Talcott Mountain State Park — Attraction in Simsbury

The views are breathtaking, the hike a bit pedestrian, pun intended, as the initial stage is a long wide slog uphill without much to captivate interest visually and an awful lot of people sharing the path if you go on a weekend. Plus, the parking is comically bad, as there's no lot and only areas of grass to pull onto. Problem is, you don't want to pull all the way onto these strips of turf, because they're all heavily inclined. So if someone parks a little ahead of you, you need to hope against hope that your wheels gain traction once you put it in reverse to gain some clearance space, or you'll roll into the vehicle ahead of you. So this is where the "comical" part comes in. Everyone parks one wheel on the grass, to stay safely off the road, and the other on the pavement, with a curb in between. Hard to fathom how such an attraction -- and a state park at that -- was devised with such Mickey Mouse parking available. The only plausible explanation is that the cultivation of the park predates the Model T.

About the hike then . . . After the long, uninteresting climb, you reach a plateau, which stretches right out to the edge of the ridge overlooking vast swaths of central Connecticut. The trail at times presses right up against the very sheer drop. On very windswept days, you will consider whether you'll be swept up from the valley below. These spectacular views go on for about 15 minutes of hiking whereupon you come to the park's great manmade attraction: Heublein Tower., which, if you've ever played Tower Ridge Country Club, you'll recognize as that sole, haunting structure perched above you throughout the layout.

It wasn't yet open to the public at this early time of year, so I can't report on the difficulty of ascending to its belfry, but you'd be batty not to investigate once it does open.

In the final analysis, very recommended hike. The elevation changes will likely astonish strangers to the state of Connecticut, but in their own way, they are as dramatic as any you'll see elsewhere in the country, once you allow for scale, as the drop-offs are truly terrifying and the vistas quite magnificent, since you're way farther in the air than anything around you for...

A park with a spectacular view!

Talcott Mountain State Park is a 574-acre park located in Simsbury. Parking was spacious. The trail to the Heublein Tower is 1.25-miles long. The Tower can be seen from various parts of the state. It's a beautiful, white, 165-foot high tower with 360 degrees view.

The trail was wide and on gravel. There was recent heavy rains so some of the trails had some washout. The hike was mostly up hill with some flat areas; I'd say it's moderate but it was a little bit more challenging for me because I was baby-wearing my child. My toddler did great on it. There were a couple of benches and logs to sit on along the way; pet waste receptacles were seen. My only qualm were the bugs, so don't forget bug spray like we did.

Once we got to the top, there were a couple of porta potties and a kiosk. The view of the tower up close was exhilarating, so much history. There was an informational movie on in the garage with benches. There was a huge picnic pavilion and picnic tables throughout; a giant BBQ pit and another small one.

The Heublein Tower was beautiful and built in 1914; it can withstand 100-mph winds. The staircases going up and down were meant to be one way; this was a great way to reduce pedestrian congestion and a fire hazard. There were historic relics and rooms decorated the way it was back in the day. Informational signage throughout the space. The tower used to be the summer home for Gilbert Heublein; a successful businessman whose company acquired Smirnoff Vodka and A1 Steak Sauce.

The view from the ballroom was amazing and breathtaking. They had signs showing what we can see based on the direction. The hike back down the trail was easier, becareful though, some of the gravel were slippery and I saw a kid fall. Overall, a great hike and the view...

If you are here for the hike, you will definitely love the 40-45 minutes walk to the Heublein tower. First half mile is steep and the next 1.5 miles is flat with amazing hilltop views. Quick important informations before you go- Outhouse toilet is there at the beginning of the trail but it smells really bad. So, plan it accordingly. However, You will get a decent toilet only once you reach to the Heublein tower. There’s an awesome 360 view at the top of the Heublein tower. And the tower is open only Friday to Monday 10 AM to 4 PM. Parking is free to CT vehicles only. So, pay online if you of out of CT vehicle. Set the GPS for Talcott mountain parking, not the Heublein. To me, difficult with kids and Overall, 5 Stars for the hike to the Heublein Tower. We really had good time. But , lack of proper parking area and restrooms forced me to take...