Posted By auntie on October 3, 2016

4.12 miles; Danbury, CT

All done but one! And not for anything, but if this had been the first one of these hikes I had tried, I never would have gotten this far. This was a KILLER hike. A lot of elevation gain in a very short distance. My quads were screaming at me by the time I got back. But the view was… spectacular. So, worth it? Yeah, maybe…

Pretty Steep

Intrepid explorers that we are, it took us a bit of time to find the trailhead, and we also eventually figured out we were on the green trail, but there were no green blazes to be seen. The trail we were on was an old fire road partway up the hill from the “pond.” (More of a lake, really.) But it was with some trepidation that we were eyeballing the steep ridge to our left, because the second selfie site was an overlook. Ruh-roh…

Trail to Overlook

Sure enough, we found the blue dot trail leading to the overlook, and boy howdy was it ever a steep trail. There were spots along this hike where I was reduced to using “four points of contact” (hands and knees). And I was gasping for breath. I really need to find hillier places to hike in than my usual haunts!

Selfie Spot

Another Overlook

Okay, yeah, when I finally caught my breath again, the view was, you should pardon the expression, breathtaking—I guess the same could be said for the hike up here. The foliage is just starting to turn in Western Connecticut. The birches are already golden yellow and the swamp maples are on fire. But I mean, look at that view!

Fungus Shot

The return trip was uneventful. We looped back down to the green trail on a yellow-blazed trail that was another old road. There’s been a tiny bit of rain and there are mushrooms popping up here and there. These are maybe mycenas, but don’t quote me.

You can find out more about Squantz Pond State Park on the CT state website page, which includes a trail map.

Categories: CFPA Trails, Connecticut, Walks and Hikes
Tags: 5–7 miles, CT, Danbury CT