Connecticut State Route 169
Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor, CT

The Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley in northeastern Connecticut has been called "the last green valley" in the Boston-to-Washington megalopolis. Close to Hartford, Providence, and Worcester but far enough away to avoid the urban sprawl of recent years, this 850 square mile region remains predominately rural. Roadways winding through rolling hills link the region's many small towns, villages, farmlands and forests. Old mills dot the lowlands along the Quinebaug and Shetucket rivers and their tributaries.

The Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley is a different kind of park. It includes 35 towns, a number of villages, and a population of about 300,000. It's unlike a traditional park in that the federal government does not own or manage the land. Instead, citizens, businesses, nonprofit organizations, local and state governments, and the National Park Service work together to preserve the region's natural, historical, and cultural heritage.