Best hikes in Cockaponset State Forest
Ambleway maps 80 hikes in Cockaponset State Forest, from a 1.9-mile walk to a 16-mile day out. 74 of them score as wild, staying clear of roads and development for most of the route; the wildest is Millers Pond & YMCA Pond. The biggest climb is Bear Rock–Bear Rock Pond, 9 sights, gaining 1,283 ft, and the network tops out at 675 ft.
- Fire Pond & Goulds Pond 1.9 mi · ▲ 135 ft
- East Woods Connector–East Woods Trail, 3 sights 1.9 mi · ▲ 245 ft
- Shailer Pond via Pine Ledge Road 1.9 mi · ▲ 83 ft
- Hazen Blue Trail & Hazen Red Trail 1.9 mi · ▲ 140 ft
- Cedar Lake–Pattaconk Dam No 4, 4 sights 2.1 mi · ▲ 140 ft
- Race Hill Road 2.1 mi · ▲ 179 ft
- Sawmill Pond & Bunker Hill Road 2.1 mi · ▲ 173 ft
- Oktavec Pond & Pikepole Road 2.2 mi · ▲ 87 ft
- Goulds Pond–Fire Pool, 3 lakes 2.2 mi · ▲ 81 ft
- Spuce Ledge Road Loop 2.2 mi · ▲ 82 ft
- Chatfield Hollow State Park Beach & Chatfield Trail 2.3 mi · ▲ 363 ft
- CCC Firepool via Old County Road 2.3 mi · ▲ 178 ft
- Deer Lake & Chatfield Hollow State Park Beach 2.4 mi · ▲ 282 ft
- Cranberry Pond & Hoop Pole Hill Road via Pine Ledge Road 2.5 mi · ▲ 194 ft
- Bear Hill–Spiderweed Preserve Viewpoint, 3 summits 2.5 mi · ▲ 247 ft
- Old County Road 2.6 mi · ▲ 259 ft
- Cedar Swamp Road via Pine Ledge Road 2.7 mi · ▲ 195 ft
- Hackney Pond & Mottland Road 2.8 mi · ▲ 169 ft
- CCC Fire Pool 2.8 mi · ▲ 57 ft
- Cockaponset State Forest Viewpoint 2.8 mi · ▲ 141 ft
- Pattaconk Reservoir Loop via State Forest Road 2.9 mi · ▲ 310 ft
- YMCA Pond 2.9 mi · ▲ 370 ft
- Indian Cave via Yellow White cross trail 2.9 mi · ▲ 206 ft
- Mottland Road 2.9 mi · ▲ 312 ft
- Jericho Road Loop via Filley Road 3 mi · ▲ 172 ft
- Messerschmidt Pond & Horse Pond 3 mi · ▲ 141 ft
- Fire Pool & Lost Pond 3.1 mi · ▲ 113 ft
- Cascade–Lost Lake, 3 viewpoints 3.1 mi · ▲ 234 ft
- Lost Lake–Cockaponset State Forest Viewpoint, 3 lakes 3.1 mi · ▲ 288 ft
- Coginchaug Cave 3.2 mi · ▲ 459 ft
- Horse Pond & Tower Hill Road 3.2 mi · ▲ 196 ft
- Turkey Hill Reservoir Loop via Filley Road 3.2 mi · ▲ 262 ft
- Meeting House Road 3.2 mi · ▲ 239 ft
- Millers Pond & YMCA Pond 3.2 mi · ▲ 305 ft
- Jericho Road Loop 3.3 mi · ▲ 371 ft
- Indian Hill–Asylum Reservoir Number 1, 3 lakes 3.4 mi · ▲ 287 ft
- Hazen Red Trail 3.5 mi · ▲ 345 ft
- Champlin Trail 3.6 mi · ▲ 514 ft
- Tower Hill Lake & Horse Pond 3.8 mi · ▲ 224 ft
- Quonnipaug Lake & New England Trail 4 mi · ▲ 297 ft
- Old Harvey Road 4.1 mi · ▲ 340 ft
- CCC Firepool via Pine Ledge Road 4.1 mi · ▲ 384 ft
- Pine Ledge & CCC Firepool via Pine Ledge Road 4.3 mi · ▲ 492 ft
- Oxbow Road 4.4 mi · ▲ 561 ft
- Waterhouse Pond 4.4 mi · ▲ 338 ft
- Upper Guilford Lake & New England Trail 4.6 mi · ▲ 258 ft
- Photo Pond 4.7 mi · ▲ 525 ft
- The Darkside 4.7 mi · ▲ 565 ft
- Pattaconk Dam No 4–Hazen Red Trail, 3 sights 4.9 mi · ▲ 368 ft
- Pratt Read Reservoir via Pine Ledge Road 4.9 mi · ▲ 495 ft
- Meeting House Road Loop via Old Ponsett Road 5.3 mi · ▲ 545 ft
- Stannard Pond–Beyond Thunderdome, 5 sights 5.9 mi · ▲ 713 ft
- Butter Jones Road 6 mi · ▲ 192 ft
- Kelsey Town Road 6.3 mi · ▲ 220 ft
- Stannard Pond–Dirt Church, 5 sights 6.5 mi · ▲ 822 ft
- East Woods Viewpoint–Chatfield Hollow State Park Beach, 5 sights 7.3 mi · ▲ 1,071 ft
- Guilford Sportsmens Club Pond–County Road, 3 sights 7.4 mi · ▲ 462 ft
- Dodge Dump Truck & New England Trail 9.7 mi · ▲ 560 ft
- Horse Hill Woods Open Space Viewpoint 9.7 mi · ▲ 513 ft
- Mount Pisgah–New England Viewpoint, 3 viewpoints 10.3 mi · ▲ 1,043 ft