July 31, 2024
Outer Island is the southernmost of the Thimble Islands and can be reached by the public Thimble Islands Ferry (just under $20 roundtrip) in Branford, Connecticut. I had both that ferry and the island to myself this morning, and that was fine with this nature-loving introvert.
The island is a migratory bird and pollinator stopover site, and it was privately owned until the owner, Elizabeth Hird, donated it to the refuge system. Most of the five acres is off-limited to the public, but the small area that is open is beautiful and worth the visit. Besides the few short trails, the vegetation, and the granite boulders/shoreline, there is an educational building, the (closed) home where Hirt used to live, and a public toilet.
I enjoyed slowly walking the trails and looking out at the ocean. This was the perfect site for me today as I threw out my back two days ago doing my usual evening Pilates exercises and am now on steroids and (non-opioid) muscle relaxers. The drugs are working, but I still need to move gingerly to avoid pain. Total trail mileage on this island is less than three tenths, and that was all my back could handle. I need to start training for my upcoming Ice Age Trail thru-hike soon, so I hope my body sorts itself out within a few days.
One more CT wildlife refuge site to go, and I will be finished all of New England. [I will have visited/hiked all of New England’s National Park Sites, National Natural Landmarks, National Wildlife Refuges, National Recreation Trails, National Wild & Scenic Rivers, National Recreation Areas, and National Heritage Areas].
