Talcott Mountain State Park

A Traprock Ridge Above The Farmington Valley Carrying Heublein Tower, A 165 Foot Private Observation Tower Built In 1914 And Now State Owned; On A Clear Day The View Reaches Into Four States · Simsbury, Connecticut

Talcott Mountain is a traprock ridge running north from Hartford above the Farmington valley, and on the top of it Gilbert Heublein - the food and drink importer whose firm gave the world the pre-mixed cocktail and later owned Smirnoff - built himself a 165-foot tower in 1914, reportedly because he had promised his wife a castle on the hill while they were courting. It is a white Bavarian-looking thing visible for miles across the valley, and the state has owned it since 1965. A mile and a quarter of ridge trail climbs to it from the car park through traprock woods with a long drop on the western side, and the view from the top on a clear day takes in the Farmington valley, Hartford and, it is claimed, four states. Hawk migration crosses the ridge every autumn, and counters work the ridge through September and October. The park is open free all year with no parking charge, which is unusual for Connecticut; the tower keeps a much shorter season and a much shorter week than the park around it, so check before making the climb the reason for the trip.

Summit Ridge Drive, Simsbury, Simsbury, Connecticut, 06070, United States

The park, the car park and the ridge trail are open all year from 8am to sunset, free. HEUBLEIN TOWER IS SEASONAL and keeps a much shorter and more restricted schedule than the park - generally late spring to late autumn, often Thursday to Sunday, with some additional weekend opening at either end and closed entirely for the winter. The trail to it is walkable whenever the park is open, tower or no tower.

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