Peacham Bog Hike

May 31 2026 Peacham Bog Hike by Phyllis Rubenstein
On Sunday, May 31, 2026, I hiked to Peacham Bog in Groton State Park, from the trail off of Green Bay Loop Road, a total of just over 4 miles. This route is much easier than the Peacham Bog Loop Trail from the Nature Center. The first 1.7 miles of this hike is on an old woods road. Just past a pond which beavers have abandoned, the trail joins the Peacham Bog Loop Trail from the Nature Center, enters the woods on a foot trail, and reaches the bog boardwalk. I had rescheduled the hike from the week before due to cold, rainy weather on May 24. I thought one or two people might join me on May 31, but I was happy to hike alone and botanize to my heart’s content. Along the hike, I saw the leaves of lingering spring ephemerals, such as red and painted trillium, and yellow trout lily, and early summer wildflowers, such as bluebead lily, Canada mayflower, wild sarsparilla, cucumber root, Jack-in-the-pulpit, many kinds of violets, and a few pink lady’s slippers. At the bog, I saw leather leaf past bloom; Labrador tea, sheep laurel, and three-leaved false Solomon’s seal just beginning to bloom; pitcher plants, not yet sending up a flower stalk; many types of sphagnum moss; and cotton grass, a sedge. Just as I returned to my car, it started to sprinkle. Perfect timing. The bog is a true wonder, a place to be visited throughout the year to fully enjoy its beauty.