Railroad Brook along Hop River State Park Trail, Bolton Notch CT.jpg
John Phelan · CC BY 4.0

Case Mountain–Bolton Notch Pond, 5 lakes is a 10.7-mile out-and-back in Porter Howard Watershed Land near Vernon Center, CT. The route passes Valley Falls Park Beach, Bolton Notch Pond, Bolton Notch State Park Viewpoint and Upper Case Pond before reaching Case Mountain at the turnaround, 5.4 miles in. It climbs 966 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade. It scores 20/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi351 – 732 ft · steepest grade: 16%12.6 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: connector 41.82336, -72.44288
Nearest town Vernon Center, CT

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Case Mountain–Bolton Notch Pond, 5 lakes

10.7 mi · ▲ 966 ft · 4 hr 3 min

Elevation 351–732 ft

Out & Back · Porter Howard Watershed Land

Trailhead: connector · 41.82336, -72.44288

Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:36 AM · sunset 6:52 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading W.
  2. 50 ftPass Valley Falls Park Beach.
  3. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  4. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
  5. 300 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  6. 100 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  7. 350 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  8. 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  9. 50 ftSharp left onto Hop River Linear Park, heading W.
  10. 0.6 miTurn right, heading SW.
  11. 100 ftTurn left, heading S.
  12. 0.2 miBear left, heading S.
  13. 0.6 miTurn right, heading S.
  14. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  15. 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
  16. 400 ftTurn right, heading S.
  17. 0.2 miPass Bolton Notch Pond.
  18. 250 ftBear left, heading S.
  19. 50 ftBear left, heading S.
  20. 350 ftPass Bolton Notch State Park Viewpoint.
  21. 300 ftSharp left, heading SW.
  22. 250 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  23. 100 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  24. 0.2 miTurn left onto Charter Oak Greenway, heading SW.
  25. 1.8 miTurn right, heading SW.
  26. 0.2 miPass Upper Case Pond.
  27. 300 ftSharp right, heading SW.
  28. 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
  29. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  30. 0.1 miBear left onto Carriage Path, heading SW.
  31. 0.4 miTurn left, heading W.
  32. 350 ftTurn right, heading S.
  33. 250 ftPass Case Mountain.
  34. 0.2 miTurn left, heading S.
  35. 150 ftReach Case Mountain, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  36. 150 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  37. 0.2 miTurn left, heading S.
  38. 0.4 miBear right, heading SE.
  39. 0.1 miTurn left, heading NW.
  40. 50 ftBear right onto Charter Oak Greenway, heading NW.
  41. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  42. 0.3 miTurn right, heading N.
  43. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  44. 1.8 miTurn right, heading NE.
  45. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
  46. 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  47. 250 ftSharp right, heading NW.
  48. 0.1 miBear right, heading NE.
  49. 100 ftBear right, heading NE.
  50. 0.2 miTurn left, heading NE.
  51. 400 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  52. 0.1 miTurn right, heading NE.
  53. 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  54. 0.6 miBear right, heading NE.
  55. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NE.
  56. 100 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  57. 500 ftContinue straight onto Hop River Linear Park, heading NE.
  58. 0.5 miSharp right, heading N.
  59. 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  60. 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  61. 350 ftTurn left, heading N.
  62. 150 ftTurn right, heading N.
  63. 250 ftTurn left, heading N.
  64. 0.2 miTurn right, heading N.
  65. 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

48% dirt26% paved20% gravel6% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:36 AMSunset 6:52 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.7 mi in (~69 min). Leave by 5:23 PM for the 6:52 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:19 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

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