AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Farmington Canal Heritage Trail 2.0, Farmington CT.jpg
John Phelan · CC BY 4.0
Winding Trails Recreation Area

Last Natural Pond–Third Natural Pond, 7 lakes

10 mi · ▲ 236 ft · 3 hr 27 min

Last Natural Pond–Third Natural Pond, 7 lakes is a 10-mile out-and-back in Winding Trails Recreation Area near River Glen, CT. The route passes Last Natural Pond, Winding Trails Recreation Area Beach, Walton Pond and 3 more before reaching Taplin Pond at the turnaround, 4.9 miles in. It is mostly level, with 236 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 3/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi161 – 262 ft11.0 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 41.74727, -72.84479
Nearest town River Glen, CT
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Last Natural Pond–Third Natural Pond, 7 lakes

10 mi · ▲ 236 ft · 3 hr 27 min

Elevation 161–264 ft

Out & Back · Winding Trails Recreation Area

Trailhead: 41.74727, -72.84479

Weather Aug 4: sunrise 5:49 AM · sunset 8:07 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
  2. 50 ftPass Last Natural Pond.
  3. 50 ftPass Winding Trails Recreation Area Beach.
  4. 100 ftTurn left, heading W.
  5. 350 ftPass Walton Pond.
  6. 250 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  7. 200 ftBear right, heading N.
  8. 0.1 miTurn left, heading W.
  9. 100 ftBear right, heading NW.
  10. 400 ftPass Trout Pond.
  11. 50 ftBear right, heading N.
  12. 400 ftBear left, heading N.
  13. 50 ftBear right, heading N.
  14. 250 ftTurn right, heading N.
  15. 0.1 miBear left, heading N.
  16. 0.1 miBear left, heading N.
  17. 100 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  18. 0.1 miBear right, heading N.
  19. 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
  20. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  21. 200 ftSharp right, heading N.
  22. 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
  23. 250 ftSharp left, heading W.
  24. 500 ftTurn left onto Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, heading E.
  25. 1.1 miPass Third Natural Pond.
  26. 0.2 miPass Third Natural Pond.
  27. 2 miTurn right, heading S.
  28. 200 ftTurn left, heading S.
  29. 450 ftBear right, heading S.
  30. 50 ftBear left, heading S.
  31. 0.2 miPass Taplin Pond.
  32. 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  33. 0.1 miTurn right, heading S.
  34. 0.1 miReach Last Natural Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  35. 0.1 miTurn left, heading SW.
  36. 0.1 miTurn right, heading S.
  37. 0.2 miBear right, heading E.
  38. 50 ftBear left, heading NE.
  39. 450 ftTurn right, heading N.
  40. 3.3 miTurn right, heading N.
  41. 500 ftSharp right, heading N.
  42. 250 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  43. 50 ftSharp left, heading NE.
  44. 200 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  45. 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  46. 0.1 miBear left, heading NE.
  47. 0.1 miTurn left, heading E.
  48. 50 ftBear right, heading E.
  49. 0.1 miBear right, heading SE.
  50. 0.1 miTurn left, heading W.
  51. 250 ftBear left, heading NE.
  52. 50 ftBear right, heading NE.
  53. 400 ftBear left, heading S.
  54. 450 ftBear left, heading S.
  55. 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  56. 0.1 miBear left, heading SE.
  57. 200 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  58. 0.1 miTurn right, heading S.
  59. 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/taplin-pond-taplin-pond-out-back-10-lakes-16-km-108e

Trail surface

62% paved38% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 5:49 AMSunset 8:07 PM

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from this trailhead

Hikes near River Glen, Connecticut