Avoid the crowds along these 25 secret hiking trails around CT
Peter Marteka
FacebookTwitterEmail
While popular state park hiking areas filled up fast during the pandemic, forcing the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to close them, nearby land trusts and municipal open spaces sat relatively empty and unused. To enjoy our natural beauty without the crowds, skip the overused trails and visit these paths less traveled.
Hidden Valley Preserve
Location: Washington
Total distance: 17 miles
Must-see: The “Pinnacle” and “Lookout” overlooks
Hidden Valley Preserve is home to the finest trail bridge in Connecticut. The Thoreau Bridge connects the northern and southern portions of the 650-acre preserve. The cable-stayed, mass-timber suspension bridge spans 134 feet across the Shepaug River and is etched with famous quotes by the 19th-century author and philosopher such as: “The universe is wider than our views of it” and “Wildness is the preservation
Conservation Corner: Hiking through pandemic helps ease COVID stress
Katharine Owens
FacebookTwitterEmail
1of6
Shown are the ruins of a dwelling at the Spiderweed Preserve in Middletown.Contributed photo / Katharine OwensShow MoreShow Less
2of6
Katharine Owens is a member of Middletown’s Commission on Conservation and Agriculture.Contributed photo / Katharine OwensShow MoreShow Less
3of6
4of6
Middletown Conservation and Agriculture member Katharine Owens and her family pose for a photograph at the Jablonski property in Middletown.Contributed photo / Katharine OwnsShow MoreShow Less
5of6
Shown is a tree locted at the Hubbard Conservation Area in Middletown.Contributed photo / Katharine OwensShow MoreShow Less
6of6