Heublein Tower Trail (Talcott Mountain State Park) Hiking Guide
The yellow-blazed Tower Trail climbs Talcott Mountain in Simsbury to Heublein Tower, the six-story summer home Gilbert Heublein finished in 1914 on a ledge about 1,000 feet above the Farmington River Valley. DEEP says the vast majority of park visitors take this path. The tower's top floor is open as a small museum in season, and on a clear day the state says you can pick out Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire.
Permit: Parking at Talcott Mountain State Park is free for cars with Connecticut plates under the Passport to the Parks program. Out-of-state vehicles pay $10 on weekdays and $15 on weekends and holidays, or use the $112 non-resident season pass. The park page does not say whether the charge is seasonal, so call (860) 242-1158 if it matters.
The Route and Its Numbers
Connecticut DEEP lists the Tower Trail as a 2.5-mile out-and-back of moderate difficulty. Hiking Project maps the yellow route at 1.2 miles one way with about 362 feet of climbing, which works out to roughly 2.4 miles and 380 feet for the round trip. The first stretch is the hard part: Hiking Project's notes put the steepest climbing in roughly the first half mile, and from there the path levels out with open views west over Simsbury and Avon before the final uphill to the summit. About four miles of trails run through the park, including a piece of the blue-blazed Metacomet Trail, but nearly everyone comes for this one.
Inside Heublein Tower
The 165-foot tower was built of reinforced concrete with 12-inch iron girders anchored into the ridge, designed to stand up to 100-mile-an-hour winds, and it held the state's first residential elevator. It is the fourth tower to stand on this summit. The state bought the 557-acre property in 1966, opened the park in 1974, and the tower went on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The museum opens Memorial Day weekend and runs through October 31, Friday to Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and it is closed Tuesday through Thursday. Pets, food, drink and walking sticks are not allowed inside, and there is no road access for visitors: the trail is the only way up.
Parking and Fees
The park entrance is on Summit Ridge Drive in Simsbury, and the grounds are open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. Cars with Connecticut registration park free. Cars with other plates pay $10 on a weekday or $15 on a weekend or holiday, and DEEP sells a $112 calendar-year pass for one out-of-state vehicle. Buses seating more than 30 people are not allowed, and groups larger than 20 that plan to visit the tower are asked to call the park office at 860-242-1158 first.
Dogs and Wildlife
Leashed dogs are welcome on the trail, but they have to wait outside the tower museum. The park asks hikers who see a black bear to enjoy it from a distance, make noise or back away slowly, and report the sighting to the DEEP Wildlife Division at (860) 424-3011. Birders watch for turkey vultures, bald eagles and pileated woodpeckers, and in May the damp ledges carry trillium, trout lily, wood anemone and Dutchman's breeches.
When to Go
If you want to go inside the tower, plan your visit between Memorial Day weekend and October 31, and only on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday. May brings the wildflowers. From November until Memorial Day weekend the trail stays open from 8 a.m. to sunset, but the tower is closed, so the ridge views are the reward.
Hiking tips for Heublein Tower Trail (Talcott Mountain State Park)
- Plan a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday visit if you want to go up inside the tower.
- Take the steep first half mile slowly; the ridge above is much easier.
- Leave food, drinks and trekking poles outside the museum.
- Budget $10 on a weekday or $15 on a weekend for parking if your car is not registered in Connecticut.
- Call the park office ahead if your group is bigger than 20.
Nearby trails to explore
- Will Warren's Den Trail (Rattlesnake Mountain)
- Ragged Mountain Preserve Loop
- Castle Craig Trail (Hubbard Park)
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Heublein Tower is an easy hike to fill because so many people already want to do it. Post a Friday or Monday tower hike on TrailMates, settle the meeting time in the event's group chat, and meet at the Summit Ridge Drive lot. Download TrailMates on the App Store or Google Play.