One of the best water falls in NE! Mid-week afternoon visit…read more There was a park? officer at the entrance sitting in the car waving as people's left. There was also a table at the entrance to the trails with a person who didn't have much knowledge of the trails nor falls?? Spent 75 minutes and was able to hike upper, mid and lower falls. The trail to the viewpoint is very short and easy to find. There was little water when I visited in mid- September and leaves hadn't to change colors yet. The trail to the falls is NOT marked very well after the initial 2 signs. Many on the trail said they continued on stairs (straight) that didn't go to the falls! If you want to just hike without the Falls as the end goal, then this park works for you. Lucky for me I received an advice from returning hikers who knew the park and advised me well :). The KF hikes are not long but are pretty steep... scrambling maybe required especially to get to the cove behind the upper falls. The trail split, to the bottom of the falls and to the mid- falls, is pretty close. So the view to the entire falls was worth hiking down to. The trail near the bottom of the falls is red rock stairs and well maintained. Parking was a gravel lot and was about 2/3 full. Enjoy!

A very mild and easy hike with a beautiful payoff! Definitely bring your bathing suits because you…read morecan take a dip in the water--it's cool, refreshing, and perfect for cooling off after the walk. The waterfall and surrounding scenery are absolutely beautiful, and you can easily spend some time relaxing on the rocks and taking in the view. You don't have to get in the water if that's not your thing; there are plenty of rocks around the area where you can sit and enjoy the scenery. There are both upper and lower sections of the waterfall, so depending on how much walking you want to do, you can choose which area to explore. We walked to the lookout point first, which gives you a view of the waterfall from above. From up there, everyone below looks like little ants! Before reaching the bridge, there are stairs that lead down to the actual waterfall, which I definitely recommend checking out. Overall, it's a beautiful spot, and the hike is very manageable!

Some of the best trails CT has to offer. Steep Rock in the Fall should be on every CT native's…read morebucket list.

Love love Steep Rock! Diverse land. Nice for family hikes. Nice restaurants near by. Cute town…read moresetting around. Trails. Driveway. Great parking.

Went here for the first time and it was gorgeous! Parking is $10 flat fee, I went on a week day so…read moreit wasn't busy at all. The hiking trail was a bit tricky to find because they don't have any signs telling you where to go, but once I figured that out then it was easy! The hiking trail itself was nice, amazing views once you're up top and waterfalls were gorgeous! Great place for a picnic or to spend time with family!

What a stunning beautiful park , so clean with plenty of parking , picnic table and a beautiful…read morewaterfall-river . It's an amazing place to spend the day on a romantic date or with the family .

This was our 3rd hike this week, and by far the best one I've done in quite awhile. We chose the…read more3.5 mile (yellow) trail which started off along the river, past an old quarry and up to 2 vantage points (one mostly obscured). The trails are well maintained and clearly marked throughout. It starts off along the river and then moves along through series of hills of moderate height. It takes around 2 hours to complete, and the varied scenery makes it the whole trip a joy. We will definitely be back in the fall to see it again with more colorful foliage.

"Sixteen miles to seven lakes way up among the pines In some…read morehidden valley where the twirlin' river twines" (Gordon Lightfoot) Hidden Valley is beautiful - a quiet and tranquil oasis of peaceful solitude. It covers over 900 acres with wooded scenery, hiking trails, gorgeous river views, and a very cool wooden timber suspension bridge known as the Thoreau Bridge. The bridge was the high point of our visit. It spans 134′ across the Shepaug River. We saw a few photographers stationed on the bridge snapping away in search of a perfect photo of Mother Nature' majesty. Spread across the bridge's handrails and a bench at the base of the bridge are etched quotes from Henry David Thoreau's essays. The inscription on the bench contains what is perhaps Thoreau's best-known passage: "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

I love the stone tower! The first time I came here the place seemed enchanted, covered with…read morethousands of ladybugs flying around and all over the actual tower. They were also bees and other things buzzing around dragonflies and such. That was in October of 2024. We went back yesterday (April 7th 2026) there wasn't anything flying around, but it still was a magical place to go. lol. It's a great place to go for people who don't really wanna do a huge hike. Very easily accessible and pretty.

"All along the watchtower Princes kept the view…read moreWhile all the women came and went Barefoot servants, too" (Bob Dylan) Want to take a very cool and very short hike that ends at a spectacular water tower? If so, you'll love this 15 minute hike that runs about .6 mile out and back. There's a fascinating history behind Camp Columbia State Forest. Between 1885 and 1983 Columbia University held engineering and surveying classes on the property. In fact, a summer program at the camp was mandatory for engineering students. I also learned that Columbia University President Dwight Eisenhower spent time at the camp watching football practices and hunting. Some important stuff was invented and created here. Want an example? Sure you do. Well how about the concrete roof over Madison Square Garden? That engineering breakthrough was pioneered here. World War I saw the US Army train their officers and hold mock infantry assaults here. Student interest in the "Camp Experience" fell in the 1960s and combined with changes to the engineering curriculum, Columbia ended their use of the Camp. For the next 20 years or so, they used it on special occasions but eventually closed it in 1983. By 1989, many of the camp buildings had deteriorated so badly that the town declared them as public hazards and they were demolished in a controlled burn training exercise. In 2000, the state of Connecticut bought the property for $2.1 million. The outbound trail has a very slight incline, and be careful of the tree roots and rocks, or you may end up on your face. Also, be careful of a few downed trees that rudely block the trail. We saw two very cool things on the trail. The first was an old abandoned building, probably a camp meeting house. The roof was partially open from wear and tear, The front door was wide open, and we saw there was quite a bit of spray painted graffiti inside. The other cool thing we saw was a 60-foot cylindrical water tower with an observation platform, a gift of Columbia's Class of 1906. The front door to the tower was open as well, and if you're more adventurous than we were, you can walk up those stairs to another door that leads to an exterior cylindrical staircase. The scenery along the trail is very pretty with lots of wild flowers and berry bushes. (The park is on West St in Morris, CT. I submitted the address correction to Yelp)

Lake Waramaug State Park has so much to offer, whether it be camping, fishing, swimming, renting a…read morekayak, boating, having a picnic, or just to take in the beautiful views. I came here for kayaking. This beautiful, scenic lake is clean, and circling the lake is an enjoyable 9-mile paddle. From the water, you can take in the scenic hills that surround the lake, or view some of the waterfront gorgeous homes. This state park is well worth checking out.

It's an okay stay over place, large spaces, no privacy, but pleasant enough. What totally ruined…read morethe experience were the extremely loud campers across the way who's nonstop shouting and swearing went well into the quiet hours with no one to contact for assistance since staff leaves at 10:00 (the start of quiet hours!)

Short easy hike on a rocky trail between the farm fields, the trail is clear and easy to follow but…read moresteep. the waterfall is absolutely beautiful and there are different levels of it you can climb down to. I definitely recommend this hike!

Nice easy hike with a combination of open fields, wooded trails, streams, and waterfalls. Watch…read moreout for horse dung- apparently horse owners don't feel the need to clean up.

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.

Love love love love You don't even have to climb anything…read morelol The walk is paved so that's great Lots of old people and people with very new children!! lol It's easy It's beautiful Bring a ball Bring a kite Bring burgers they have tables and grills Bri g blankets Not crowded Bathroom was not open

This place is so beautiful. It's a short hike around the falls but if you take a right can go on…read morefor a long time I'm not sure how long because I have never went that full way. On the way up there are stairs and lookouts over the falls. They were recently redone and looks so nice. I love going here. Right now the bathrooms are locked so if you go have a picnic at the tables below you might have to leave to find a bathroom about 8 mins up the road in a store or restaurant. I think the bathrooms open on memorial day but I'm not sure. There are picnic tables in the grassy area and benches along the right side of the falls.

Crystal-clear water + sunny spring day = perfect hike…read more Spent a beautiful spring sunny day at Wadsworth Falls State Park, and it did not disappoint. I took so many pictures of the clear river. It's seriously that stunning. The swimming water vanished. We hiked the Wadsworth Falls Loop (3.6 miles, easy, great waterfall views) and also checked out part of the Main Trail. Trails were in good shape; just a little mud here and there, but totally manageable. Bonus tips from my visit: · Dogs welcome on leash · Free for CT-registered cars; $10-15 for out-of-state · Restrooms, parking, and picnic tables available · Get there early on a sunny day to beat the crowds If you love clear water, peaceful forest walks, and two distinct waterfalls, don't miss this spot. Already planning to come back with an all-terrain wheelchair for a friend (you can reserve one in advance). Would I go again? 100%.

Gorgeous gorges! Although this park has ample signage against swimming, the Coginchaug River is…read morelovely on the eyes and ears, and being centrally located, Wadsworth Falls is a great local escape. If you have the right footwear in winter, it's a place for a rewarding hike! Boots and grips and the occasional side stepping is good for your winter trip. Mind the tracks, or crews tending the still in-use tracks, then enjoy the lovely views of multiple waterfalls, some frosted over, but water audibly rushing beneath the ice. Starting out, we didn't see the blue trail marked on the yellow and orange junction map, but the trails were well-marked with vertical tree blazes, so if you take the orange, yellow, or blue trails, you should be in good shape. If you don't have the time for a decent hike and just need a restful stop, large falls are just below the parking lot (those no access signs on the trails don't kid!). All year, enjoy! There are zero facilities here, and the only amenities appear to be accessible recreation and a dog waste station beneath the parking lot, but you aren't in the middle of nowhere. Pack in, pack out, and enjoy as much or little woods as you like, and enjoy the peaceful sounds and sights of the many falls.