Top 10 Hiking And Trekking Spots In Connecticut, USA

hiking in ct
James
James 
Published
| 4 min read

Connecticut is a place that gives you the perfect combination of culture, nature, and fun experiences. Situated between Massachusetts and New York City, this remarkable city is a place where relaxation spots are in every corner. Blessed with lush forests and cascading hills, the destination is the ideal outdoor lover’s vacation spot. The region also boasts of a beautiful sandy coastline, tree-top zip-lines, hiking trails, and several other outdoor adventure places. The city is home to gorgeous vineyards and craft beer breweries and venues of indoor fun activities such as fascinating museums, art galleries, studios, and art centers. If you love good food, there are several award-winning farm-to-table restaurants, seafood dining locations, and sumptuous pizza stands. With luxurious hotels and budget accommodations, this city has everything. And for nature enthusiasts, here are some top hiking and trekking spots in Connecticut, USA.

1. Mohegan Park Loop

Mohegan park ct

Posted by Migdalia Lopez on Wednesday, 22 July 2015

Located in Norwich, Connecticut, this is the largest park with a 3.1 km (1.9 mi) easy point-to-point trail. Mohegan Loop Park has several exciting and challenging biking, and hiking trails, picnic spots and tables for relaxation, grills, basketball court, and grill stands. The paths here are well-marked and easy, looping around water bodies, wooded areas, and passes through a wooden bridge to give you an enjoyable encounter with nature. If you are going with kids, you can make stops at the playgrounds or the swimming area along the route. You may also be greeted by wildlife, especially the white-tailed deer.

Mohegan Park Loop

Address: 189 Mohegan Park Rd, Norwich, CT 06360, United States

Opening hours: 8am - 8pm (daily)

Visited this place?

2. Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail

Canal lock - Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail - Suffield, Connecticut - DSC04324
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Daderot used under CC0

Windsor Locks Canal State Park is perfect for a peaceful stroll. Although it doesn’t get much traffic every day, it presents an ideal opportunity to stretch out your legs and test your hiking endurance. The trail is about 8.6-mile (13.84-kilometer) long and is perfect for all hikers, regardless of the skill level. It is also ideal for bird watching, trekking, and road biking. This fantastic trail is open all year round and it is pet-friendly.

Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail

Address: Canal Rd, Suffield, CT 06078, United States

Website: Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail

Visited this place?

3. West Hartford Reservoir


The West Hartford Reservoir Trail is a unique hiking path near Avon, Connecticut. The track, which is about 3.8 miles (6.11 kilometres) long, features a beautiful lake and several other exciting things. The entire reservoir area is dotted with paved roads, single tracks, and dirt roads, and they are ideal for all hiking enthusiasts, regardless of skill level. So whether you’re with friends or with family, this location is the perfect place to spend quality time exploring nature. Dogs are also allowed here but they have to be kept on leash.

West Hartford Reservoir

Address: West Hartford, CT 06117, United States

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Visited this place?

4. Bear Mountain Trail


Bear Mountain Trail is a remarkable 6-miles (9.66 kilometres) long trail situated near Salisbury, Connecticut. This track is home to several beautiful flowers and gets a good number of visitors. Usually, open from March until November, this hiking path offers you some fantastic views, and the chance to see the captivating ruins of the stone tower. The mountain on which the trail is located, Bear Mountain is the highest peak in the entire state, standing at the height of 2,316 feet (705.92 meters).

Bear Mountain Trail

Address: Rt 44 Undermountain Trail Head, Salisbury, CT 06068

Visited this place?

5. Sleeping Giant State Park

Sleeping Giant State Park, Connecticut

Posted by RaeAnna Parker on Thursday, 9 July 2015

With an unusual name, this state park has one of the most engaging trails the state boasts of. The Sleeping Giant State Park gets its name from its mountain top that stretches over 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) giving it the resemblance of a sleeping giant. This stand out feature also makes it one of the most regularly visited trail parks in the state. There are several places to enjoy outdoor activities – including a trout park, a large lookout tower, several relaxing and picnic areas, and of course, several hiking trails.

Sleeping Giant State Park

Address: 200 Mount Carmel Ave, Hamden, CT 06518-1906

Website: Sleeping Giant State Park

Opening hours: 8am - 6pm (daily)

Visited this place?

6. Castle Craig

hiking in ct | castle craig
Source: instagram

Castle Craig is one place any visitor to the state mustn’t miss exploring. Whether you love hiking or not, this incredible castle should be on your itinerary of places to visit. Situated in Meriden, this enchanting stone tower stands at a height of about 32 feet (9.75 meters) and requires an interesting short hike to get there. The trail, which is part of the round trip of this castle, is about 3-miles (4.83 kilometers) long and is quite easy to complete. Great for families, the view at the top of Craig Castle is certainly worth the hike!

Castle Craig

Address: Peak Dr, Meriden, CT 06451, United States

Website: Castle Craig

Opening hours: Sat - Sun: 10am - 7pm; Mon - Fri: 10am - 4:45pm

Visited this place?

7. Tidal Marsh Trail

Posted by JA2 Aerial Productions on Wednesday, 2 November 2016

If you are an ardent bird watcher, then this is the right trail for you. Tidal Marsh Trail offers a place to walk out the kinks, enjoy the sights of natural forest surroundings and see some of nature’s most beautiful creations. A relatively easy trail to complete, Tidal Marsh is just a little over 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) in length, it isn’t very rugged but quite easy to adjust. So grab this opportunity to see some rare and exotic birds by going on this straightforward trail.

Tidal Marsh Trail

Address: 200 Universal Dr, North Haven, CT 06473, United States

Visited this place?

8. Lantern Hill Trail

Narragansett Trail's Lantern Hill view of hawks flying. Mashantucket Pequot Museum can be seen in the far background.
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Morrow Long used under CC BY 3.0

With a good number of outdoor lovers going on this trail annually, Lantern Hill is one forest pathway you should check out. At 2.5 miles (4.02 kilometers) long, this loop trail is of moderate difficulty, so beginner hikers can enjoy it too. It is surrounded by luxuriant nature and offers magnificent views of the green. It has excellent spots for some recreational moments so you can pack that picnic bag while going on your hike, quiet places for meditation, lots of blooming rose flowers and cool sites to watch the exotic wildlife.

Lantern Hill Trail

Address: 215 Wintechog Hill Rd, North Stonington, CT 06359, United States

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Visited this place?

9. Hemlock Hills

hiking in ct | hemlock hills
Source: instagram

Situated near Ridgefield, this 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) trail is an ideal place to go hiking in Connecticut. Hemlock Hills trail receives an impressive number of visitors every year, and it’s a loop trail. The path is quite long and mainly for the tough hikers to complete. It features a beautiful lake that offers stunning water views, several spots to sit and relax, and it is best visited from April to October. This trail allows dogs; however, the dogs have to be always leashed.

Hemlock Hills

Address: Ridgefield, CT 06877, United States

Visited this place?

10. Indian Council Caves Trail

Did you know this year marks 90 years of Connecticut’s Blue Blaze Hiking Trails? Near the end of December in 1929, nine...

Posted by Reach Your Summit on Monday, 5 August 2019

This out and back trail is located near Barkhamsted, Connecticut. Indian Council Caves Trail is another one of the popular trails in the area, and it is not very difficult to hike through. The path is lined with gorgeous wildflowers and other beautiful natural endowments. It is usually open all year round, but the best time to visit is between March and October. Aside from hiking, this trail is excellent for group nature trips, bird watching, and picnicking!

Indian Council Caves Trail

Address: CT-219, Barkhamsted, CT 06063, United States

Visited this place?

Have an incredible time outdoors

One thing Connecticut is blessed with is a great outdoor scene. This fantastic place gives its visitors a perfect mix of culture, tradition, adventure and modern living, making it an ideal place for outdoor lovers to spend a relaxing time off. Check out these remarkable hiking and trekking spots in Connecticut, USA, featuring green landscape, luxuriant forests, natural parks, and beautiful vineyards.

Visited this place?
Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

History


Get Trip101 in your inbox

Unsubscribe in one click. See our Privacy Policy for more information on how we use your data

James Kure is an ardent writer from a very humble background. He loves writing about the world’s top travel destinations, especially the Scandinavian and Japanese regions. When not writing, James...Read more

 Want to contribute as a Local Expert?
Explore Connecticut
Looking for accommodation?
x
Good things are meant to be shared!
Back to top
Visited any of these places? Click this button to activate our "Add a Tip" feature to share your experience.