Talcott Mountain State Park

CT State Parks and Forests Main Page Park Location Route 185

Simsbury

(Directions) Park Contact Information Talcott Mountain

State Park

c/o Penwood State Park

57 Gun Mill Road

Bloomfield, CT 06002 (860) 242-1158     ACCESSIBILITY This park is not handicapped accessible. HOURS: The park is open from 8 am to sunset. Heublein Tower Open Thursday - Sunday through Labor Day weekend. Open Tuesday - Sunday during fall foliage season.   Seasonal hours vary. Please call the State Parks Division (860-424-3200) for the most current information. PETS: Pets on a leash are permitted in picnic areas and on hiking trails. STATE PARKS CONTACT INFORMATION: Email: deep.stateparks@ct.gov  Telephone: (860) 424-3200 Fax: (860) 424-4070   Talcott Mountain

State Park

Simsbury The Heublein Tower awaits hikers at the top of the mountain.   Activities Facilities Directions Maps Overview Activities Hiking Picnicking Observation Tower (seasonal) Vista Historic Building and Museum     Tours offered Thursday-Sunday (Seasonal).  Tour hours posted at Heublein Tower.   Hiking The Tower Trail is 1.25 miles long; a walk to the Tower takes approximately 30 - 40 minutes. Also running through the park is a section of the Metacomet Trail, developed and maintained with volunteer assistance by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association. For information on volunteering for trail activities throughout the state contact: Connecticut Forest and Park Association. Heublein Tower Heublein Tower historic home and museum is accessible by walking trail only. The trail is 1.25 miles long.   Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend, the museum is open Thursday through Sunday only.

  Labor Day Weekend through October 31st the museum is open Tuesday through Sunday.

Museum hours are 10 am to 5 pm. Pets, food, drink, and walking sticks are not allowed in the museum.

Groups larger than 20 visiting the museum are asked to call the park office at 860-242-1158 to make arrangements in advance. Picnic tables, grills, bathrooms, and water are available on the grounds.

Trash containers are not provided, please carry out what you have carried in. Facilities Bathrooms, Picnic Shelter

Talcott Mountain State Park, Simsbury Directions If using GPS: Parking is located on Summit Ridge Dr. Simsbury, CT 06070   From I-91 North or South: Take Exit 35B, which is the Bloomfield Route 218 exit. This road is also known as Cottage Grove Road. Follow Cottage Grove Road heading west until you hit Route 185. Follow Route 185 heading for Simsbury. At the top of the hill, the entrance to Talcott Mountain State Park/Heublein Tower will be on your left. From I-84 East or West: Take the Route 44 Exit. Follow Route 44 heading west until you hit the intersection of Route 218. Take a right on Rte 218 and follow north until you hit Route 185 in Simsbury. Take a left on Route 185 heading for Simsbury. At the top of the hill, Talcott Mountain State Park/Heublein Tower is on your left. Fees   There is no parking fee at Talcott Mountain State Park.

State Park/Forest Fees  | Season and other Park Passes Maps Park Map, Printer Friendly Park Map, Georeferenced for use with Mobile Apps Overview The familiar Farmington River Valley landmark of Heublein Tower sits atop Talcott Mountain, a long, precipitous wooded ledge named after the Talcott family. The 165-foot structure was built as a summer home in 1914 by Gilbert Heublein. In the early fifties, two future presidents were guests of the Hartford Times, then General Dwight D. Eisenhower (who was asked to run for office there) and Ronald Reagan, then president of the Screen Actors' Guild.  Following a period of ownership of the property by the Hartford Times during WWII and the early 1950's, it was slated for residential development by a private corporation when the 557 acres of Talcott Mountain came under public ownership in 1965 through the cooperative efforts of private conservationists and state and federal governments. The 1,000-foot high promontory provides a splendid view of the Connecticut landscape. On the horizon, Mount Monadnock, eighty miles away in New Hampshire, is discernible. To the northwest, the Berkshires dominate the horizon. Long Island Sound is revealed as a thin blue streak to the south. Those with sharp vision can see an area estimated to be 1,200 square miles. Hikers may encounter a variety of wildlife including deer, fox and rabbits in this natural sanctuary. Bird watchers enjoy occasional sightings of the turkey vulture, bald eagle, and pileated woodpecker. During May, visitors find wildflowers such as trillium, trout lily, wood anemone, and Dutchman's breeches among the damp, craggy rocks. Tables, grills, and toilets are available for picnickers.   If you see a bear:  Enjoy it from a distance. Advertise your presence by shouting and waving your arms or walk slowly away. Never attempt to feed or attract bears.

  Report bear sightings to the Wildlife Division at (860) 675-8130.

  Video Tour of Talcott Mountain State Park (link to ?The Outdoor Enthusiast? - CT Public Broadcastings? Media Lab online project) Other Nearby State Recreation Areas Include: Penwood State Park, Bloomfield 

Location:  Route 185 across from the Talcott Mountain parking area 

Activities:  Picnicking, Hiking, Vista, Biking, Ski Touring

Charge: None Stratton Brook State Park, Simsbury 

Location:  2 miles west of Simsbury on Route 309 

Activities:  Biking, Fishing, Hiking, Picnicking, Swimming

Charge: Daily, in season Related Links Connecticut Tourism Information

Friends of Heublein Tower Content last updated July 19, 2016

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