The Hubbard Brook preserve in Middletown Connecticut includes the Scovill Loops trail and an out and back trail to a vista of the CT river.
This relatively small preserve on the shore of the Connecticut river is another popular spot on social media. We headed down on a late afternoon, there are only 2 miles of trails so we never felt pressed for time. We shared the park only with a bunch of fishermen, there was no one else actually hiking the trails, and by the time we finished the parking lot was empty.
The old abandoned train tracks that make this place popular are located right along the shore, but the southern loop officially does not walk on them. The northern loop uses them but crisscrosses them... you could explore the tracks entirely although they don't lead anywhere and eventually come to bridges full of holes. It makes for a very different hiking experience and some nice photos.
There is a small "Cascade" noted on the map online. It's about a ten foot long flat rock face with a sheet of water so I really struggle to call it a cascade... it's cute though?
The southern loop is much more of a swamp. There are some old mill ruins located here that are fairly sizeable and in decent condition. Trust me, you can't miss them either. If you look carefully at the beginning of the loop you can even find an old mill stone lying on the ground.
Both loops pass by some ponds and bodies of water. There are beavers living in both though we didn't see any. A large turtle escaped into the water as we approached one. I can see this place being good for wild life photography.
Located across the street from the parking lot is the out and back trail to a vista. This is a short .4 mile hike that is pretty steep. I hadn't seen anything about this online so I was surprised at how beautiful the view was. I have a feeling not many people come up here and that's a shame because this is the real highlight of the preserve for me. This is a must do!
Comments