Box Mountain Forest Viewpoint–Bolton Notch Pond, 4 sights is a 15.7-mile out-and-back in Hop River State Park Trail near Andover, CT. The route passes Bolton Notch Pond before reaching Box Mountain Forest Viewpoint at the turnaround, 7.9 miles in. It climbs 747 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade, and is mostly gravel. It scores 1/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Box Mountain Forest Viewpoint–Bolton Notch Pond, 4 sights
15.7 mi · ▲ 747 ft · 5 hr 36 min
Elevation 314–755 ft
Out & Back · Hop River State Park Trail
Trailhead: 41.72980, -72.37021
Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 80°F / low 63° · precip 0% · wind 4 mph · sunrise 5:47 AM · sunset 8:05 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 0.3 miBear right onto MTB Orange, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 400 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 0.2 miSharp left onto Hop River State Park Trail, heading E.
- 6 miContinue straight onto Hop River Connector, heading N.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Hop River State Park Trail, heading N.
- 0.3 miPass Bolton Notch Pond.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading NW.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 400 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.1 miReach Box Mountain Forest Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 400 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 150 ftBear left, heading S.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Hop River Connector, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Hop River State Park Trail, heading S.
- 6 miSharp right, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
- 400 ftTurn left onto MTB Orange, heading E.
- 350 ftBear left, heading E.
- 300 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 0.5 mi in (~14 min). Leave by 7:32 PM for the 8:05 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:33 PM — 3 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Johnson Pond & MTB Orange via Hop River State Park Trail 11.5 mi · ▲ 505 ft
- Solution Cave & MTB Orange via Hop River State Park Trail 14 mi · ▲ 506 ft
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