Haystack Mountain State Park — Haystack Mountain Tower
Northwest Hills / Norfolk, Connecticut
Activity
Hiking / Observation Tower
Distance
1.6 mi round trip
Elevation gain
~500 ft
Route
Loop / out-and-back combination
The adventure
Climb from Route 272 to a 1929 stone tower overlooking the high country of northwest Connecticut. Start at the bottom of Haystack Mountain, climb the yellow trail to the summit and finish with 34 more feet up the stone observation tower.
Begin at the lower Route 272 entrance and take the yellow-blazed trail up Haystack Mountain rather than driving the seasonal summit road. Reach the mountain summit, walk to the stone tower, climb all the way to the top observation level, take in the northwest Connecticut horizon and return to the lower entrance to.
What to expect
- Start at the bottom of Haystack Mountain, climb the yellow trail to the summit and finish with 34 more feet up the stone observation tower.
- Park at the limited lower entrance area off Route 272. Find the lower yellow-blazed trail near the park entrance and follow it uphill toward the tower, using the official map at trail junctions. Reach the summit clearing and stone Haystack Tower, climb the interior stairs to the observation level, then descend and follow the yellow route back toward the lower entrance parking. Do not rely on the seasonal interior road for completion.
Good to know
- 1929 TOWER
- The 34-foot stone tower was built in 1929 and originally carried a beacon light.
- THREE-STATE HORIZON
- The summit reaches roughly 1,700 feet and opens views toward the Berkshires, New York and Vermont.
- START AT THE BOTTOM
- The interior road only opens seasonally, but the lower yellow trail lets this Challenge begin from Route 272 on foot.
- SEASONAL SHOW
- June can bring mountain laurel blooms; autumn turns the summit into one of northwest Connecticut's classic foliage views.
- FIND THE OLD BEACON
- You won't actually find the light—it is gone—but look at the tower and picture the beacon that originally topped it in 1929. Apparently a mountaintop stone tower wasn't noticeable enough.
- Fee
- Free — no required entrance or parking fee.
- Entrance fee
- Connecticut State Parks explicitly lists Haystack Mountain State Park fees as Free.
- Dogs
- allowed-on-leash.
- Season
- The park supports walk-in access when the interior vehicle road closes for winter. Snow and ice can substantially change trail and tower conditions.
Photos
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