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CTMQ > Hikes, Bikes & Paddles

Read this first

State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites
State Highpointing Intro
Why State Highpointing?
Land Trust Trails
Connecticut Hiking Challenges & Rewards
CFPA Trails & The Blue Trails Challenge
Town Owned Trails
Peakbagging Tallies
Highpointing and Peak-Bagging Intro

Southford Falls Watchtower

April 5, 2011 by Steve 1 Comment

Southford Falls Watchtower Southford Falls State Park, Oxford Metal Fire Tower (~25 feet) on Unnamed hill (not too high) This page is only about the Southford Falls State Park's watchtowner. For more on the falls themselves, go here. For more on the state park, go here. And for a more recent trip to the watchtower … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites, Towers, Bridges, Forts, Tunnels, Roads, Canals, Dams, Fishways, Airports, & Ferries Tagged With: Damian, Hikes with my Boys, Observation Towers, Oxford, southford falls state park

Heublein Tower

April 2, 2011 by Steve 4 Comments

Heublein Tower on Talcott Mountain Simsbury Stone Tower (165 feet) on Talcott Mountain summit (1000 feet) For everything else at Talcott Mountain State Park, go here. I don’t know which of CT’s lookout towers is the most visited, but surely it’s either this one or perhaps Sleeping Giant’s. I would guess … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites, Towers, Bridges, Forts, Tunnels, Roads, Canals, Dams, Fishways, Airports, & Ferries Tagged With: Calvin, Damian, Great Views, Metacomet Trail, Observation Towers, Simsbury, Talcott Mountain State Park

Sleeping Giant Tower

April 1, 2011 by Steve 1 Comment

Sleeping Giant Lookout Tower Hamden Stone Tower (~38 feet) on Sleeping Giant’s Hip (~769 feet) For more on one particular hike up to the tower (mine), go here. For another hike up to the tower with my sons, go here. Ah, the venerable stone tower on the Giant. I would guess that this is the most visited … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites, Towers, Bridges, Forts, Tunnels, Roads, Canals, Dams, Fishways, Airports, & Ferries Tagged With: Calvin, Damian, Giant Master, Great Views, Hamden, Hikes with my Boys, national recreation trail, Observation Towers, Sleeping Giant State Park

Mount Tom Tower

March 7, 2011 by Steve 3 Comments

Mt. Tom Lookout Tower Morris (via Litchfield & Washington) Stone Tower (34 feet) on Mt. Tom summit (1325 feet) Since I've visited Mt. Tom for different reasons over the years, there are multiple pages... For a 2015 hike up with my sons with better pictures, go here. For a 2010 visit to the beach as well as the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites, Towers, Bridges, Forts, Tunnels, Roads, Canals, Dams, Fishways, Airports, & Ferries Tagged With: Great Views, Litchfield, Morris, Mt Tom State Park, Observation Towers, Washington

Haystack Mountain Tower

March 7, 2011 by Steve Leave a Comment

Haystack Mountain Lookout Tower Norfolk Stone Tower (34 feet) on Haystack Mountain summit (1716 feet) (For more on the hike up and the state park, Go here. This page is only about the tower.) The 34 foot high stone tower at the summit of Haystack Mountain (1716 feet above sea level) allows visitors to see Long … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites, Towers, Bridges, Forts, Tunnels, Roads, Canals, Dams, Fishways, Airports, & Ferries Tagged With: Great Views, haystack mountain state park, Norfolk, Observation Towers

Sleeping Giant: Tower and Orange Trails

February 12, 2011 by Steve 5 Comments

SGSP E-W Traverse 2+ (Orange, Tower, and a Bit of White Trails) Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, ~5 miles total (solo) February 6, 2011 It’s a shame that I completely screwed up my well-laid-out plan to become a Giant Master. I had it all planned; it was going to be 5 different hikes through the park in 5 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, Giant Master, Great Views, Hamden, national recreation trail, Observation Towers, Sleeping Giant State Park

NNL: McLean Game Refuge

January 23, 2011 by Steve Leave a Comment

National Natural Landmark Granby & Simsbury Designation Date: 1973 McLean will always hold a special place in my heart. Not just because it’s beautiful and offers a lot in the way of hiking and such, but because it’s where I had my first face to face meeting with a mama bear and her cubs. I’d seen a few in the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles Tagged With: Granby, McLean Game Refuge, National Natural Landmarks, Simsbury

Sleeping Giant: Yellow and Violet Trails

January 1, 2011 by Steve 2 Comments

SGSP E-W Traverse 1 (Yellow and Violet Trails) Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, 5.4 miles total (solo) December 23, 2010 Not too many people get excited for gray and chilly late December jaunts in central Connecticut, but I do. Perhaps because I hadn’t been hiking in Connecticut in forever. What the heck … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, Hiking Challenges, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, Giant Master, Great Views, Hamden, national recreation trail, Sleeping Giant State Park

Sleeping Giant State Park Intro

December 30, 2010 by Steve 1 Comment

Sleeping Giant State Park Hamden The history and longevity of Sleeping Giant is much more than the trails, but most people come here for the trails. The Tower Trail, mostly. And that's cool, as it's a cool trail. All Things Sleeping Giant State Park 2015 TSTL hike to the tower with my boys Yellow and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, National "Stuff", State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, Giant Master, Great Views, Hamden, national recreation trail, Observation Towers, Quinnipiac Trail, Sleeping Giant State Park

Nipmuck Trail: West Branch

November 16, 2010 by Steve 1 Comment

Emphasis on the Muck Puddin' Lane to East Branch Junction, Mansfield, 5.1 Miles (one-way) July 23, 2010 I almost feel like I should do a do-over for this section. Not only did it pour down rain the entire time I was hiking, but it grew dark prematurely and I didn’t quite make it all the way as far as I’d wanted … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, Mansfield, Nipmuck Trail

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