AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Cockaponset State Forest

Star Lake & Dennison Pond

12.2 mi · ▲ 802 ft · 4 hr 28 min

Star Lake & Dennison Pond is a 12.2-mile out-and-back in Cockaponset State Forest near Kelseytown, CT. The route passes Star Lake and Star Lake before reaching Dennison Pond at the turnaround, 6.1 miles in. It climbs 802 ft, with sections as steep as 15% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 17/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi36 – 427 ft · steepest grade: 15%13.2 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 41.30801, -72.49935
Nearest town Kelseytown, CT
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Star Lake & Dennison Pond

12.2 mi · ▲ 802 ft · 4 hr 28 min

Elevation 37–427 ft

Out & Back · Cockaponset State Forest

Trailhead: 41.30801, -72.49935

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

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
  2. 0.4 miTurn left, heading NE.
  3. 0.4 miSharp left, heading W.
  4. 0.2 miTurn left, heading NW.
  5. 50 ftSharp right, heading NW.
  6. 100 ftTurn left, heading W.
  7. 0.2 miBear left, heading NE.
  8. 350 ftBear left, heading N.
  9. 0.1 miBear right, heading NE.
  10. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  11. 1.1 miTurn left, heading N.
  12. 450 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  13. 0.4 miBear left, heading NW.
  14. 0.2 miBear right, heading W.
  15. 0.2 miBear left, heading W.
  16. 0.1 miBear right, heading NE.
  17. 50 ftBear left, heading NE.
  18. 0.8 miTurn right, heading NW.
  19. 350 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  20. 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
  21. 0.3 miBear right, heading N.
  22. 0.6 miPass Star Lake.
  23. 0.3 miPass Star Lake.
  24. 350 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  25. 0.3 miPass Dennison Pond.
  26. 350 ftReach Star Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  27. 0.3 miTurn left, heading SE.
  28. 0.9 miBear left, heading NW.
  29. 0.3 miTurn left, heading W.
  30. 0.1 miTurn right, heading SW.
  31. 350 ftTurn left, heading S.
  32. 0.8 miBear right, heading SW.
  33. 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
  34. 0.1 miBear right, heading SE.
  35. 0.2 miBear left, heading S.
  36. 0.3 miBear right, heading SE.
  37. 0.4 miTurn left, heading NE.
  38. 400 ftTurn right, heading E.
  39. 1.1 miBear right, heading S.
  40. 50 ftBear left, heading S.
  41. 0.1 miBear right, heading E.
  42. 350 ftBear right, heading SE.
  43. 0.2 miTurn right, heading S.
  44. 50 ftSharp left, heading S.
  45. 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  46. 0.2 miSharp right, heading SE.
  47. 0.4 miTurn right, heading S.
  48. 0.3 miArrive 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/tower-hill-lake-tower-hill-lake-out-back-13-km-87b6

Trail surface

78% dirt22% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:36 AMSunset 6:53 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.2 mi in (~63 min). Leave by 5:29 PM for the 6:53 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:03 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 this trailhead

Hikes near Kelseytown, Connecticut