today i visited a black spruce bog up in Cornwall, Connecticut. it is a rare ecosystem that consist of layers upon layers of moss, peat moss. at one point in time, around 10,000 years ago, it was a big divot in the ground and it slowly got filled in with moss until it reached level with the ground surrounding it. it is very acid, with a pH of around 4-5, and only adapted plants and trees can go there. it is one of the coolest places to visit. if you step off the provided bog bridges, you can feel the bounce and how wet the area is. my foot could have sank in if i stood on certain areas of the bog. the whole forest had a very old feeling to it, and it was very green with moss covering most rocks and trees. it was a very enjoyable 7 mile walk through the woods. it was actually an older route of the famed Appalachian Trail. Mohawk state forest has a lot of offer for many different people. there is a road for people who want to drive through it with some stops for some very decent views northwards towards Bear Mountain and Mount Everett. there is plenty of camping in the forest as well with some older, smaller style lean-tos, and you are allowed to have fires, which is something that isn't allowed on most trails in Connecticut, including the Appalachian Trail. In the winter time there are ski slopes with lifts to the top. as for as the water situation goes, we did find a piped spring that still had a trickle despite having very little rain. however, most of the camp sites with the lean-tos didn't have any indication of water near by, but then again, i didn't search much or read anything in the log books. nor did I notice any maps either and the lean-tos were very close to the road. years ago when I stayed in one, i did hear cars driving around and one even came into the close little dirt road but nothing bad happened. i think it would be a nice area to learn about camping and even winter camping since fires are allowed. Mohawk forest is fairly big as well, i believe the Mohawk Trail is around 30? miles or so. I know the Dark Entry Rd entrance has been closed to hikers because of the access it provides to the infamous Dudleytown area. There is also a big youth campsite in the park near the black spruce bog, and there are some building there too. it looks like a good place for young kids to go to for a summer camp or week long camp trip. and maybe the buildings offer classes for the children as well. Overall I highly recommend Mohawk State Forest for anyone, whether you want to get into backpacking, ride your bike through a forest, had a nice picnic with your family, or ski down in the winter. The forest is great.