Mashamoquet Brook State Park Hike (Pomfret, Connecticut)

Sometimes it's hard to figure out how the locals pronounce the names of their towns, lakes, rivers, and other geographical designations. Case in point: Mashamoquet Brook State Park in Connecticut, located just down the road from the RV Park where we stayed for one month. My first thought was Mash-ah-mokay, putting a French spin on the pronunciation. Turns out it isn't pronounced anything like that. We decided to take a hike on the trails running through the park, so when we arrived at the Ranger Station, I asked the ranger for the correct pronunciation. She explained it was pronounced Mash-Mucket. Who knew? In any case, no matter how you say it, we enjoyed a hike and a picnic lunch at this very lovely wooded park, with lots ups and downs, giving our legs a good workout. Of particular note, and sadly, the park is home to the Israel Putnam Wolf Den, where in 1742 Israel Putnam shot and killed Connecticut's last known wolf. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.