Hop River State Park Trail, Talcottville CT.jpg
John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0

Carriage Viewpoint–Bolton Notch Pond, 7 lakes is a 16.1-mile out-and-back in Hop River State Park Trail near Talcottville, CT. The route passes Talcottville Pond, Valley Falls Park Beach, Bolton Notch Pond and 3 more before reaching Carriage Viewpoint at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It climbs 1,427 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade. It scores 13/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi207 – 722 ft · steepest grade: 16%18.7 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Hop River Connector 41.82195, -72.49796
Nearest town Talcottville, CT

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Carriage Viewpoint–Bolton Notch Pond, 7 lakes

16.1 mi · ▲ 1,427 ft · 6 hr 5 min

Elevation 208–723 ft

Out & Back · Hop River State Park Trail

Trailhead: Hop River Connector · 41.82195, -72.49796

Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:36 AM · sunset 6:53 PM

Transit-accessible: stop 592 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Hop River Connector, heading E.
  2. 50 ftPass Talcottville Pond.
  3. 0.2 miTurn left onto Hop River Linear Park, heading NE.
  4. 2.5 miPass Valley Falls Park Beach.
  5. 150 ftTurn right, heading S.
  6. 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  7. 0.2 miTurn left, heading S.
  8. 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  9. 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  10. 350 ftBear left, heading S.
  11. 50 ftBear left, heading S.
  12. 0.7 miTurn right, heading S.
  13. 100 ftTurn left, heading S.
  14. 0.2 miBear left, heading W.
  15. 0.6 miTurn right, heading S.
  16. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  17. 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
  18. 400 ftTurn right, heading S.
  19. 0.2 miPass Bolton Notch Pond.
  20. 400 ftBear left, heading S.
  21. 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
  22. 200 ftPass Bolton Notch State Park Viewpoint.
  23. 450 ftSharp left, heading SE.
  24. 250 ftTurn right, heading S.
  25. 100 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  26. 0.2 miTurn left onto Charter Oak Greenway, heading SW.
  27. 1.8 miTurn right, heading SW.
  28. 0.2 miPass Upper Case Pond.
  29. 450 ftSharp right, heading SW.
  30. 50 ftBear left, heading W.
  31. 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
  32. 0.1 miTurn left onto Carriage Path, heading SW.
  33. 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  34. 250 ftPass Cases Machine Shop Pond.
  35. 0.1 miSharp right, heading SW.
  36. 50 ftBear right, heading SW.
  37. 50 ftBear right, heading SW.
  38. 0.3 miPass Carriage Viewpoint.
  39. 0.2 miReach Carriage Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  40. 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  41. 0.3 miTurn right, heading NW.
  42. 0.2 miTurn right, heading W.
  43. 150 ftTurn right, heading S.
  44. 100 ftBear left, heading SW.
  45. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  46. 50 ftSharp left, heading S.
  47. 0.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
  48. 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
  49. 50 ftBear right onto Charter Oak Greenway, heading S.
  50. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  51. 0.3 miTurn right, heading N.
  52. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  53. 1.8 miTurn right, heading NE.
  54. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NE.
  55. 100 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  56. 250 ftSharp right, heading NE.
  57. 0.1 miBear right, heading NE.
  58. 50 ftBear right, heading NE.
  59. 0.2 miTurn left, heading N.
  60. 400 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  61. 0.1 miTurn right, heading NE.
  62. 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  63. 0.6 miBear right, heading NW.
  64. 0.2 miTurn right, heading N.
  65. 150 ftTurn left, heading N.
  66. 500 ftContinue straight onto Hop River Linear Park, heading N.
  67. 0.5 miSharp left, heading N.
  68. 150 ftBear right, heading N.
  69. 50 ftBear right, heading NW.
  70. 350 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  71. 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  72. 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  73. 0.2 miTurn right, heading N.
  74. 2.5 miTurn right onto Hop River Connector, heading W.
  75. 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

42% gravel31% dirt16% paved11% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:36 AMSunset 6:53 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.4 mi in (~11 min). Leave by 6:21 PM for the 6:53 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:17 PM — 4 min before dark.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: stop 592 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Hop River Connector Trailhead