Bear Rock & Bear Rock Pond via New England Trail
9 mi · ▲ 823 ft · 3 hr 25 min
Bear Rock & Bear Rock Pond via New England Trail is a 9-mile out-and-back in Cockaponset State Forest near Durham Center, CT. The route passes Bear Rock Pond before reaching Bear Rock at the turnaround, 4.5 miles in. It climbs 823 ft. It scores 33/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Bear Rock & Bear Rock Pond via New England Trail
9 mi · ▲ 823 ft · 3 hr 25 min
Elevation 333–596 ft
Out & Back · Cockaponset State Forest
Trailhead: Cream Pot Road · 41.44396, -72.67656
Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 80°F / low 64° · precip 0% · wind 4 mph · sunrise 5:49 AM · sunset 8:06 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Cream Pot Road, heading SE.
- 450 ftContinue straight onto Northern Exposure, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 250 ftBear right, heading N.
- 350 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto New England Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftSharp right onto Northern Exposure, heading SE.
- 50 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto New England Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftSharp left, heading S.
- 50 ftBear right, heading S.
- 450 ftTurn left onto Cream Pot Road, heading SE.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto New England Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Cream Pot Road, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto New England Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftBear right onto Cream Pot Road, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Dead Hill Road, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 200 ftTurn right onto Poole Road, heading SW.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto New England Trail, heading E.
- 1.2 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 1 miTurn right, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading NE.
- 1.4 miPass Bear Rock Pond.
- 0.2 miSharp right onto Bear Rock Bypass, heading N.
- 150 ftReach Bear Rock, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 150 ftSharp left, heading N.
- 1.6 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 1 miTurn left onto New England Trail, heading S.
- 1.2 miContinue straight onto Poole Road, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading S.
- 200 ftTurn right onto Dead Hill Road, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Cream Pot Road, heading S.
- 50 ftBear left onto New England Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Cream Pot Road, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto New England Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Cream Pot Road, heading S.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 450 ftBear left onto New England Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.1 miBear left onto Northern Exposure, heading SW.
- 50 ftSharp left onto New England Trail, heading SW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Northern Exposure, heading SW.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Cream Pot Road, heading NW.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.3 mi in (~89 min). Leave by 6:17 PM for the 8:06 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:48 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Cream Pot Road Trailhead
- Pyramid Rock–Whitney Pond, 4 sights 1.2 mi · ▲ 150 ft
- Selectmen's Stones–Pyramid Rock Loop, 5 rocks 1.3 mi · ▲ 117 ft
- Old Crooked Hill Road & Whitney Road via Eratica 3 mi · ▲ 234 ft
- Glacial Erratic–Dave Houston Trail, 3 sights 3.2 mi · ▲ 261 ft
- Crooked Hill Road–New England Trail, 3 sights 3.6 mi · ▲ 341 ft
- Bridle Loop–Lone Pine Trail, 4 sights 4.7 mi · ▲ 635 ft
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