Sunday, October 15, 2006 at 1:00PM
We will start our hike by meeting at the largest tree in Connecticut,
the Pinchot Sycamore. It will literally take 10 – 12 children holding
hands stretching as far as they can to reach all the way around this
tree. Bring your cameras!
After visiting the tree, we will drive a mile up the road to the
entrance to Talcott Mountain State Park. The hike is not far, but there
is a fairly steep grade in several places. Erich had no problems making
it as a 5 year old, and I have seen younger children on the trail. We
will linger at the Heublein Tower as long as people want to, there will
be plenty of time for a picnic lunch. I expect us to be back in our
vehicles between 3:00 and 3:30 PM.
IMPORTANT: There are public bathrooms available at Heublein
Tower. There are not any trash receptacles at Heublein Tower. Plan on
carrying out what you bring in.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.dep.state.ct.us/stateparks/parks/talcott.htm
http://www.friendsofheubleintower.org
Past trip photo gallery
The Tower Trail is 1.25 miles long, a walk to the Tower takes
approximately 30 - 40 minutes. Also running through the park is a
section of the Metacomet Trail, developed and maintained with volunteer
assistance by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association. For
information on volunteering for trail activities throughout the state
contact: Connecticut Forest and Park Association, 16 Meriden Road,
Middlefield, CT 06457; Telephone: (203) 346-2372.
DIRECTIONS:
From I-91 North or South: take Exit 35B, which is the Bloomfield
Route 218 exit. This road is also known as Cottage Grove Road. Follow
Cottage Grove Road heading west until you hit Route 185. Follow Route
185 heading for Simsbury. At the top of the hill, the entrance to
Talcott Mountain State Park/Heublein Tower will be on your left.
Continue down the hill until you see a traffic light – about one (1)
mile. On your right, just before the light, there is the entrance to the
parking area for the Pinchot Sycamore. If you go past the light (and
onto the bridge over the river) you have gone too far.
From I-84 East or West: take the Route 44 West Exit in Hartford.
Follow Route 44 heading west until you hit the junction of Routes 10 and
202 in the town of Avon. Follow Route 10 north until you hit Route 185
in Simsbury. Follow Route 185 heading for Bloomfield. After you cross
the Farmington River you will come to a traffic light. Immediately after
the light, on your left, will be the entrance to the parking area for
the Pinchot Sycamore. If you start going up a hill, you have gone too
far.
At the top of the hill, Talcott Mountain State Park/Heublein Tower is on
your right.
HISTORY:
The familiar Farmington River Valley landmark of Heublein Tower sits
atop Talcott Mountain, a long, precipitous wooded ledge named after the
Talcott family. The 165-foot structure was built as a summer home in
1914 by Gilbert Heublein. In the early fifties, two future presidents
were guests of the Hartford Times, then General Dwight D. Eisenhower
(who was asked to run for office there) and Ronald Reagan, then
president of the Screen Actors' Guild. Following a period of ownership
of the property by the Hartford Times during WWII and the early 1950's,
it was slated for residential development by a private corporation when
the 557 acres of Talcott Mountain came under public ownership in 1965
through the cooperative efforts of private conservationists and state
and federal governments. The 1,000-foot high promontory provides a
splendid view of the Connecticut landscape. On the horizon, Mount
Monadnock, eighty miles away in New Hampshire, is discernible. To the
northwest, the Berkshires dominate the horizon. Long Island Sound is
revealed as a thin blue streak to the south. Those with sharp vision can
see an area estimated to be 1,200 square miles. Hikers may encounter a
variety of wildlife including deer, fox and rabbits in this natural
sanctuary. Bird watchers enjoy occasional sightings of the turkey
vulture, bald eagle, and pileated woodpecker. During May, visitors find
wildflowers such as trillium, trout lily, wood anemone, and Dutchman's
breeches among the damp, craggy rocks. Tables, grills, and toilets are
available for picnickers.
THE GIFFORD PINCHOT SYCAMORE:
The Gifford Pinchot Sycamore, the largest tree of its species in New
England, stands in Simsbury, Connecticut, in honor of one of America's
leading advocates for environmental conservation. Pinchot, who lived
from 1865 to 1964, was a native of Simsbury and a long-time friend of
Theodore Roosevelt. When Teddy Roosevelt became President, he turned to
Pinchot, first chief of the US Forest Service and President of American
Forests, to outline a plan for the protection of the nation's forest
lands. Pinchot convinced Roosevelt that these lands would best be
protected under the Department of Agriculture, whose administration was
staffed by professionals.
Questions?:
Contact
PackTrip@pack96.org
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