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.
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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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Jones Mountain Preserve, New Hartford, CT
Trail Description: The Vista Trail is a red-blazed loop that circles the Jones Mountain Preserve. Most of the trail is an old carriage road that leads to summit views overlooking New Hartford and the Farming River to the north.
Trail Info:
Where: New Hartford, CT Distance: 2.5m (1.5 hours) Difficulty: Easy Trail Type: Loop Features: Views, Mountains, Valley
How to get there:
161 Steele Rd, New Hartford, CT 06057
You will see the parking lot located on the right coming from Route US-44W.
Hiking Tips
For trail map, click HERE.
Stay on the trails. Lots of hunting areas surrounding.
The Hike
Once entering the nature preserve from the parking lot, there is a footbridge crossing. There will be a fork for the start of the red blazed trail. This is the Vista Trail that loops around the preserve. Going right will lead you to the summit view. After about 0.3m there is a sign with an arrow toward the peak to follow.
This part of the hike is the most difficult. There is a gradual incline with an elevation gain of 367 feet as you make your way toward the carriage road. This will last for 15 minutes or so. Reaching the carriage road will occur at about 0.5m and it is fairly easy from here. At 0.9m there is another footbridge crossing.
This will bring you to the summit of Jones Mountain at 1.5m. The lookout is a splendid view of the Farmington Valley West to New Hartford.
Continue on the red loop for the rest of the trail. Due to storms, there is a road closure at the time of our hike. This forces you to hop onto the white trail inside the preserve. The white will lead back to the red and right to the parking lot.
Based on what I saw online, there are some monuments and mill ruins along other trails in the preserve if that interests anyone reading this. We chose to just tackle the summit view.
I am enjoying finding new hiking trails in Connecticut. This trail is fairly easy, has a good view, and will get your heart pumping a little bit. Any one looking to get into hiking or just need a break from a strenuous trail, I would suggest this. Fall is officially here as I write this post. This would be a good fall hike as well once the leaves change. Get hiking!
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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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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