Cat Rocks–Breakneck Pond, 5 sights is a 9.5-mile out-and-back in Nipmuck State Forest near Mashapaug, CT. The route passes Breakneck Pond and Cat Rocks before reaching Bigelow Pond at the turnaround, 4.6 miles in. It climbs 756 ft. It scores 59/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi614 – 824 ft10.0 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 42.04893, -72.11135
Nearest town Mashapaug, CT
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Cat Rocks–Breakneck Pond, 5 sights
9.5 mi · ▲ 756 ft · 3 hr 33 min
Elevation 614–825 ft
Out & Back · Nipmuck State Forest
Trailhead: 42.04893, -72.11135
Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 78°F / low 61° · precip 0% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 5:45 AM · sunset 8:05 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading E.
- 0.6 miBear left, heading E.
- 1.3 miTurn right onto Cat Rocks Road, heading W.
- 50 ftPass Breakneck Pond.
- 0.2 miPass Cat Rocks.
- 0.8 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Breakneck Hill Road, heading W.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Bigelow Hollow Park Trail, heading W.
- 1.3 miPass Bigelow Pond.
- 150 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 200 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 150 ftReach Cat Rocks, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 150 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 200 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 1.4 miBear left onto Breakneck Hill Road, heading NE.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Cat Rocks Road, heading NE.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
- 400 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 1 miBear left, heading N.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 1.3 miBear right, heading N.
- 0.5 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
2% dirt98% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 78°F61°
Precip0%Wind7 mphUV8Humidity84%
Rained 0.8″ yesterday (2.3″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperature
80°60°
Sunrise 5:45 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:05 PM
Wed
81°62°
Thu
88°67°
50%
Fri
92°70°
38%
Sat
90°68°
41%
Sun
92°66°
15%
Mon
92°70°
20%
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Reservoir No. 5 4.6 mi · ▲ 444 ft
- Cat Rocks–Breakneck Pond, 3 summits 4.8 mi · ▲ 354 ft
- Breakneck Hill Road 5.4 mi · ▲ 462 ft
- Hatchet Pond–Reservoir No. 5, 3 lakes 6.9 mi · ▲ 553 ft
- Reservoir No. 4–Reservoir No. 5, 3 lakes 8.2 mi · ▲ 538 ft
- Meyers Pond & Breakneck Pond via Lower Breakneck Hill Road 12.1 mi · ▲ 796 ft
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