Ethos

Voluntown, Connecticut: A Volunteer Town on the Rhode Island Line

Voluntown, Connecticut

Pictures from Voluntown

See all 3 photos →
Voluntown Baptist Church Rhododendron Sanctuary Trail Pachaug State Forest

Voluntown was incorporated in 1721 in the northeast corner of New London County on Connecticut's border with Rhode Island. Its name comes from a land grant around 1700, when the volunteers of the 1675 King Philip's War were given lots to build homesteads here — thus a Volunteer Town; Lieutenant Thomas Leffingwell was among the town's founders. Farming and textile mills drove the 19th-century economy, with Briggs Manufacturing's cotton mills, opened in 1856, running well into the 1920s before closing in 1926. Pachaug State Forest, Connecticut's largest, occupies roughly two-thirds of Voluntown's land area. The Voluntown Peace Trust, founded in 1962 by Robert and Marjorie Swann on land purchased by Mary Meigs, has been continuously active for over 60 years; bullet holes from a shooting attack are still preserved in the wall of its Campbell House. Voluntown covers 39.8 square miles, with 2,570 residents at the 2020 census.

  1. Connecticut's largest state forest, headquartered in Voluntown.

  2. A short planked walk through native rhododendron.

  3. A 24.4-mile blue-blazed trail to Griswold.

  4. A 54-acre peace and nonviolence community founded in 1962.

  5. Reservation-only paintball and airsoft, weekends.

  6. Voluntown's only resort-style lodging, with a restaurant and pub.

  7. Voluntown's village grill on Route 165.

  8. A family-owned campground with four cabin rentals.

Pachaug State Forest

Pachaug State Forest, Connecticut's largest at 26,477 acres across six towns, has its headquarters and much of its acreage in Voluntown, with Mount Misery rising to 441 feet for panoramic forest views. Three campgrounds operate here — Green Falls, Mount Misery and the Frog Hollow equestrian sites — plus four backcountry lean-to shelters. The Rhododendron Sanctuary Trail, a short walk on a planked path through native rhododendron, peaks in bloom around July 4th, and the 24.4-mile blue-blazed Pachaug Trail runs from Green Fall Pond in Voluntown to Pachaug Pond in Griswold, connecting to the Nehantic, Quinebaug and Narragansett trails for extended backpacking loops.

Getting there

Voluntown has no rail station and no interstate of its own: drivers take I-395 to the Route 138 interchange at Jewett City in Griswold and follow Route 138 east about 8 miles into Voluntown center, where Routes 138, 165 and the scenic Route 49 all converge. Rail travelers use Amtrak or CTrail Shore Line East to New London, about 20 miles south, and drive the last leg; Metro-North and the CTrail Hartford Line do not reach this corner of the state.

A peace community and a glamping resort

The Voluntown Peace Trust, a 54-acre educational center on Beach Pond Road, hosts workshops, retreats and conferences year-round. Final Shot Paintball, on Ekonk Hill Road at the edge of Pachaug State Forest, runs reservation-only paintball and airsoft sessions on weekends, sharing its address with Nature's Campsites, a family-owned campground with four cabin rentals open May through mid-October. Tamarack Lodge Resort & Glamping, the town's only resort-style lodging, pairs a guest house and vintage cabins with an on-site restaurant and pub that runs a regular live-music calendar. Town Grill & Pizzeria, on the Route 165 corridor, is the closest sit-down food to the Peace Trust and the eastern Pachaug trailheads.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Voluntown?
By car — I-395 to the Route 138 interchange at Jewett City in Griswold, then Route 138 east about 8 miles into Voluntown center. There is no passenger rail station in Voluntown; the nearest is New London, about 20 miles south.
Is there a train to Voluntown?
No. No passenger rail station exists in Voluntown or any adjoining town, and Metro-North and the CTrail Hartford Line do not serve this corner of the state.
What is Pachaug State Forest?
Connecticut's largest state forest at 26,477 acres across six towns, with its headquarters in Voluntown. It offers camping, the blue-blazed Pachaug Trail, and the Rhododendron Sanctuary Trail, best visited around its July bloom.
Is there a hotel in Voluntown?
Tamarack Lodge Resort & Glamping is Voluntown's only resort-style lodging, with a guest house, vintage cabins and bell tents. Nature's Campsites and Circle C Campground offer camping and cabin rentals.
What is the Voluntown Peace Trust?
A 54-acre educational center and community land trust founded in 1962 by Robert and Marjorie Swann, continuously active for over 60 years. It rents facilities year-round for retreats and conferences.

Some booking links on this page earn Ethos a commission at no extra cost to you.

Connected pages

Nearby

Same region