Metacomet Trail

The Metacomet Trail north section from Talcott Mountain traverses the rugged upper Metacomet Ridge through one of the longest unbroken basalt cliff lines in Connecticut, following the blue-blazed long-distance footpath that extends 51 miles through the Connecticut River Valley from Meriden to the Massachusetts border. This section north of Heublein Tower leaves the tourist crowds behind almost immediately, climbing through dense chestnut oak scrub onto a narrow, exposed ridge where the basalt columns drop vertically 200 to 300 feet to the east while the western slope descends more gradually into the Farmington Valley. The cliff edge walking is technically demanding on wet or icy surfaces; the basalt becomes treacherously slick when frost-covered or rain-soaked. In compensation, the views are continuous and spectacular: north toward Granby and the Massachusetts highlands, west across the Farmington Valley to the Litchfield Hills, and south down the ridge toward Heublein Tower and the Hartford skyline. The trail passes through several areas of exposed basalt pavement where the sparse vegetation—stunted pitch pines, reindeer lichen, and prickly pear cactus—creates a near-tundra appearance more typical of northern latitudes. Timber rattlesnakes inhabit the warm, south-facing cliff faces and rock outcrops; hikers should watch their step carefully, particularly when scrambling over ledges in warm months.