AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Railroad Brook along Hop River State Park Trail, Bolton Notch CT.jpg
John Phelan · CC BY 4.0
Buckingham Reservoir Watershed

Bolton Notch Pond–Bolton Notch State Park Viewpoint, 5 lakes

14.9 mi · ▲ 1,350 ft · 5 hr 39 min

Bolton Notch Pond–Bolton Notch State Park Viewpoint, 5 lakes is a 14.9-mile out-and-back in Buckingham Reservoir Watershed 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 Red Gates Pond at the turnaround, 7.4 miles in. It climbs 1,350 ft. It scores 26/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.

Elevation

0 mi335 – 748 ft18.1 mi

Getting there

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

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Bolton Notch Pond–Bolton Notch State Park Viewpoint, 5 lakes

14.9 mi · ▲ 1,350 ft · 5 hr 39 min

Elevation 334–748 ft

Out & Back · Buckingham Reservoir Watershed

Trailhead: connector · 41.82336, -72.44288

Weather Aug 5: Mostly clear, high 81°F / low 61° · precip 0% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 5:48 AM · sunset 8:05 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 miSharp right, heading W.
  32. 450 ftBear left, heading SW.
  33. 0.2 miTurn left, heading S.
  34. 50 ftBear left, heading S.
  35. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  36. 100 ftTurn left, heading S.
  37. 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  38. 350 ftTurn right, heading S.
  39. 200 ftBear left, heading S.
  40. 350 ftTurn right, heading S.
  41. 450 ftTurn left, heading S.
  42. 0.2 miBear left, heading SW.
  43. 150 ftTurn left, heading S.
  44. 0.3 miTurn right, heading S.
  45. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  46. 0.1 miTurn right, heading SW.
  47. 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  48. 0.5 miTurn right, heading S.
  49. 0.3 miBear right, heading SW.
  50. 150 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  51. 500 ftPass Red Gates Pond.
  52. 0.3 miBear left, heading N.
  53. 150 ftReach Bolton Notch Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  54. 150 ftBear right, heading NW.
  55. 0.4 miTurn left, heading W.
  56. 150 ftBear left, heading W.
  57. 0.3 miTurn left, heading SW.
  58. 0.5 miTurn right, heading N.
  59. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  60. 0.1 miTurn right, heading NW.
  61. 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
  62. 0.3 miTurn right, heading SW.
  63. 150 ftBear right, heading SW.
  64. 0.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
  65. 450 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  66. 350 ftBear right, heading E.
  67. 200 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  68. 350 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  69. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  70. 150 ftTurn left, heading E.
  71. 50 ftBear right, heading E.
  72. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  73. 0.2 miBear right, heading SE.
  74. 0.5 miBear right, heading NE.
  75. 0.1 miTurn left, heading NE.
  76. 50 ftBear right onto Charter Oak Greenway, heading NE.
  77. 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  78. 0.3 miTurn right, heading NE.
  79. 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  80. 1.8 miTurn right, heading E.
  81. 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
  82. 100 ftTurn left, heading E.
  83. 250 ftSharp right, heading E.
  84. 0.1 miBear right, heading NE.
  85. 50 ftBear right, heading NE.
  86. 0.2 miTurn left, heading NE.
  87. 400 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  88. 0.1 miTurn right, heading NE.
  89. 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  90. 0.6 miBear right, heading NE.
  91. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NE.
  92. 100 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  93. 500 ftContinue straight onto Hop River Linear Park, heading NE.
  94. 0.5 miSharp right, heading N.
  95. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  96. 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
  97. 350 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  98. 100 ftTurn right, heading N.
  99. 300 ftTurn left, heading E.
  100. 0.2 miTurn right, heading N.
  101. 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 map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/hop-river-linear-park-viewpoint-hop-river-linear-park-viewpoint-out-back-9-lakes-via-charter-oak-greenway

Trail surface

53% dirt18% paved14% gravel15% unspecified

Weather

Mostly clearTemperature 81°F61°
Precip0%Wind6 mphUV7Humidity65%
Rained 2″ yesterday (4.5″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperature
85°60°
Sunrise 5:48 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:05 PM
Wed 80°67°
Thu 84°69° 45%
Fri 92°68° 57%
Sat 88°66° 45%
Sun 92°65° 16%
Mon 92°70° 20%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.9 mi in (~79 min). Leave by 6:25 PM for the 8:05 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:33 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from connector Trailhead

Hikes near Vernon Center, Connecticut