased the Wolf Den parcel in 1899. The State purchased this section from them in 1924 for the original 1899 price and added it to the first Mashamoquet Brook parcel which had been a gift of former Pomfret resident Sarah Fay. These areas, other purchases, and gifts (notably, in 1957, the 148 acre Hotchkins Wolf Den Farm parcel) have been combined to form the present 900 acre park.

The most famous feature is the Wolf Den into which, on a night in 1742, Israel Putnam crept and shot a wolf that for years had preyed upon local sheep and poultry. Israel Putnam was later to gain fame as a Major General in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

Activities

Camping
Hiking
Picnicking
Stream Fishing
Swimming
Youth Group Camping

Camping

Two camping areas are available. The Mashamoquet Brook Campground has 18 wooded sites. Wolf Den Campground offers 35 campsites.  The campgrounds are open from the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day.