The 2,189-mile-long Appalachian Trail follows virtually unbroken mountainous terrain from Georgia to Maine, passing through many states including New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts on the way. There is fine day-hiking with excellent views within easy driving distance of much of Connecticut.
A great resource for the 52.3-mile section of the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut is the “Connecticut Walk Book,” West edition, produced by the Connecticut Forest & Park Association.
Pamphlets with a simple map of the trail through Connecticut are usually available at trailheads. Here are five suggested hikes in the region:
Lion’s Head, Salisbury
This is a must-do hike on the AT in Connecticut. Reasonably fit children and adults should have no trouble with this trek.
Take Route 41 north out of the village of Salisbury in northwest Connecticut and drive a little more than a half-mile to a designated Appalachian Trail parking area on the left. The sign is small, so you’ll need to watch closely for it. The AT itself is well-marked with white blazes.
From the parking area it is 2.7 miles to the Lion’s Head lookout, elevation 1,738 feet, with views in all directions. Looking east and south the area below is Salisbury and its lakes. In the distance are Canaan and Prospect mountains. To the north the Berkshires are prominent, with views on a good day to Mount Greylock, near the Vermont border.
The outlook is a sizable rock ledge, and on a nice day you’ll have company. It is a popular spot to pull out the water bottle and a snack or lunch.
Return the way you came for a hike of 5.4 miles total, perfect for a morning or afternoon hike.
St. John’s Ledges, Kent
The section of the Appalachian Trail between Route 341 and the St. John’s Ledges parking area on River Road in Kent is 4.7 miles and includes several sweeping views of the Housatonic Valley below.
From River Road it is 0.06 miles west to the top of St. John’s Ledges, popular with rock climbers. There are views of the Housatonic and the town of Kent from the ledges. Hikers reach Caleb’s Peak, elevation 1,160 feet, 1.2 miles into the hike, with views to the south, and at the 4-mile point, reach another vantage point with views of Kent and the river valley below. You’ll need two vehicles to do this hike one way, leaving one car at either the small Route 341 parking area or the parking area at River Road.
Rand’s View, Salisbury
This a most scenic spot reachable by a very short spur off the section of the Appalachian Trail between Route 44 in Salisbury and Falls Village. Hikers emerge from deep forest to Rand’s View, with partly pastoral, partly mountain views. Spread before hikers are rolling, open fields giving way to mountains in the distance, including Bear Mountain and Mount Everett. Mount Greylock, some 50 miles away, can sometimes be seen.
For an in-and-out hike, it is 3 miles each way to the view from the hikers parking area in Falls Village. If you shuttle vehicles, the distance from Route 44 to Falls village is about 6.3 miles.
Mount Race,Mount Everett,Massachusetts
Just over the Connecticut border, the Appalachian Trail traverses Mount Race (elevation 2,365) and Mount Everett (2,602), with acres of exposed, almost treeless rock ridges that in places provide expansive views in all directions. You don’t always get sustained, open views like this in New England, so it is a hike worth doing, especially on a day with clear skies and no haze. You can see for many miles into Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut.
The east side of these peaks and ridges drops off sharply, with long views of the Housatonic River Valley. Be especially cautious in the open areas if an electrical storm is in the forecast. It can take time to safely get to cover from the open, rock ridges, especially if it starts to rain. The rock can be very slippery.
A very helpful description of this section of the trail and its geology, with recommendations on where to begin and end, can be found in “50 Hikes in Massachusetts,” by Brian White and John Brady.
Bear Mountain, New York
The Appalachian Trail crosses Bear Mountain, which rises up on the west shore of the Hudson River. A comparatively short, but strenuous loop hike with great views can be created by combining a section of the Appalachian Trail and the Major Welch Trail. This loop, 4 miles, takes you to the summit of Bear Mountain, elevation 1,305 feet, with expansive views, and continues to a rewarding north-facing view of the Hudson River with Brooks Lake below.
Detailed information on the hike, with directions, is available from the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, nynjtc.org.
Steve Grant can be contacted at steve@thestevegrantwebsite.com
