Putnam Memorial State Park This easy hike covers 1.1 miles with an elevation gain of 95 feet, taking approximately 30 minutes to an hour to complete. The main feature is a historic one-mile loop where visitors can walk, bike, or drive to learn about Putnam’s winter quarters. The park preserves the site that Major General Israel Putnam chose as the winter encampment for his men in the winter of 1778/1779 during the American Revolutionary War—known as”Connecticut’s Valley Forge,” where 3,000 soldiers camped in this strategic location during the winter of 1778 to 1779. The site consists of remains of the encampment, reconstructed log buildings, and a museum. Key highlights includefirebacks—the remains of the enlisted soldiers’ chimneys—as well as reconstructed replicas of the guard house and officers’ quarters, plusnatural features including the rock shelter called Philip’s Cave and large glacial erratics. An equestrian statue of General Israel Putnam by sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington is situated at the entrance to the park. On the recreational side of the park across Route 58, there is pond fishing, picnic tables, grills, and additional walking trails.