Talcott Mountain State Park

Today I hiked up to Heublein Tower located in Talcott Mountain State Park in Simsbury Connecticut. The hike is a short one, it's only about 30 minutes up to the tower, but it is certainly worth a visit if you are in the area.  As the name suggests, the Tower Trail brings you directly to Heublein Tower.  It also produces many breathtaking views as it follows the cliff-line to the tower.

     
About two-thirds of the way up to the tower, there is a large clearing where if you are lucky, you can witness someone taking off to go hang gliding. Once you get to the top, you will come across the 165 ft tall Heublein Tower.  The tower was built in the early 20th century in a traditional German style.  The tower is open to the public seasonally Thursday-Sunday.  It is certainly worth going on this hike when the tower is open, on a clear day you can see for hundreds of miles in any direction. There is also a small museum and several rooms on display outfitted with period artifacts.  

I would certainly recommend this trail for anyone looking for an easy hike that rewards you with a fantastic view.  The trail is rather steep in several areas so be aware of this if you are hiking with young children or someone with limited mobility.

More information about this hike can be found here at the CT DEEP website:
       http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325272