[Leilani Vasquez]

I've recently developed a liking for hiking and walking. This is due to the fact that I'm getting a little older and wish to acquire some different hobbies.

I took the kids to Penwood State Park Sunday and did their loop walk. I guess I'm a little out of shape because almost every muscle in my body is aching today. It felt good though!

I'd like to venture out a little more. Does anyone know of any good hikes in CT and Western Mass that I can take advantage of? Some of the websites I found were a little vague.

[Snowman27]

Liliana, good for you! I wish I had time or energy to do that everyday or every week for that matter! I just did 1 mile with my dog but it's not the same as hiking a nice mountain.

Here's some links that might be helpfull. Let me know if you hike any of them and if you need a partner.

Bear Mountain Preplanned Hike

Department of Conservation and Recreation - It's Your Nature

The New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation

[JViello]

Leilani, check out Shenipsit state Park (Soapstone MT) in Tolland (?).

Close to MA, easy to get to, not to hard, not too soft, great reward at the top.



DEP: Connecticut State Forests

[7 Wishes]

You may want to try a hobby called geocaching. People hide little boxes with trinkets, usually in the woods along hiking trails and post the latitude/longitude coordinates on a website called www.geocaching.com. You then plug those coordinates into a GPS (a "hiking" GPS, you can buy them for as little as $100 and used ones sometimes for less on eBay) and have it navigate you to find the box, where you sign a log saying you were there and trade trinkets (usually "dollar store" items, not all people trade).

It sounds like a silly game, but the real reward is it can take you to parks you never knew of before (and to parts of parks you never knew of either). And the "trinket" aspect really turns kids (especially smaller kids) on to nature and the outdoors. Connecticut has a LOT of caches in all parts of the state (I found several today when it wasn't raining on a drive from Westchester County, NY to Hartford).

[UnschoolerinCT]

Originally Posted by Leilani Vasquez

I've recently developed a liking for hiking and walking. This is due to the fact that I'm getting a little older and wish to acquire some different hobbies.

I took the kids to Penwood State Park Sunday and did their loop walk. I guess I'm a little out of shape because almost every muscle in my body is aching today. It felt good though!

I'd like to venture out a little more. Does anyone know of any good hikes in CT and Western Mass that I can take advantage of? Some of the websites I found were a little vague.

My favorite place is White Memorial in Litchfield/Morris, 4000 acres of beauty. It is a private foundation and open to the public, free of charge. Peoples State Forest in Barkhamsted and Enders State Forest in West Granby have nice hiking trails too. Jones Mountain in New Hartford is 160 acres of town-owned property and gorgeous. I could go on and on about the lovely hiking in CT. What a beautiful state!!

[MikefromCT]

You know what? You should check out Talcott Mountain in Simsbury - It's a state park and it's a hidden gem. First time I went there was last October, which was a great time to go because once at the top you hike a little further and you can climb the Heublein Tower - awesome panoramic views of Farmington Valley and Hartford and the 'burbs. Definitely check it out. When I went in the fall it was during the fall foliage - it was a postcard. It's free of charge, too.

This might also be of some use to you as well : Connecticut State Parks

[Leilani Vasquez]

Originally Posted by Nature27

Liliana, good for you! I wish I had time or energy to do that everyday or every week for that matter! I just did 1 mile with my dog but it's not the same as hiking a nice mountain.

Here's some links that might be helpfull. Let me know if you hike any of them and if you need a partner.

Bear Mountain Preplanned Hike

Department of Conservation and Recreation - It's Your Nature

The New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation

Thanks for the links! The Mount Greylock one in MA looks impressive!

[Leilani Vasquez]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

You know what? You should check out Talcott Mountain in Simsbury - It's a state park and it's a hidden gem. First time I went there was last October, which was a great time to go because once at the top you hike a little further and you can climb the Heublein Tower - awesome panoramic views of Farmington Valley and Hartford and the 'burbs. Definitely check it out. When I went in the fall it was during the fall foliage - it was a postcard. It's free of charge, too.

This might also be of some use to you as well : Connecticut State Parks

When my kids were younger, we walked this every year when the season peaked in foliage.

[andthentherewere3]

Originally Posted by 7 Wishes

You may want to try a hobby called geocaching. People hide little boxes with trinkets, usually in the woods along hiking trails and post the latitude/longitude coordinates on a website called www.geocaching.com. You then plug those coordinates into a GPS (a "hiking" GPS, you can buy them for as little as $100 and used ones sometimes for less on eBay) and have it navigate you to find the box, where you sign a log saying you were there and trade trinkets (usually "dollar store" items, not all people trade).

It sounds like a silly game, but the real reward is it can take you to parks you never knew of before (and to parts of parks you never knew of either). And the "trinket" aspect really turns kids (especially smaller kids) on to nature and the outdoors. Connecticut has a LOT of caches in all parts of the state (I found several today when it wasn't raining on a drive from Westchester County, NY to Hartford).

If you don't want to go to the expense of a GPS, you could also try "letterboxing", which is basically the same thing, but instead you are given clues to find the "treasure". We had great fun geocaching with my two youngest kids, but then my dh lost interest and I couldn't figure out how to use the GPS.
Letterboxing North America

[Leilani Vasquez]

Originally Posted by andthentherewere3

If you don't want to go to the expense of a GPS, you could also try "letterboxing", which is basically the same thing, but instead you are given clues to find the "treasure". We had great fun geocaching with my two youngest kids, but then my dh lost interest and I couldn't figure out how to use the GPS.
Letterboxing North America

That looks like it's a lot of fun. I have also heard of "moon hikes" on the nights there are full moons.