Haystack Mountain State Park, Connecticut
Trail Description: Haystack Mountain Trail contains an impressive stone fire tower with stunning views of the mountains in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont.
Trail Info:
Where: Norfolk, CT Distance: 0.8 mile (30-45 min) Difficulty: Moderate Trail Type: Out & Back Features: Views, Mountains, Valley, Tower
How to get there:
Haystack Mountain State Park On Rte. 272 Norfolk, CT 06058
Trailhead parking location here.
Easy to find off Route 272. The road goes halfway up Haystack Mountain to a parking lot, where the shortest trail starts. The parking lot can hold about 10 cars or so.
Hiking Tips
Download park map, click here.
Cell phone service is spotty. Hike carefully.
There can be seasonal closures of the park.
The Hike
This guide will be for the shortest trail route at 0.8 miles from the top parking lot of Haystack Mountain. These days my time is a bit limited and the best bang for your buck is what is more appealing. If you want to make it a longer hike, there is the Yellow Trail that starts near the beginning of park road at the gate entrance.. This will be 1.8 miles, out and back. Both of these options will be great hikes to get to the main attraction, the amazing tower views.
Once you have parked at the top parking, which is about a mile once you enter the park, the trail is to the left to begin the summit.
This trail is fairly straightforward. It is well-maintained and clearly marked. The first 0.2 miles are flat and easy breezy. The next 0.2 miles will get your heart pumping as the trail bends to the left and starts a quick incline with 200 feet of elevation. Those quads might be on fire but it is all worth it once you see the bad ass tower at the top.
Now, it’s time to climb the 34 foot stone tower up to the top for the 360 views at 1,683 feet of elevation.
Definitely some of the best views you will have in Connecticut. It was a bit overcast and cloudy for me, but still impressive views nonetheless. On a clear day, there is visibility of the Riga Plateau in Northwest Connecticut, the Berkshires in Massachusetts, the Catskills in New York, and the Green Mountains of Vermont. That is quite a combination of views.
This would be great to pair with some other short hikes in the Litchfield County area. In addition, there are great local breweries as well such as NorBrook Farm for post hike brews.
HIKING FOR DONUTS
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search City or State here.
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Horse Guard State Park, Avon, CT
Trail Description: Horse Guard State Park has one trail that is relatively quick to hike that is easy for the most part until the climb up the side of rocks that leads to stunning views of mostly trees and the Northwest hills. Fall offers a spectacular colorful viewpoint.
Trail Info:
Where: Avon, CT Distance: 1.2 miles (1 hour) Difficulty: Moderate Trail Type: Out & Back Features: Views, Mountains, Valley, Rock Scramble
How to get there:
245 W Avon Rd, Avon, CT 06001
Drive slow as you approach, the lot will come up suddenly. Depending what route you are taking, you will see a big red house, the Derrin House, right before the parking lot. The parking lot can fit maybe 8-10 cars.
Hiking Tips
I would suggest hiking boots due to the muddy section and rock scramble climb. Maybe some hiking poles for the way down if not comfortable going down on the rocks.
Follow the white trail. If you see two trail markers, one slightly higher on the left it means make a left turn. If you see two trail markers, one slightly higher on the right, it means make a right turn.
It is a small park, there are no bathrooms. Close by to popular areas for post hike activities such as food and drink.
Trail Map here.
The Hike
There is only one way to go so this guide will be a quick one. The white marked trail is the only trail at Horse Guard State Park.
Once parked, it is pretty clear where to hop on the trail and there is a trail map right before the trail begins.
The white trail is well-marked and easy to identify. Also, the trails are very wide.
It is an easy hike up until the rock scramble. There is a section that will be quite muddy but you can go around it if you choose wisely. I did not the first time and my foot definitely submerged into the mud.
This is such a beautiful park in the fall just walking through the forest.
At about 0.4 miles, you will start approaching the rock scramble portion of the hike. This will be 0.2 miles of about 500 feet elevation. This is what makes the hike a moderate one to me. The rock scramble is short, but like a straight up ascent. It definitely gets the blood going and is not easy. Coming down was way harder. There may be markings for the proper direction to go up but I just went for it.
At the top of the rock scramble, there will be a small narrow trail to the left to take. After a short walk, you reach two lookouts. The first one is an appetizer.
The next lookout is literally a few steps over and that is just….boom. Fall colors to the face! Just an unbelievable view of the open forest covered by trees everywhere and rolling hills in the background.
Most people stop here but I saw some hikers continue on a very narrow and not clear trail. This short walk actually led to another view where you can see the Heublein Tower on Talcott Mountain in the distance. Also, it appears you are on a cliff above someone’s house. I prefer the other views but this was a bonus. From here, just return the way you came and down the rock scramble to the parking lot.
As mentioned above, this is close to a popular area in Avon, CT. There is a brewery about 5 min or so close by, Hopmeadow Brewing Company. My wife and I stopped there for some post hike beers and there was a delicious food truck there as well. The beers were great, I highly recommend visiting.
HIKING FOR DONUTS
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search City or State here.
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Meeker Trail, Macricostas Preserve, New Preston, CT
Trail Description: The Meeker Trail is the most popular hiking trail in the Macricostas Preserve that includes views from the Macricostas Lookout and eventually stunning vistas at Waramaug’s Rock summit.
Trail Info:
Where: New Preston, CT Distance: 3.2m (2 hours) Difficulty: Moderate Trail Type: Out & Back Features: Views, Mountains, Valley, Lake, Water
How to get there:
124 Christian St, New Preston, CT 06777
https://goo.gl/maps/bL3cHowWumEohJn26
Once you get to Christian Street, look for the red house and the trailhead is behind this house. There are markers and the lot is visible from the street.
Hiking Tips
Bring bug spray!
Download a copy of the trail map here. Cell service can be spotty or non-existent.
There are multiple trail options at this preserve. This guide is for the out & back using the yellow trail. You can add the orange trail to make it a loop.
One of the better marked trails in CT but keep an eye out to make sure to follow the color markers.
The Hike
From the parking lot, the Kiosk for the start of the trail is visible past the boardwalk. Follow the yellow trail on the right. The Meeker Trail is 1.6 miles to Waramaug’s Rock summit.
The trail starts easily crossing a bridge and footbridge through the meadow (pretty buggy here).
This will lead to the trail marker to take a left onto yellow and continue walking along the hayfield.
Proceed to follow the yellow trail markers as the Meeker Trail turns left through Meeker Swamp on wooden planks crossing another bridge and continues along the planks.
In roughly 0.2 miles, the trail comes to an intersection with the orange marked Ridgeline Trail. Stick to the right to resume on the Meeker Trail following the yellow trail.
At this point, the trail ascends gradually then becomes steeper along some switchbacks. There is a junction that passes the white trail but continue to follow the yellow trail.
The first viewpoint will be the Macricrostas Lookout at 1,092 feet elevation with views of the hayfield below and surrounding area.
From here, continue on the yellow trail as the ascend to Waramaug’s Rock becomes much steeper.
After about 0.4 miles, the trail reaches a rock slab to climb to the summit of Waramaug’s Rock.
Waramaug’s Rock reaches an elevation of 1,280 feet with an amazing panoramic view of Lake Waramaug and the surrounding valley. There is the one dead on center view but do some exploring at the summit to see all the views to the left (southwest) as well.
After all the views are soaked in, head back the same way down the yellow trail. At 0.4 miles, there is a junction to continue on the yellow trail going the same way or hop on the orange trail to do a loop back down to the parking lot. This will add 0.7 miles to the hike. It was pretty hot and beers were calling my name at Kent Falls Brewing so I decided to just do an out and back.
HIKING FOR DONUTS
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search City or State here.
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Lovers Leap State Park, New Milford, CT
Trail Description: Lovers Leap State Park has multiple hiking trails with views of the Housatonic River and other structural landmarks such as the popular Lovers Leap Bridge.
Trail Info:
Where: New Milford, CT Distance: 1.8 miles (1.5 hours) Difficulty: Moderate Trail Type: Loop Features: Views, Valley, Bridge, Lake, River
How to get there:
178 Short Woods Rd, New Milford, CT 06776
https://goo.gl/maps/4FUFjzSinExpgzHfA
Hiking Tips
Be cautious switching trails. If markers cannot be found, turn back to retrace steps. Also, the blue trail appears to have a fake marking on top of the hill toward the wrong direction.
Don’t just hike up to the popular scenic view & leave. There is another cool view from the East on the Blue trail.
The Hike
Lovers Leap State Park is pretty easy to find. The parking lot is pretty big as this does seem like a busy hike. The wife and I caught a good time of day as the lot was almost empty. From the parking lot, we headed towards Lovers Leap Bridge. The bridge will appear pretty immediately. The structure is interesting. The lighting was spotty with shadows so I did not successfully get the best picture for the insta. Darn it!
We crossed the bridge and got the first view of the Housatonic River. Taking a right off the bridge took us down a gravel road, also known as the Lovers Leap Trail. Within 0.3 miles of some incline, the money shot picture awaits. This scenic view offers the best one in the park overlooking Lake Lillinonah. From here, you could take your donut and go home, but there is some more hiking to be had at this park.
There are some interesting features and landmarks on some of the other trails. We decided to trace back our footsteps on the gravel road until we noticed the red markers for the Castle Trail on the right. Have a map handy, we had an issue finding. Pretty sure we did not go the way intended but it worked. The red blazed was a pretty good incline. Got my lungs working. Within a short distance, we came upon the castle ruin, which was just its foundation and a tall chimney. And, across from this was a castle-like turret. As I try to sit here explaining it, here’s a picture. If you must know more, I suggest the google machine.
In between the castle features, there is a trail we took that connects the red blazed trail to the blue blazed trail, known as the Falls Mountain Trail. We took a right from the red to the blue. This took us up a steeper hill.
Once we reached the top of the hill, we saw a blue marker to the left but that was not correct. We met just bushes and the end of a ledge. It appears that it was painted incorrectly as a joke perhaps. That could be very dangerous if you are not paying attention. This is why we can’t have nice things. That person sucks who did that. Fortunately, we found other lost hikers and we noticed the view was behind us and we needed to retrace our steps and keep going straight and the ridge is on the right. From the ridge line, there is an open area view from the east that is pretty nice. From here, we retraced our steps down the blue to the red trail back to the gravel road.
Bonus Foodie Find:
After hiking, the post meal is important. Not all hikes are near donut shops unfortunately. However, other great food spots can be found. This hike is close to the downtown area of New Milford, CT. We stopped at Johana’s Restaurant for a brunchy meal. Great menu. I got the English Scramble - eggs, bacon, scallions, cheddar cheese in a skillet with home fries. Hell yes. And, my wife got the corn cheddar pancakes. That’s how we get down. Everything was delicious. Also, if you go in the warmer months, check out the farmers market. There’s an awesome bread company there.
HIKING FOR DONUTS
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search City or State here.
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Hidden Valley Preserve, Washington Depot, CT
Trail Description: The Bee Brook Loop is one of many trails in the Hidden Valley Preserve. This hike is an easy stroll along the Shepaug River. The Thoreau Bridge is the biggest attraction.
Trail Info:
Where: Washington Depot, CT Distance: 2.2m (1-1.5 hours) Difficulty: Easy Trail Type: Loop Features: Bridge, River, Water
How to get there:
198 Bee Brook Rd, Washington Depot, CT 06794
Parking lot can fit about 10-12 vehicles.
https://goo.gl/maps/Y1RQqqrmAjda6dcUA
Hiking Tips
Taking the fork to the right will bring you to the Thoreau Bridge within minutes.
There are other parking areas for different trails.
Trail map: Click Here!
The Hike
Apparently, the Washington, CT area is the mecca of public preserves in Connecticut. By mecca, I mean there’s three in a short distance of each other, which is pretty cool for nature buffs and hikers. Hidden Valley Preserve is one of three public preserves in the area owned by Steep Rock Association, along with Steep Rock Preserve and Macricostas Preserve. Hidden Valley Preserve offers 17 miles of trails consisting of various terrains and points of interest. The yellow blazed trail, known as Van Sinderen Loop Trail, will lead to the Quartz Mine and the “Lookout”, providing scenic views of the valley to the west. The Pinnacle Trail, blue blazed, also offers scenic valley views. The white blazed trail is the Bee Brook Loop, which is the quickest way to get to the Thoreau Bridge. That is the trail in this guide.
From the parking lot, there is a small footbridge that passes a small creek. This will lead to the start of the trail. There is a fork to choose your direction and we chose to go right following the White Trail for the Bee Brook Loop. Within minutes we arrived at the main attraction of the hike (for most), the Thoreau Bridge. This is a 134 foot suspension bridge hanging above the Shepaug River named in tribute to Henry David Thoreau. He was a philosopher, nature enthusiast, and advocate of hiking in the 1860s. Typically, this doesn’t do much for me nor do I get into details of history but the bridge contained many of his quotes along the railings that spoke to me.
The bridge was definitely the most busy part of this hike. It is a cool point of interest and really easy to get to. Now, I understand why it’s such a big instagram photo spot. From here, you can cross the bridge and continue onto another trail but we stayed on the White Trail hiking along the river.
Eventually, there is another wooden bridge that crosses the river on the right. This will connect you to the Yellow Trail if you want to jump on that. We just continued on the white blazed rail to finish the loop where we started. The hike was a pretty easy loop with some scenic river views. That was all I was looking for that day. Just a bit of time with nature.
HIKING FOR DONUTS
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search City or State here.
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Pine Knob Loop Trail, Sharon, CT
Trail Description: The Pine Knob Loop Trail is located in Housatonic Meadows State Park and Housatonic State Forest. This short, challenging trail connects to the Appalachian Trail. The hike will bring you to a beautiful vista view of rolling hills over the Housatonic River valley.
Trail Info:
Where: Sharon, CT Distance: 2.8m (2 hours) Difficulty: Moderate Trail Type: Loop Features: Views, Mountains, Valley, River
How to get there:
By google mapping, “Pine Knob Loop Trail” this should lead you to the trail parking area. Link below.
https://goo.gl/maps/36Fa5oy7HjjrHTZP9
You will see the parking lot located on the left coming from Route US-7 N. There is a visible sign as well. The lot can fit 15-20 cars.
Hiking Tips
Go counter clockwise if you like your knees!
Not great phone service, so make sure to screenshot a map. Or my guide!
Due to storms, some trees are down with trail markings. Just make sure to keep an eye out.
The Hike
Beginning the hike, the trail leads directly into the woods. There is a small brook to cross that leads to the fork of the start of the trail, where you will see the blue blazed trail sign. Prior to the hike, my wife and I did some research and counterclockwise was recommended based on our findings. We prefer to go up an incline & scramble then come down on a steep decline. This is the knee friendly option and safer in my opinion (lessons learned). Also, I like to get the hard stuff out of the way. Staying straight at the fork on the blue blaze trail is how we started. The steep incline starts gradually about 0.4m into the hike. Really get the blood flowing out the gate.
The terrain will be a bit of a strenuous incline then leveling off with a small decline and then right back to steady uphill climb. Nothing your average hiker can’t handle.
At 1.1m, this is the time to catch your breath when you reach the first sneak peek of views. Then it is all worth it when you see the spectacular vista view of the hills and mountains of the North West valley of Connecticut. From here you can see Bald Mountain, Bread Loaf Mountain, Woodbury Mountain, DudleyHill, and Whitecomb Hill. Really impressive view.
After absorbing the stunning views, continue back onto the blue trail until this connects with the Appalachian Trail that is the white trail marking at about 1.3m.
Connecticut has had a plethora of storms lately so there are many trees down. Some had trail markings on them so be mindful of that. Otherwise, this is an amazingly marked trail and easy to follow. At 1.7m, you will see the rolling hills view again from the east. This view is blocked by some trees but is still amazing nonetheless.
At 2.1m, the blue and white trail will go separate ways. Turn left on the blue trail to finish the loop. We noticed a hatch brook that appears to have water cascading down on certain days but it has been dry lately. Nothing to see on this day. The rest of the hike was a fairly easy stroll through the trees and forest.
The Northwest part of Connecticut is unexplored territory for me. Based on my research, this area of CT offers many great hiking trails. The Pine Knob Loop Trail was my first experience in the area. And, I was not disappointed. The trail was not busy at all. We saw more people once we connected to the Appalachian Trail portion. I would highly suggest hiking poles for this trail. The hike offered various degrees of difficulty and an amazing summit view. This would be a great fall foliage hike. Also, there are two wineries within 15 minutes from the hike if you need to persuade a hiking companion. Looking for something different, check this one out!
HIKING FOR DONUTS
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every change I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search City or State here.
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People State Forest, Barkhamsted, CT
Located in Northwest Connecticut, the Jessie Gerard Trail is one of many exciting trails that wander through the 3000-acre Peoples State Forest. This fairly unknown hike is challenging with various terrain and magnificent views of Grand Vista Overlook and Chaugham Lookout. A great hike in the fall for amazing views.
Trail Description: The Jessie Gerard Trail is one of many exciting trails that wander through the 3000-acre Peoples State Forest. This fairly unknown hike is challenging with various terrain and magnificent views of Grand Vista Overlook and Chaugham Lookout.
Trail Info:
Where: People State Forest, Barkhamsted, CT Distance: 3.3 miles (2.5-3 hours) Difficulty: Moderate Trail Type: Loop Features: Waterfall, Valley, Views
How to get there:
Typing in Jessie Gerard Trail in your GPS will lead you to East River Road, Barkhamsted, CT. Once you get onto East River Road, drive a few miles and you will see a small parking lot on your left. The trail starts directly across from the lot.
Hiking Tips:
Take a DEEP People State Forest map at the kiosk in the beginning. This will be very useful.
Start with the Falls Cut Off Trail to your left (blue/red marked trail). Much easier to go up this section (than down). If it rained recently, the first 0.1m will be slippery up the rocks.
Pay attention to the markers changing colors
The Hike
The hike begins up the Falls Cut Off Trail (blue/red markers) on the left. The beginning of the trail is difficult and there is an immediate steep incline up past the falls. The beginning of the trail is difficult and there is an immediate steep incline up past the falls. There was a huge rain storm the day before so the waterfalls were roaring. An awesome visual after 10 minutes into the hike. Though, the rocks were really slippery. Once reaching the top of the falls, turn left on the double marked Blue and Blue/Yellow markers, which is the Jessie Gerard Trail. Continuing straight ahead on the Blue/Yellow,do not veer toward Warner Road. After another half mile, boom shakalaka we emerged into the Grand Vista outlook. Magnificent views with all the fall colors. We continued following the Blue/Yellow for another half mile to the Chaughum Lookout for more awesome views.
From here, stay on the Blue/Yellow Trail. We went between the 2 Veeder glacial erratics aka big boulder rocks. Shortly after, take a right onto Greenwoods Road. This is where the Jessie Gerard Trail ends. Then turn left on the Charles Pack Trail, also Blue/Yellow markings.
Another half mile later, turn onto Beaver Brook Road. This is where things got interesting. Following the road, the map says turn right onto the Blue/Orange, Agnes Bowen Trail, on your right after a half mile. When we came up to this, it was nothing but forest. No sign of a trail. We walked up and down and this was the spot. However, I don’t know where the trail would connect. We decided to keep walking up Beaver Brook Road and take a right up the road. Eventually, we caught up with the Blue/Orange trail where we would have come out to the road.
We jumped on the Blue/Orange to the left until we reached the Robert Ross Trail (Blue markers). Turn right here onto the Blue. The trail we will begin to ascend and descend. A tough part of the hike but way better than going down the other way. Keep your eye out on the colors on the trees. We got a little stumped here as the Blue/Yellow connects with the Blue. However, staying straight on the Blue the trail switchbacks downhill to the Lighthouse Trail (Yellow). Of course, another trail. Fortunately, this was the home stretch. We passed a few kiosks with educational info but we were ready for the post hike meal. This will take you back to the Blue/Red and right to the parking lot.
HIKING FOR DONUTS
A blog for the outdoors foodie enthusiast
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search by city or state here.
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Black Pond via Mattabesett Trail, Middlefield, CT
The Mattabesett Trail extends through the state of Connecticut. Along this trail, there are great views. Black Pond has an amazing view from Besek Mountain. Check out the blog for pics and helpful info!
The Mattabesett Trail extends over 50 miles throughout the state of Connecticut. The first half of this horseshoe like trail follows high trap rock ridges of the Metacomic Ridge, from Guilford south to Meriden. The second part extends extends north from Guilford to Middletown where it ends at the Connecticut River. There are multiple areas throughout the state to hop on the trails. You will find numerous picturesque views along the way. One of my favorites spots to check out is Black Pond in Middlefield. I came across this trail a few years ago and the views are spectacular.
For the directions, the trail starts on Baileyville Road (RT 147) that intersects Meriden Road (RT 66). I always gps the restaurant Guida’s across from the trail. I park there and cross the street or there is a little parking area off the side of the road, where you will find the Mattabesett Trail blue-blazed marker.
Once we saw the marker, we headed into the woods to begin the trail. The trail is well maintained and marked pretty well. Thus, just follow the blue markers on this one. Nothing too tricky on this trail. Due to the storms recently, we saw quite a bit of trees down throughout the hike. And there are areas of rock formations where snakes may be hiding. Be on the lookout, I almost stepped on one.
About three-quarters of a mile into the hike, we came out to an open field that led us under power lines. We could see Route 66 highway from here, as the trail runs parallel to the highway. We then passed a brick and stone chimney along the way.
From here, the trail will begin to ascend up the mountain.
Until I was researching the area, I wasn’t aware this was called Besek Mountain. And, there is a ski area next to it, Powder Ridge. Once you reach the cliffs, you see the stunning view of Black Pond and Mount Higby in the distance as well. You can continue the trail from here and follow the blue-blazed trail further past the ski area chair lifts and the true summit of Besek Mountain. And you can go all the way to Guilford. However, this is where we stopped and turned around. We had our fun taking pics and checking out the view.
The loop was roughly 2.8 miles. The hike was moderate difficulty. The terrain was easy in the beginning but had some up and down sections. The hardest part may be finding the trail. This is a great morning weekend type hike with a rewarding view. Be sure to add this to your list, especially if you are local.
The Review
Black Pond via Mattabesett, 2.8M (Middlefield, CT) - 4 out of 5
HIKING FOR DONUTS
A blog for the outdoors foodie enthusiast
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search by city or state here.
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Old Furnace State Park, Killingly, CT
Old Furnace State Park is located in Killingly near Rhode Island. This is a great park for hiking, biking, and fishing. Exploring new areas is always fun, even if you get lost on the trails. Check out the blog to make sure you stay on the trails!
Scrolling through the list of the 2018 Sky’s Limit Hiking Challenge in Connecticut, I wanted to explore unknown parts of the state that would be new to me. I haven’t spent much time in the Windham County area, neighboring Rhode Island. I really had no idea where I was going and there was not too much info on the park online. But, I convinced my girlfriend to drive over an hour with a promise of beers and off we went.
Old Furnace State Park is located in Killingly, CT. You will find the park entrance off Route 6 via Route 395. Ross Pond State Park is fairly close so my GPS took me there instead. If yours does the same, just keep going past that until you can take a left onto South Frontage Road and the park will be there on your left. The blue-blazed trail of this park runs about 3 miles. This particular hiking challenge calls for 2 miles round trip until you reach the overlook from the cliffs at 200 feet over Half Hill Pond. With this view you get a great look of valley stretching into Rhode Island.
We finally found the parking lot and noticed there was mountain biking event going on. Apparently, this is a big mountain biking trail. I didn’t expect to see anyone. The hiking trail starts at the parking lot. I used the trail located at ct.gov here . The path instantaneously takes you into the woods.
As we began, we crossed a small brook that led us to crossing a small footbridge.
The trail was fairly wide open until we reached an unmarked section ducking through a brush of bushes. We found ourselves questioning our direction. Eventually, a blue marker did appear.
From here the ascent started to get steep. About a mile into the hike, we saw the path break into two. Unfortunately, we kept going straight and that was not correct and saw some brown marked trails.
Thus, we circled back and took the path to the left which was the ridge along the pond. And, finally we found ourselves at the cliffs overlooking Half Hill Pond. The pond was completely filled with water lilies.
We stopped here because the trail was pretty buggy and I didn’t think the rest of the trail would offer much. But if you want to continue, this will lead you down to the parking lot and boat ramp at Ross Pond to Squaw Rock Road where you turn around and come back. If you are not from the area, the directions to the park could be difficult and the trail itself has areas that should be marked better. The hike itself was not hard. I would rate it easy. I would bring bug spray and pay very close attention for the blue markers. Looks like a good area to fish and maybe kayak as well. I’m sure this is a nice spot for locals but one time is probably enough for me.
The Review
Old Furnace State Park, Blue Trail, Killingly, CT (~2m): 2.5 out of 5.
HIKING FOR DONUTS
A blog for the outdoors foodie enthusiast
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search by city or state here.
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Sunset Rock State Park, Crescent Lake, Southington, CT
Check out the Crescent Lake trail in Southington, CT. This was a confusing trail but well worth the views. Enjoy!
Trail Description: Sunset Rock State Park offers a scenic hike around Crescent Lake that connects to the Metacomet Trail.
Trail Info:
Where: Southington, CT Distance 3.2 miles (2-2.5 hrs) Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Trail Type: Loop Features: Views, Lake, Water
How to get there:
Address to GPS: 357 Shuttle Meadow Rd, Plainville, CT 06062. Parking lot is easy to find.
Hiking Tips
Three trails to choose from. The Blue to Orange trail takes you above the lake and is rockier and steeper. Much better views.
Be mindful if you lose the trail markings or end up on a different trail. There is a lack of trail markings. And, some confusing areas where trail markers change colors.
The Hike
On this brisk fall weekend, we decided to hike the Crescent Lake Trail in Southington, CT. This is one of those trails that there isn’t the best information online and it is poorly marked. I will do my best explaining but my advice is always have the map handy and make sure someone is good at directions!
The parking lot is easy to get to, it is off Shuttle Meadow Road. Once you park you will see the lake right in front of you and potentially some people fishing. There are 3 trails. The Red trail is the lower level trail which is mostly flat. This is to your far left from the lot. This is roughly 2m. The blue -orange trails takes you the upper levels to get good views above the lake and this is rockier and steeper. This trail is to your right from the lot. This is about 3.2m and this connects to the Red at the end once you descend down. There is also a green trail, but not sure where that takes you. It appeared to be just a woodsy hike.
We got lost a few times but Nichole is really good with reading trail maps. The issue is lack of markings/incorrect markings. And, the Metacomet Trail connects so you have to be very careful when the colors change. We took the upper trail followed blue-orange markers until we saw just orange then to red. There we were some tough sections where you could choose 3 directions but there are big orange arrows on trees along the way so be mindful of those. There is also an intersection where you see trail arrows for the Metacomet at the top, keep going toward the blue orange and you will pass a camp fire pit. Minus the confusion, it was a cool hike and the view was awesome from the top. I could of took pictures for an hour….luckily, Nichole stopped me. The upper trail I would suggest hiking boots. It was a moderate hike for beginner to intermediate. Some of the inclines got our hearts beating and needing some water. I think this would be a good spot to snowshoe. I hope to keep the fall hikes going. Another local spot in the books, glad we decided to try it even though the reviews were suspect.
Review:
Cresent Lake Trail, 3.2m (Southington, CT): 4 out of 5
HIKING FOR DONUTS
A blog for the outdoors foodie enthusiast
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search by city or state here.
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Mine Hill Preserve Trail, Roxbury, CT
More fun fall hikes in CT! The fall colors are really showing now. I decided to hike a new trail this time. I chose Mine Hill Reserve Trail in Roxbury, CT. The trail was unique and offered cool historic features. Check it out for great leaf peeper pics.
Trail Description: The Mine Hill Preserve trail is part of the Roxbury Land Trust as a national historical landmark. Venturing on this trail will take you through scenic woodlands, rocky terrain, mine tunnels, bat caves, and old furnace structures from the 19th century.
Trail Info:
Where: Roxbury, CT
Distance 3.6 miles (2 hrs)
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Trail Type: Loop
Features: Water, Bat Caves, Quarry, Bridge, Mine Tunnels, Old Furnaces
How to get there:
6 Mine Hill Road, Roxbury, CT 06783
The GPS lost signal as I got on Mine Hill Road, but just follow the signs on the gravel road to the parking lot.
Hiking Tips
Download a map of the trail, http://www.roxburylandtrust.org/MapMineHill.pdf.
Veer left to start with the more difficult section toward the Donkey Trail. The latter part of the trail is more like a brisk nature walk on flat ground.
The Hike
This past weekend’s hike was recommended by a friend. Nichole and I took a ride out to Roxbury, CT to the Mine Hill Preserve Trail. This trail offers some unique features where you will see various mines and old furnace stoves from the 19th century. This is definitely off the beaten path. There is a very small parking lot where the trail heads start. There are only two trails here. There is a 3.6m loop (blue trail- Mine Hill Preserve) and an additional 2m loop can be added (red trail – Carter Reserve). Due to time constraints, we just did the blue trail loop. The maps online for this area are very helpful too. I would suggest downloading here prior to the hike. The trails are a short walk from the parking lot. If you really wanted to just see the old furnace structures, this is only a 10 minute walk from the start if you veer right. Prior to hiking, I read the veering to the left would get the difficult portion of the hike done and that is what we chose.
In this direction, you pass a small pond to your right.
The main loop ascends up the Donkey Trail and here you will pass two mine tunnels.
The terrain was pretty interesting and varied. This side of the loop was by far the most challenging. It was very rocky and had some steep uphill areas. As you keep hiking , you will cross paths with multiple bat cages that serve as entry ways for the caves inside them.
The trails begins to descend and you will meet at the Old Quarry bridge which joins a dirt road that will lead you to the other side of the loop. The other side of the loop was more of a nature path. It was flat the whole way, roughly 1.5m. This was less interesting until the end where you will find the old forge site. The fall colors kept me attentive along the way.
Overall, the historic points of the trail offered a different features you don’t get on hikes generally. The trail was very maintained and marked well. The hike would be good for anyone beginner to advanced. I would recommend hiking boots since the terrain can be rocky. The loop didn’t take us too long, about 1 hr 45 min. Next time, I would leave more time and add the additional 2m loop. Pretty good recommendation!
Review:
Mine Hill Reserve Trail, 3.6m (Roxbury, CT): 3.5 out of 5
HIKING FOR DONUTS
A blog for the outdoors foodie enthusiast
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search by city or state here.
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See where I have been recently on Instagram. Follow @HIKINGFORDONUTS