Beautiful! Easy access to parking and the Falls, at least during the week. There were numerous…read moresmall groups up and down the banks, many of us wading in the water.

Ahhhh.. Umpachene - how do I bottle you and bring you home?…read more Delightful 18 minute ride from where we were staying in Sheffield. Suggest loading GPS or navigation app before losing signal in the mountains. Of note, and quite a surprise after a score of years closed, the bridge on Umpachene Falls Road has been rebuilt and is open. Yesterday, the falls were rushing abs bracingly cold! While I didn't fully submerge or hide behind the water curtain, I sat in the flow and was transfixed and refreshed for an hour. Remains a Berkshire treasure!

This review is for Town Grove on Lake Wononscopomuc (a.k.a. Lakeville Lake). I've been coming here…read moreto fish the lake since 2005, and it's by far my favorite place to be on the water in Connecticut. The fishing is outstanding (for both largemouth bass & trout), but the experience on the water is even more enjoyable because of a motor restriction -- outboards are limited to 12 cu in. This keeps away the jet skiers, water skiers, and their ilk, which so annoy hardcore fishermen like myself. Gates don't open to 7am (6am on Opening Day, 3rd Saturday in April), and they close at Sunset. The launch fee is $10, your 5th launch is free. They also rent jon boats (w/o motors) for 1/2 day or full day use. The boats have a good amount of space, more so then the ones they rent out at Twin lakes. The only downside of fishing here is that the beach goers in the Summer can be annoying when pulling out in the afternoon after a day on the water. They often mill around the launch area or even park their cars in that area, making backing up a trailer a bit tricky. But what do expect from non-boater Knuckleheads ? I just avoid going there on bluebird sky, Summer days.

Short Main Street. Cute houses with lots of character and sidewalks for safe walking. Brought a…read morepicnic, expecting to have a picnic by the W lake-nope residents only or $10 bucks. Found a free park, low on foliage; sat in the middle of a baseball field while a dog ran through our food and a lone golfer drove golfs behind us. Okay, well back to Hartford County for more accessibility to picturesque parks-thank you.

It took me three attempts over three days to make it all the way to the waterfall, but it was so…read moreworth it! I took this journey at the start of February, and there was tons of snow on the ground. On the first day, I arrived at the Massachusetts parking lot around 3 PM I figured I had a good two hours before sundown. I turned back after walking a short way down the trail because it was so steep, I thought I was going to tumble into the river. When I got back, I watched a video of someone hiking on the Massachusetts side, and I realized that the trail is normally full of stairs This makes sense because it's very steep and that's why it's so short but because of the snow, the stairs are covered up I would definitely not recommend using the Massachusetts side in the winter On the second day, I got to the New York parking lot around 2 PM. I made it about halfway down the much more gradual and scenic trail before I turned back. I turned back because the sun disappeared behind the mountain, and it was dark and windy On the third day, I got to the New York side at 11 AM. This time I realized that the top of the trail is just always dark and windy because it's in a corridor between two mountain peaks. So I pressed on. It took me about one hour to get to the end of the trail. I walked pretty slowly and stopped to look at nature a lot. If you are not someone who is super confident staying on the path in the forest, these are fairly easy trails because it's just a straight line the whole way there and you are following the river the whole time. I'm so glad I didn't give up because the falls are one of the most beautiful magical things I've ever seen Instead of water flowing down through the ice, it was snow and slush bursting through the sections of the frozen waterfall the water exploding into 1 million tiny snowflakes from the top to the bottom I plan to come back here in the summer with my kids and I think they will really love it.

Bash Bish Falls was just as beautiful as everyone says it is! The hike was worth every step, and…read moreseeing the waterfall in person was amazing. There's just something about being surrounded by nature that fills my cup. I LOVE to hike so this was my happy place. Even better, we got to share the experience with friends we've had for 24 years after meeting on a cruise. Good friends, beautiful scenery, and another memory made together. That's my kind of day. You can go I on the MA side which has lots of stairs but is a shorter walk or do the NY side with a short 3/4 mile hike to the falls.

What an amazing experience we had this weekend at this campground! We visited during Father's Day…read moreweekend, which also happens to be bear mating season, so just know, you will see bears. From what we heard, bear sightings are common throughout the season. This is an off-grid campground, although there are water pumps in some areas and plenty of pit toilets throughout the campground. Park Rangers drive through every couple of hours until around 9 PM. The location is absolutely beautiful, check-in was easy, and firewood was available for $7 per bundle. Each campsite comes with its own fire ring. We stayed at site #38 and had gorgeous views. It was shady, peaceful, and in a great location. We also noticed that sites #11 and #12 looked very nice. We didn't get a chance to explore the entire park because we mainly wanted to relax, but you can easily walk the campground roads and explore the different camping areas. Around our site there was plenty of space for kids to play, and site #42 looked like it had a whole area to itself. We will definitely be coming back! Don't forget your bear spray. At night, especially the first night, the sounds of nature made it feel like you were in the middle of a jungle! The second night was much quieter. Highly recommended for anyone looking to unplug, relax, and enjoy the outdoors.

This is a beautiful state park with 2300 acres of land. Parking is free. There are 10 miles of…read morehiking trails, including the Macedonia Ridge Trail, 51 campsites, and you can fish. Sone of the trails get you to views of the Catskills and Taconic mountains. There are a lot of streams, and lots of places for grills and cooking. The land once belonged to the Scatacook Tribe.

Great visit to Kaaterskill Falls on Wednesday, October 7, 2026…read more Decided to visit mid-week to avoid the crowds as it approached peak fall colors...I think October 7th was a bit too early...another week or so would have been better for colors. I have read that the Main Trailhead Lot (Laurel House Road), closest to the waterfall trails, fills up quickly during the fall. I arrived there at 8:30am and was the 9th car in the 40-50-capacity parking lot. When I left at 11:30am, the lot was full and staff was routing visiting from the main road (North Lake Road) to the Scutt Road parking lot...which is a bit further away from the falls. Once parked, the fall viewing platform was a short 0.1 mile walk. It offers some lovely views of the falls from higher up. From there, the walk to the lower falls was about 0.5 miles, but be advised that there are lots of steps (over 300) to get from the top of the falls to the bottom of the falls. You can walk even further from the base of the falls, along Spruce Creek, toward Route 23A and you will get to Bastion Falls. Since I arrived earlier, there were too many people on the trails...which made picture-taking a lot easier. I suspect the crowds increase as the area approached peak fall colors and on the weekends...so plan accordingly. The falls were great...I actually preferred the lower falls viewing area, for its consistent lighting and heavier waterfall flow. The upper was very high but the flow wasn't as heavy. The park is well-maintained with efficient trail marking and directional signage throughout. Free to park and enter the park/waterfall area. Port a potties in parking lot...are as clean as you can expect from a popular public parking port a potty.

Be prepared, the trail down to the falls is very long and while its quite easy going down ,getting…read moreback up is a definitely a treck. It's so worth it though. If however you decide not to go down to the bottom, there is a viewing platform . The waterfall pressure/flow can vary depending on when you visit. Heavy after rain or less during the summer months. Swimming is allowed in the basin , the water is cold . The fall and parking are free in designated parking lots. There was a porta potty in tje lot we parked in. Not sure if there's one in each parking lot though. Don't park anywhere along the roads as you will get ticketed and/or towed. Arrive early aa the parking lots fill up quickly, especially on weekends. Personally I wouldn't do this trail on a rainy day especially if you're a beginner. Lots of stepping stones that can be slippery when wet. Other than that it's one of the most beautiful trails I've been on.

The trail isn't marked well but even in a light snow cover we were able to figure it out. Watch out…read morefor a few icy patches on the trail that we had to work around if you'll be on the trail in the winter. The falls were gorgeous ... parts along the cascade edges were frozen but running full force! And we met a young porcupine near the trailhead just after the parking area! It was a bit shy ...

This was the second falls visited by our gang of three adventurers last Wednesday. Both Bash Bish…read moreFalls and Campbell Falls were uniquely picturesque. While the trek to BBF was 3/4 mi from the NY parking lot, the jaunt to Campbell Falls was much closer from our dirt parking area. Both falls were similar heights. I inclined to say that BBF was a little higher. Intrepid Paul ventured into the deep pool at the bottom. He looked refreshed. Mountain goat Jamie climbed up the steep terrain to the right of the Falls, and appeared to be standing right in the middle of it at the top. In reality, there is also an opening in the paved road at the top that allows one to get close. Be careful if you do this !!!!!. All-in-all, worth the trip.

An awesome zone with kids playground with several things to keep kids of all ages engaged. Soccer…read morefields, baseball fields and basketball courts in the same area

We took a long weekend to spend some quality time with our adult children and their spouses plus…read moregrandparents. This was the perfect place! The measures taken for Covid Compliance were impeccable. All staff practiced social distancing and wore appropriate PPE's which made the guests feel safe, relaxed and confident in the team working hard for our safety and theirs. The restroom facilities were great! They were very clean and the showers had a strong flow of hot water. The trash receptacles were never over full confirming that the staff were monitoring the facilities regularly for cleanliness. As an added bonus, there are numerous water stations throughout the camping area making it quick and easy to refill water jugs to bring back to the campsites. The lake is not very big, but offers kayaking, canoeing, fishing and swimming in a contained area. The beach had clean sand and multiple trash receptacles. If you plan to swim, we recommend wearing water shoes when you go in as, with any lake, the bottom can be a bit rocky and slimy. LOL Management made rounds at dusk to ensure the guests were all set for the night. His parter, a beautiful Newfoundland (I think) lies in the bed of the pickup and is so well trained and mild mannered you wouldn't even know he was there. The respect and care shown to the guests is impeccable. The only downside was the total number of kayaks available to rent if you have a larger group. Having said that, the number of kayaks and canoes combined is certainly in ratio with the size of the lake. Overall, we found the entire weekend a huge success! The team of workers were respectful, informative, accommodating and so very friendly. Their interactions with each other as well as the guests put everyone at ease and made you feel so at home and welcome. We would highly recommend this as an excellent place to visit without hesitation. We will be back!!

I found this on a website listing all NY State Parks while scrounging for a VERY last-minute…read morecamping escape from the city. We had a car, they had two tent sites, the woman on the phone was exceedingly patient, and we left the next morning. Pros: The nearby town is adorable and had an outdoor craft market on the Summer weekend we visited. There are other hiking trails you can drive to and see waterfalls, etc. It's CHEAP (I guess most state parks are if you're a resident, but we've previously been traveling out to more all-inclusive sites like Kittatinny that are easily 3x this price). It's nice that you can take an on-site kayak or canoe out for a spin in the pond - that was probably the highlight of our stay. It's also nice to be able to reserve online. The fire rings have a hinged grill attached to one side that folds down to cover have the fire, so you don't need to bring a grill top. Cons: the sites are really close together and the quiet hours are no joke. I suppose that's a pro if you want it to be super quiet. This is certainly not the site for anyone whose ideal camping trip includes beer pong. The pond is...pondy? Even at the very small beach, the water does not look clean and inviting though many people were swimming anyway. The closest (no-driving-required) hiking trail that a few from our party embarked upon was dangerously overgrown. They lost the trail more than a handful of times, climbed around at least 10 downed trees, and encountered a fallen power line. Overall, it was satisfying for the short little overnight escape we were seeking. It's not on my list of awesome places to revisit, but the drive was relatively easy from the city, and we had plenty of calm, lazy hours to spend catching up in the sun and in the shade.

I hiked this mountain on October 18, 2024. I hiked Bear Mountain trail. Bear mountain did not…read moredisappoint. The fall foliage was beautiful. So many yellows and oranges. The was one little fly that we seem to make friends with. The scrabbles were good and a nice mix up to the trail. The trail was well marked and maintained. We were able to stand on the CT/MA line. The trail was about 6.5 miles long.

As the tallest peak in Connecticut (2,300 ft.) Bear Mountain has to be one of my favorite CT hikes…read more There are several ways up to the summit, all of which are steep, long, and strenuous. On our most recent visit, we used Lion's Head. Although it's a bit longer than the Undermountain Trail, it's less vigorous and I think it has some really spectacular views. This is the perfect spot if you love panoramic overviews. From several lookouts, you can actually take in some great long-distance views. The southern part of Connecticut spreads out in front of you with the rolling Litchfield Hills to the south, Twin Lakes east, Massachusetts north-northeast, and surrounding mountainsides, farmland, woodlands, and small towns fill in the pieces of this picturesque puzzle (no western views). If you use Lion's head to reach the summit of Bear Mountain, it's a 6-mile round trip. As you near the top, the Appalachian Trail appears and is marked with white hash marks whereas the Lion's Head trail is marked by blue hash marks. Keep this in mind for your return trip or you be going off course! FYI: Park at the dirt parking lot on Bunker Hill Rd on the labeled "hiker parking" lot. All in all, the hike(s) up to Bear Mountain are tough and challenging even for the average day-hiker. With some patience, plenty of water and snacks, some determination and good company, Bear Mountain will be a great day-hike for any level. If you're feeling fancy, bring a bottle of wine and actual food and have a picnic at the summit. And if that still isn't enough, don't forget the journey's reward -- great overviews, Appalachian Trail access, title of hiking Connecticut's highest peaks, waterfalls, and woodlands.

This was a really nice hike I took recently. My cousin took me here and mentioned was a popular…read morespot to hike and swim at. It was so cool to walk through the trail with all the fall leaves and there wasn't anyone around at all so was able to enjoy nature (went in the middle of the week). The weather was perfect and cool which worked out as I did sweat. I was able to make it to the tower and had a really nice view around with the trees and the water. There is a beach too but we only drove passed it (looked really nice). For the tower just watch your head as there are spots, including going outside, you have to duck. It is a short trail up to the tower but be aware some spot can be a bit challenging to climb with going up hill and rocks. It did rain prior and was a bit slippery too but gotta watch your footing regardless. Overall this was a great place and would absolutely come back.

A great place for a short hike and the view at the top is stunning. It's a relatively short hike,…read morebut as you can see from the pic, a little goes a long way. It's a nice place to escape into nature.