I really enjoy this hike. This was my first time in this particular section of Ragged Mountain. There's definitely a lot of interesting things to see all the old cars and the different path. Definitely enjoyed it. I think we did about 4 miles that day. I plan to go back to hike other paths in this area. I would recommend this area to go out different things to see. read more

See all

I am part of GCP in which we do weekly hikes, this week we happen to go here and it was one of the good places to be, parking is plenty and has multiple loops, at the top you have great view point and can see New Heaven downtown from there. Its a 5mile hike and medium complexity. read more

Ragged Mountain - Climbing Near Me - Berlin, Connecticut

See all

What a great hike! There are some beautiful overlooks, and most of the trail is easy. If you go mountain side, there are 2-3 rocky/cliff areas, which are not dangerous but definitely require some arm and hand work to make it to the top. A few parts of the trail are also super rocky, so you have to be careful where you step. Trails are marked very well for the most part. Going the outside (blue) trail and then crossing back to the beginning via blue-orange took us (active but not super fit!) just under 3 hours. read more

Ragged Mountain - First overlook on the blue hike - Climbing Near Me - Berlin, Connecticut

I really wanted to like this trail, but I just cannot bring myself to think of anything positive. I am an avid hiker, mostly in the Northeast, and I found this trail disappointing. Maybe we went the wrong way, but I did not have the 5 star experience that everyone else before me had. I originally found this on All Trail as it was ranked one of the best trails in CT. We decided to go on a nice summer afternoon. We parked at the trailhead on West Lane in Berlin. I typed in Ragged Mountain trailhead on GoogleMaps and the directions were spot on. Parking as limited however people just parked along the side of the road (single file style). We looked at the map, which had several different trails, and took a picture in case we needed to reference it. Thank goodness we did. We picked the .8 white trail (see picture) to get to the top of the mountain the quickest. We were more interested in hiking along the cliff with views of the reservoir. I was so disappointed that the trails were soooo poorly marked. I felt lost half the time, just wandering around on random trails. In addition, there was so much litter (beer cans, beer bottles, water bottles) and broken glass everywhere. Must be where the underage kids go to drink. Passed a burned car on the trail too. The trail was an easy/moderate trail. Lightly used as we did not see many people. We made it to the top which overlooked the north end of the reservoir. Nice view. Probably better in the fall when the leaves are changing colors. We spent a good hour searching for the Metacomet Trail to hike along the cliff. Ultimately, we never found it. Disappointed, we headed back the way we came. We had traveled about an hour to do this hike and I would not come back or recommend it. I don't ask for much, but this trail needs some serious help (aka a clean up and re-marking). We couldn't even enjoy ourselves since we were worrying about if we were going the right way. read more

Hills and rocks Ragged Mountain Memorial Park was opened in 1975 in honor of Maurice Stanley, a hiker and environmentalist who loved and appreciated the wild stuff. The park is almost 600 acres and there are a little over 6 miles of trails, although you can add a few more miles by taking some of the unmarked paths. The hiking varies a lot from very flat and easy to hilly and slippery. As can be expected in New England, there are plenty of rocks, ranging from strategically placed small ones to trip over to huge glacial boulders than were dropped in the area 15,000 years ago. The trails are well marked but it is easy to miss a turn if you're not paying attention. They are some lovely views along the way to the top and the hiking is never dangerous or really that difficult as long as take some care as you move along. Mountain bikes are allowed and so are dogs, as long as there are kept on a lease and like most trails in NE, the best to hike is in the cooler weather when the biting flies and mosquitoes are gone. The trail can also be done in the snow if a bit more care is taken on the hills. A wonderful and interesting place to hike and explore that changes with the seasons. read more

See all

For my 150th review, I wanted to pick a place that's special to me, and this is it! Ragged Mountain is my favorite place to hike in central CT. The hike is just steep enough to be challenging and interesting, but it's not crazy intense either. I like to take the blue loop all the way around the park back to the entrance, and it offers a multitude of gorgeous overlooks, one after another. The entire hike takes about 2.5 hours, or 3 hours if you're taking your time. Despite the fact that this trail is pretty well-known, it's never crowded, and the park itself is well-maintained. The last time I was here, someone had brought a trampoline to the top (bonus!), and my boyfriend and I had a bizarrely awesome time trampolining on top of a mountain. Thanks to whoever did that! A tip for first-time visitors: When searching for this place in Google Maps, choose the result named "Ragged Mountain Memorial Preserve" in Berlin. That will take you to the trailhead. The first time we came, we got lost because we chose the search result simply named "Ragged Mountain" and it ended up bringing us to some random house all the way on the other side of the mountain. Basically, don't do that. Happy hiking, everyone! read more

This is not a beginner trail. The hills vary from a stroll in the park to being rocky and steep uphill and downhill. For the unacquainted, it can be a vigorous day hike. Even though the outer loop is 6.1 miles, there are 3 shorter trails that cut through the park that's perfect for first-timers or for less experienced hikers. The trails are well-worn and well-marked though! Hiking boots are crucial for Ragged Mountain. But if you're like me, trail-running is the way to go (just mind your step and wear proper footwear!) The terrain can be rugged, sharp, and very uneven. The Metacomet trail runs across the top of Ragged Mountain. Extending from Long Island Sound near New Haven, north through the CT River Valley of Massachusetts to the Vermont border, Ragged is a popular hiking and rock climbing destination. Known for expansive vistas, vertical cliff faces, and mountain ridge reservoirs -- locals and out-of-towners love to go cliff-jumping here too! Parking at Ragged can be tricky. But local recommendations are usually at Timberlin Park, West Street in Berlin, or responsible street parking in the neighboring area of Sheldon Street and Moore Hill Road. I've seen neighbors get impatient with the number of climbers cars clogging up their community so carpool if you can. Beautiful year-round and a seasonal treasure, Ragged Mountain is one of my favorite hikes in Central Connecticut. read more

See all

This is a fun, active free activity to do with friends! Beware though! This is by no means a "walk in the park," this mountain is compromised of several trails that uphill, through the woods, and definitely "ragged." If you're up for the challenge though, it's a great time. The paths are created to be intuitive for the hikers, but there are trees and rocks marked different colors to follow along the path and not get lost. In the yellow trail, there is a broken down car up deep in the woods with several bullet holes in it. We assumed people use it as target practice and shoot at it, but not sure how long it's been there or why it's still there. Kinda cool though. There are several trees and waterfalls throughout the courses; it's a great hike in nature. read more

See all

My boyfriend and I went on this hike today (we're not from the area) and were not thrilled at the inconsistency of the trail markings. Some areas are clearly marked and some have none at all/very faded marks. We encountered a few other hikers who were also confused as we all tried to find our respective routes and it was pretty stressful. After 4ish miles and a few wrong turns, we found our way back to our car, without having seen any views (just woods the whole way, though we got a glimpse of some power lines in the distance). read more

Epic hike, more rugged than expected though very manageable! We really enjoyed ourselves! We strayed off the trail and found a burnt car and a working trampoline! Bonus points if you find it! ;) We made it to the cliffs overlooking the Wassel reservoir! Great views! Highly recommend this hike! read more

See all

Very cool hike! I never knew about this reservoir and the views are pretty stunning for a small CT mountain. Overall an easy hike, footing can be rough in some spots but there was very few steep inclines. We had a tough time finding the entrance to the mountain, you basically have to park on a residential street and walk to the beginning of the trail. There are multiple "summits" depending on how far you want to go each with a great view of the reservoir. We went up about 40 minutes and then back down the same way but I believe if you did the full loop it would definitely take a few hours. I heard some people talking about an area where you can jump in the water but I never saw this on our hike. Dog friendly and not crowded at all! read more

Ragged Mountain - Climbing Near Me - Berlin, Connecticut

This trail was absolutely beautiful. Great scenery and stunning lookout points. However, there was TONS of broken glass along every trail. I went with my two dogs and I had to constantly check the ground we were walking on. If it wasn't for the overwhelming amounts of litter, I would definitely recommend this hike to any pet owner as it was very secluded and peaceful. It's sad people cannot clean up after themselves. Otherwise this hike was gorgeous. read more

Ragged Mountain - Climbing Near Me - Berlin, Connecticut

As someone else suggested, do NOT google "Ragged Mountain" because it'll take you to a sketchy street. If you use the location here on Yelp is it hard to tell how to get into the mountain paths. There is no clear entrance as it is right at the start of a developed neighborhood. So I do not recommend that. I DO recommend googling "Ragged Mountain Memorial Preserve" as Katie suggested, as this is how I eventually found my way. No parking lot, just park along the street (you'll see shoes on the lines above you). You'll see a map at the entrance and, I think, three or four different directions to start. We went the far right. I'm not sure exactly where we went the remainder of the way. This is why I docked the star -- the markings on the trails were not very good and clear and we guessed the path many times, which caused us to take a much shorter trail. Well, we did only a partial trail I'm assuming since it only took 1.5 hours. I have no idea how we could've done a full loop given the limited avenues the markings showed us! Next time, I will download or take a picture of the map so that I have an idea where to turn and consult my google maps. Beautiful woods though in the fall. Loved trail running here with my dogs and didn't see a whole lot of people despite a huge line of cars. Be careful of all the rocks though. It got slippery in some spots. As others noted, it is not a beginners trail. I didn't see too much water, only one stream, which my dogs enjoyed. Seems as though there are more though! Looking forward to coming back and exploring Ragged Mountain again. Hopefully will find the cliff areas then! read more

Yeah, it's pretty ragged alright. Depending on which trail you take, hikes range from throughly trodden foot paths to undulating and daring rock scrambles. Some of the trails are extremely poorly marked, though it is hard to get lost here. No matter what, you'd run into a lake or a road... still, follow those trail blazes carefully! A beautiful natural waterfall, the Wassel Reservoir, and other remarkable sights lie just off the trails here. A full lap is close to 5 miles, though shortcuts are available to make your hike much shorter. Head south on the blue/red trail, and in 10 minutes, you'll be treated to a sweeping view of Berlin... no really, like the whole thing. Estates, farms, woods as far as the eye can see. You can even make out the Congregational Church in the Historic District... gives you an idea of just how much you can see. Hard to believe this place is "in town." We're very lucky indeed. read more

On a gorgeous " warm for winter " Sunday in January a hike is a great way to spend the afternoon. We googled hiking spots to find a new place and packed up some pb and j's and a thermos of tea and hit road. Park on west lane in Bristol for best access to trail head. We enjoyed 4 hours of easy to follow trails as well as investigating around on the unbeaten path. The views are great and perfect to nibble lunch and get some needed sun. Some parts are steep and can be slick on the wet leaves, for the most part though easy for all. Great spot and also there's a letter boxing to be found too!! read more

Ragged Mountain - Climbing Near Me - Berlin, Connecticut

See all

Our go-to mountain for local hiking and dog walking. Lovely atmosphere in all the seasons. Great for snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the winter. The topography is really interesting here with many views. The name ragged mountain is spot on, as the trails are covered with jagged rock. You will find the hiking easy to moderate in parts. Make sure to wear shoes with traction after a storm, as the combination of water, ice, leaves and jagged rock can be tricky to navigate in sneakers. Trail parking is located on West Lane along the road. On warm days, expect large crowds. Also beware, as nightfall seems to lend itself to sketchy mountain partiers. read more

TOUGH! my blistered heel is hurting as is pretty much the rest of my body. A beautiful hike and stunning views are worth the intense work out you will also get. This is very rocky, look where you put your feet because you can trip easily. The ups are steep, not to many down, and careful with those cliff edges, there are NO railings. Dedicate enough time for this hike, it's not a walk in the park so to speak so be prepared. otherwise if you're an insanely great hiker, this might be easy for you. good luck! read more

Went to Ragged Mountain 8/20/17 Trails were littered with trash and there was broken glass everywhere. DO NOT bring your dog!!! It made me sick seeing how disrespectful people are to their Earth.....you know we only have one?? TAKE OUT WHAT YOU TAKE IN, please. read more

One of my first large loop hikes. Usually I'm a get to the top and walk back down kinda hiker. Sleeping Giant, Castle Craig from Hubbard Park in Meriden, Blacks Pond, Guilford Bluffs my usuals. Thought why not, let's try it. Lol. Looking at the map we(wife and I) decided on a route that was @3 miles long. Off we went. Trails were marked great at points. Eye level every thirty to forty feet or so. Other points the marks were NON EXISTENT. This a a VERY deep forest and wandering lost is quite unsettling. Every so often we would pick up a mark and think"ok, we are on the right path still". We got to a cross in the path where a sigh told us 1.5 miles back to West Ln. Perfect! On we went. We passed by two young hikers coming from the direction we were headed, they were totally lost! Told us they decided to backtrack instead of completing the loop . We wished each other good luck and headed our separate ways. I mentioned that hopefully we will see each other again back at the parking area. On we went following well marked trails, knowing 1.5 miles at this point was a haul, but we got this!! Panic almost set in as all markings stopped. Seemed that now we were on some sort of path, that judging by the tire tracks, was used by local off roaders on quads. Panic turned to anger as we had to turn to Google to figure out WHERE THE HELL WE WERE!!! Eventually we exited the forest on a golf course. We cut through someone's backyard and ended up on Mooreland Rd. Thanks to all the dead ends and cul-de-sacs in this very affluent, beautiful neighborhood, we had to walk ANOTHER 2.5 miles to get to our car. Hope you all have a better experience. read more

BOI LET ME TELL YOU A STORY... me and my hot ass gurl were taking a stroll thru nantucket and there was a smol deer (reason for the 2 stars) behind a tree. so we left nantucket and went further along ragged mountain and we were like bro it's cold af so we climbed a fortified wall in hopes that we could get out that mofo fasted but instead we found a bra which means some people got busy on some rocks though? Then mi phone died while takin some bomb pics at the top of the wall but we were like SHIT WE'RE LOST W TWO DEAD PHONES. so we walked for a while freezing to our actual deaths (this is a ghost writing this). also i fell in a while and broke my leg after 9 miles. after 2 more miles on a broken leg ending up in some suburban neighborhood two towns over we ended up on a highway where some sketchy ass dude offered us a ride bc "he knew what it was like to walk that strip boi" but we were like nah and i was like nah bro imma walk on my broken leg. So like yo lemme tell you a story... we walked a total of 11 miles on the coldest day of the year to find a deer that didn't even wanna hang w us. Oh and i found a pokeball bc gotta catch em all, too bad i couldn't catch the deer. then i had to drive myself to the hospital bc m'gurl don't got that license, that shit hurt. Pay my medical bills @town of berlin. THIS IS A DIRECT CALLOUT POST! read more

Not for beginners. With some experience the hike is challenging but not blister-inducing. The vista is worth the 3 hour round trip hike, but may take up to 4 hours if you are inexperienced. read more

It was ok. Trails not greatly marked. I followed one trail, then another unmarked trail which had me concerned. Made it out just fine, no problems. But was concerned that I'd get lost at some point. The other thing was, it is definitely called " ragged" for a reason, I don't think I had a smooth hiking trail the entire time. I just kept tripping and stumbling over rocks and roots. My toes are killing me after that. And I wear Keens. It gave me a good workout though. Terrain just real sucky. read more