Another mountain hike! Yikes! This time we visited Talcott State Park in Connecticut and hit the trail at about 6:30 a.m. This was a fairly well trafficked, 2.5 mile trail. During COVID the Talcott Mountain trail was officially closed to large groups. The trail itself, based on what we had read and seen online, seemed simple and straightforward enough. Yet, our hike turned out to be quite eventful!

We had already exited our vehicle and started hiking when one driver reversed a bit too quickly into a parking spot, and drove over a nearby cliff! A lone standing tree saved his descent into this precipice bordering the parking area. The swift arrival of police officers to assist and inform that the park actually opened at a later time proved to be useful and quite fortunate.

So all of this happened before we actually started hiking! It was cold! The temperature was just above freezing point and the air was brisk. Did I mention it was cold! The trail itself was fairly wide and wet leaves covered the forest floor.

Almost immediately into the trail there was a steep ascent that lasted for maybe a quarter mile. Definitely a great cardio boost! Soon after the steep ascent, the trail plateaued to a beautiful view of the Simsbury plains. The trail would eventually begin to go up again, but this time the end was in sight!

At the top of the trail, we met beautiful picnic and dining areas, and of course Heublein Tower. The mountain top reminded me of a tranquil monastery type setting. Persons can also drive to the top of Talcott Mountain. The Heublein Tower, itself has a rich history and visitors to the Tower have included: former President Ronald Reagan and General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Talcott Mountain sits at just about 950 feet at its highest point, by no means the highest mountain in Connecticut! Overall, this was a fairly moderate trail. All hikers will enjoy this trail from beginners to the most experienced hikers. Not much of a challenge for experienced hikers, I will admit…but, definitely worth the view!