FRIENDS OF TOPSMEAD STATE FOREST

Friends of Topsmead State Forest

Discover a hidden treasure in the Litchfield hills of Connecticut

Quick Links

Covid-19 Guidelines for State Forests
Topsmead Visitor Information and Trail Map
CT Dept of Energy & Environmental Protection

Volunteer Opportunities: Gardens, Bird Tours, Educational Programming, and more!
Tree Renewal Fund
Memorial Tree Program
Ecology Trail Map (download pdf file)

If you enjoy our newsletter and Topsmead, please consider becoming a member or making a donation. We rely on these funds for our projects and programs.

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In 1917, Edith Morton Chase received a gift from her father, 16 acres of pristine woods in the Litchfield hills. Today, Topsmead is a 510 acre state forest, gifted from Ms. Chase in 1972 to the citizens of Connecticut to enjoy and preserve. Her legacy includes diverse landscapes, including bike and nature trails, formal gardens, unique bird habitats, and a meticulously crafted English Tudor style cottage well appointed with her international collection of art and antiques. ...more

Our Mission

Friends of Topsmead State Forest (FTSF) is a volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to work with the State of Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) to provide programs and activities to promote, preserve, protect, and maintain the history, heritage and environmental integrity of Topsmead, thereby supporting the wishes of Edith Morton Chase as put forth in her will.

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This documentary film chronicles the history of Topsmead, the summer estate of Edith Morton Chase, through archival photographs and beautiful film footage. The 20 minute film also features interviews with Topsmead historian Jerry Geci, and with Robert Orintas, the son of Miss Edith's chauffeur, who for several decades spent his summers there.

Topsmead Events
Scroll down for a listing of all our events!

Free Guided Tours of Chase Cottage

Guided tours of Edith Chase's Cottage operate from June through October. The last day of tours for the season will be on Monday, October 11, from 12:00 PM-4:30 PM. Tours last approximately 30 minutes.

by Margaret Hunt

Charlotte, enjoying a walkabout Topsmead in October | Photo: Margaret Hunt

Tromping and Toddling about Topsmead October 2021

One October day that was dressing up in its traditional orange, red, and yellow fall outfit, a teacher friend of mine and I met for our regular fall walkabout; however, this one was a bit different. We usually head out to a trail that covers some ground and ends up at a view, but because Charlotte, his two-year old redhead daughter, accompanied us, the choice was Topsmead instead of a trail with a view. What fun we had experiencing Topsmead from a toddler’s eye level! After I had admired Charlotte’s exquisitely small grey boots, we tromped over to the cutting garden at the south end of the house. What caught Charlotte’s eye first were the two-foot high, fall-blooming dusty-red sedums. We two adults viewed the sedums from above, and bending all the way down to smell them was not our first thought. Charlotte, on the other hand, walked right up, buried her nose in them, and then backed away, disappointed that they did not have a fragrance.
-read complete Musings essay-

Keep Topsmead in mind when shopping on Amazon. Click HERE to set "Friends of Topsmead State Forest" as your default AmazonSmile charity and Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchases to Topsmead.