CFPA New England Trail Series: Castle Craig LbNA #69433
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Add Location| Owner: | CT Forest & Park Assoc  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Nov 1, 2015 |
| Location: | Peak Dr |
| City: | Meriden |
| County: | New Haven |
| State: | Connecticut |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | Trailhead Tessie |
|---|---|
| Last found: | May 24, 2021 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Nov 20, 2015 |
New England Trail Letterboxing Series: Castle Craig
Total Distance: Approximately 1 mile round-trip
Start at the Castle Craig parking area in Meriden, CT. Note: The road leading to the Castle Craig parking area is open between 10am and 4:45pm. It is closed at all times seasonally during the colder months. If the gate is closed, park and walk on the roadway to the gate at the southern tip of Merimere Reservoir (just past the water treatment facility). Turn left, through the gate and begin to follow the white blazes. When the white-blazed trail splits, turn right and hike the steep ascent towards the top of East Peak. As you get to the top you’ll intersect the blue-blazed New England Trail. Turn right onto the NET and follow the clues in the 5th paragraph below.
Google Maps Directions: https://goo.gl/8xZ2PS
The 8-part New England Trail Letterboxing Series was created by Connecticut’s oldest non-profit conservation organization, the Connecticut Forest & Park Association (CFPA). Grab your gear and get ready to experience one of America’s national scenic trails right here in your own backyard. Discover the rich natural and cultural features of this incredible trail. Enjoy this fun and adventurous learning quest! We challenge you to find all 8 in the series. To learn more, visit www.ctwoodlands.org.
Start at the parking lot adjacent to Castle Craig atop East Peak. East Peak, along with its neighboring ridgelines that form the so-called Hanging Hills, are composed of traprock. This rock was created during the time of the dinosaurs–200 million years ago–from lava flows when what is now North America and Africa split apart from one another. At an elevation of nearly 1000 feet above sea level, it is one of the highest points of land within 25 miles of the ocean in the eastern United States. Built in 1900 out of the same traprock, the construction of Castle Craig was financed by Walter Hubbard, namesake of Hubbard Park and a local industrialist and philanthropist. A staircase inside allows visitors to experience 360 degree views from the top.
From the Castle Craig parking area, head east on the blue-blazed Metacomet section of the New England Trail (NET). If you’re facing the tower, the trail is located off the left side of the road.
Be on the lookout for a small black dog but be wary, this is no ordinary pooch! Folk legend has it that the Hanging Hills are home to a supernatural black dog that leaves no footprints and makes no sound. Perhaps the first account of this phantom dog was written by geologist W.H.C. Pynchon and published in 1898 in the Connecticut Quarterly. Pynchon wrote that the dog caused the death of his partner on a geological investigation, and warned that “if a man shall meet the Black Dog once it shall be for joy; and if twice, it shall be for sorrow; and the third time he shall die.” Spooky!
Hiking eastward from the parking area, the trail enters the woods and drops down a short, rocky slope. Cross a white-blazed trail at the bottom and continue on the blue-blazed NET, hiking up a short, steep hill. At the top, walk to the right for a scenic overlook, the first of several you’ll encounter, and a great spot for a picnic if you so desire on your return. From this vantage point, enjoy sweeping views of southern central Connecticut. Look for the distinctive profile of Hamden’s Sleeping Giant, or the buildings of New Haven. On a clear day, the waters of Long Island Sound are visible. A pair of binoculars can be handy for observing the many details in the landscape before you.
Continue hiking east on the NET. You’ll pass several more lookouts and the trail will begin to descend. Onward, walk past another lookout, this one offering a glimpse of Merimere Reservoir. Constructed in 1869, Merimere Reservoir supplies drinking water to the city of Meriden, and is fed from the runoff from its surrounding ridges. Forest vegetation and soil are very effective at filtering pollutants, such as metals, excess nutrients, and sediment, from runoff and ground water, and the water is clean when it reaches the reservoir. While technological means can also provide clean drinking water, forest ecosystems provide this valuable service for free. Yet another reason to conserve forestlands!
The trail will descend, then pass up and over one rocky outcropping, and then another. This last outcrop features a sheer 20 foot vertical rock face to the right of the trail.
At this point you’ll arrive at a scenic vista directly above Merimere Reservoir. You’re close now. Continue on, walking just past the last lookout at the edge of the cliff. The trail trends slightly uphill and over some exposed rocks. See a blue arrow pointing upwards on one of the rocks. Look to your right. Find a “two-sister tree” (two trunks) with two blue blazes indicating a left turn. Look behind the tree. The letterbox is hidden under some small logs and rocks. Enjoy and hide well when finished. Simply retrace your steps to return to the trailhead.
Hike length: 1 mile
Total Distance: Approximately 1 mile round-trip
Start at the Castle Craig parking area in Meriden, CT. Note: The road leading to the Castle Craig parking area is open between 10am and 4:45pm. It is closed at all times seasonally during the colder months. If the gate is closed, park and walk on the roadway to the gate at the southern tip of Merimere Reservoir (just past the water treatment facility). Turn left, through the gate and begin to follow the white blazes. When the white-blazed trail splits, turn right and hike the steep ascent towards the top of East Peak. As you get to the top you’ll intersect the blue-blazed New England Trail. Turn right onto the NET and follow the clues in the 5th paragraph below.
Google Maps Directions: https://goo.gl/8xZ2PS
The 8-part New England Trail Letterboxing Series was created by Connecticut’s oldest non-profit conservation organization, the Connecticut Forest & Park Association (CFPA). Grab your gear and get ready to experience one of America’s national scenic trails right here in your own backyard. Discover the rich natural and cultural features of this incredible trail. Enjoy this fun and adventurous learning quest! We challenge you to find all 8 in the series. To learn more, visit www.ctwoodlands.org.
Start at the parking lot adjacent to Castle Craig atop East Peak. East Peak, along with its neighboring ridgelines that form the so-called Hanging Hills, are composed of traprock. This rock was created during the time of the dinosaurs–200 million years ago–from lava flows when what is now North America and Africa split apart from one another. At an elevation of nearly 1000 feet above sea level, it is one of the highest points of land within 25 miles of the ocean in the eastern United States. Built in 1900 out of the same traprock, the construction of Castle Craig was financed by Walter Hubbard, namesake of Hubbard Park and a local industrialist and philanthropist. A staircase inside allows visitors to experience 360 degree views from the top.
From the Castle Craig parking area, head east on the blue-blazed Metacomet section of the New England Trail (NET). If you’re facing the tower, the trail is located off the left side of the road.
Be on the lookout for a small black dog but be wary, this is no ordinary pooch! Folk legend has it that the Hanging Hills are home to a supernatural black dog that leaves no footprints and makes no sound. Perhaps the first account of this phantom dog was written by geologist W.H.C. Pynchon and published in 1898 in the Connecticut Quarterly. Pynchon wrote that the dog caused the death of his partner on a geological investigation, and warned that “if a man shall meet the Black Dog once it shall be for joy; and if twice, it shall be for sorrow; and the third time he shall die.” Spooky!
Hiking eastward from the parking area, the trail enters the woods and drops down a short, rocky slope. Cross a white-blazed trail at the bottom and continue on the blue-blazed NET, hiking up a short, steep hill. At the top, walk to the right for a scenic overlook, the first of several you’ll encounter, and a great spot for a picnic if you so desire on your return. From this vantage point, enjoy sweeping views of southern central Connecticut. Look for the distinctive profile of Hamden’s Sleeping Giant, or the buildings of New Haven. On a clear day, the waters of Long Island Sound are visible. A pair of binoculars can be handy for observing the many details in the landscape before you.
Continue hiking east on the NET. You’ll pass several more lookouts and the trail will begin to descend. Onward, walk past another lookout, this one offering a glimpse of Merimere Reservoir. Constructed in 1869, Merimere Reservoir supplies drinking water to the city of Meriden, and is fed from the runoff from its surrounding ridges. Forest vegetation and soil are very effective at filtering pollutants, such as metals, excess nutrients, and sediment, from runoff and ground water, and the water is clean when it reaches the reservoir. While technological means can also provide clean drinking water, forest ecosystems provide this valuable service for free. Yet another reason to conserve forestlands!
The trail will descend, then pass up and over one rocky outcropping, and then another. This last outcrop features a sheer 20 foot vertical rock face to the right of the trail.
At this point you’ll arrive at a scenic vista directly above Merimere Reservoir. You’re close now. Continue on, walking just past the last lookout at the edge of the cliff. The trail trends slightly uphill and over some exposed rocks. See a blue arrow pointing upwards on one of the rocks. Look to your right. Find a “two-sister tree” (two trunks) with two blue blazes indicating a left turn. Look behind the tree. The letterbox is hidden under some small logs and rocks. Enjoy and hide well when finished. Simply retrace your steps to return to the trailhead.
Hike length: 1 mile