Hiking in Thomaston: Leather Man's Cave

Facing the trail signs, head left, following the blue blazes onto the exposed ledge-top. Youll go about 175 feet (70 steps) across the rocky overlook, stopping at forked arrows that point back the way you came. This is Cranes Lookout. From here, you can see the countryside about 270 degrees all around you. You are now standing above the Leather Mans Cave.




At the forked arrows marking the terminus of your overlook detour, look on the ledge-top just 25-30 feet West. You will see a shrub-like patch of oak, no taller than 5-6 feet above the ground. This is bear oak (also known as scrub oak). The only places this species can beseen in Connecticut are on ledge atop hills and mountains such as this. In summer you can note that the leathery leaves are smaller, with slighter lobes and sinuses (the dips along the edge of the leaf between lobes) than the scarlet oak, black oak, and red oak in the area. It does not grow tall or straight, due to its habit of germinating and growing where there is barely any soil. The prevalence of strong winds also limit this plants height in these exposed mountaintop areas.

Return to the trail signs 175 feet away. Bear left, heading downhill to follow Mattatuck Trail, instead of Jericho Trail. You will go about 150 feet (60 steps) and see the cave entrance to your left. This is the Leather Mans Cave!

Carefully walk through the cave, which is approximately 50 feet long.

The nearby rock shelter was one of the regular lodgings of the legendary Leather Man, who by most accounts spent more than 30 years from 1856 to 1889 as a vagrant, walking through the Connecticut and New York countryside, bouncing between the Hudson River and Connecticut River. After many years of tramping he settled into a clockwise loop, which totaled about 365 miles, averaging about 10 miles/day.

Courtesy: http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2697&q=322832&depNav_GID=1631#Ev...

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Thomaston
• ct
• 06787
• watertown
• connecticut
• mattatuck
• state
• forest
• black
• rock
• park
• hiking
• leather
• mans
• cave

[FeatheredFriendProds]

hey did i see you on the rock yesterday too? me and a couple of my friends were there. i think you were with your father?

[works2long69]

that was not the leathmans cave on the top of the Jericho Trail.......before you start up the rock stairs go to the bog on the right.......youll see a rock out cropping and that is where one of his cave were........that s where he saved a lot of food.......the one at the top of the mountain off the Jericho Trail

[TheHomelessWarrior]

Nice. I would stay there if I could. Looks comforting.

[167bnx]

it's the worst video handling I've ever seen ! can't make anything out !

[thejoke101]

i was there yesterday

[hognolia]

MArthas Vinyard has alot of shrub oak.The Vineyard airport is surrounded by it.

[SoaringEagle90]

hmmm... It's like you made a documentary on it! Kind of.